ST,
Thanks for the response!
For now, the quantity of boards that I make still seems to be well-suited to the toner transfer method. And, my current quest is, after all, directly aimed at increasing the number of boards or rate of production that IS still viable using toner transfer.
So the copier fuser idea interests me.
I don't know how much time would be required, to convert either a copier or laser printer mechanism. But, if it's not TOO much time, I do happen to know of an ∗excellent∗ SOURCE for both of them, "for almost nothing":
There are almost always hundreds or thousands of both copiers and laser printers sold at auction, by the military, every month, through
http://www.govliquidation.com . They also seem to have just about anything ELSE you can possibly imagine. I didn't ever focus on the copier/printer auction lots, since I was into the resale of mostly just "electronic test and measurement equipment". But it ∗seemed∗ like the copiers and printers often went for about the minimum bid (usually $35 + 10% fee + tax), which was often for several or MANY of them in one auction lot. I have even seen large semi trailer loads of used HP and other laser printers that looked perfectly fine that occasionally sold for less than $1000, although that was probably five or more years ago. And they usually have the really ∗BIG∗ copiers, too (not to mention lots of other cool stuff, like big pen-plotters, forklifts, jet engines, generators, boats, ... you name it...!). So, if a person is lucky-enough to be fairly near one of their larger warehouses, that could be a great source for lots of interesting "stuff". Even just going there to LOOK at all the stuff, during the inspection period, is usually an ∗amazing∗ experience.
Before anyone gets TOO excited, please note that there are some significant inherent risks involved with buying surplus equipment from govliquidation.com . You basically have to go there in person, to pick up whatever you've won/bought (or pay through the nose to have it picked up and shipped to you; usually ∗HUGE∗ $), usually without any assistance in loading it. And there is NO guarantee that ANY of it will work, at all, or that it even has all of its parts, etc, AND even no guarantee that what is listed or pictured for an auction lot is actually what is in the lot! Their listed "condition codes" are sometimes completely wrong, too, and are often ambiguous or misleading. So, until you "know the ropes", or don't care too much about the risks, it is advisable to go to the warehouse, during the official inspection period before the auction, to personally inspect the lots you're interested in bidding on. (Hint: If you're looking at many lots, then, if you can, take a digital camera, so you won't need to write down too many notes about items' conditions, etc.)
Also, compared to back when I was buying from them much more regularly, they've gradually gotten smarter about selling, so that now they sometimes put the really good stuff in very small lots, or one at a time. And they've changed from mostly sealed-bid auctions to mostly on-line "live" auctions, similar to ebay. Those are probably "a good thing" for end users, although it tends to make it worse for the resellers. However, I always wondered how many of the end-user-type buyers, buying a single item, were disappointed because they didn't yet understand what the risks were, especially when I'd see, for example, a nice Tektronix oscilloscope model go for what a known-working one would sell for on ebay! Even with experience and VERY careful pre-bid inspection, at least 10% or 15%, and sometimes up to 30% or more, of what I acquired was NOT in working condition. (Of course, the prices were still 10% to 30% of the average ebay selling prices for the same items, back then.) So, bid accordingly.
Sorry to blather-on for so long, about all of that!
Thanks again, ST!
Regards,
Tom Gootee
http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg-----------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 19:28:09 +0200
From: Stefan Trethan <
stefan_trethan@...>
Subject: Re: Anybody tried a large flatbed laminator for toner transfer?
On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:54:17 -0300, Alexandre Souza
<
alexandre-listas@...> wrote:
<snipped>
Tom was asking for efficiently making a big number of boards, may i
suggest a big
fuser out of a copier? they are at least double the size of a laser
printer and work very
well. you can panelize the boards to speed things up.
On the other hand, IMO toner transfer is not well suited for high
quantities.
ST
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