Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

I'll try to explain.

On Feb 19, 2005, at 10:38 AM, curt_rxr wrote:

>
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Rob Frohne <frohro@w...> wrote:
>> Here are the details:
>>
>> http://www.wwc.edu/academics/departments/engineering/students/classes/
>> engr357/index.htm
>>
>> We can do some pretty fine surface mount parts, like QFPs.
>>
> Hi Rob,
>
> I wonder if you could expand on your instructions?
>
> You print twice, once on card stock and again on the PCB material
> taped over the first plot. Is this for double sided a PCB? Or is
> the pattern transferred fron the card stock to the PCB?
The reason we print twice is so that you make sure you are getting what
you want before printing on the circuit board material. It also allows
you to position the circuit board in the right place on the card, so
you get the ink where you need it on the circuit board.
>
> How does the printer hold up under a use that Xerox probably considers
> abuse? How many boards are run through the printer during a term?
We are still worried about this a little. One of our Xerox printers
has developed a problem with the print heads and it is now cheaper to
buy a new printer than to replace the heads. The way we understand how
the printer works though, it is hard to conceive that what we have been
doing caused the problem because the printer prints on a drum which
transfers the ink to the paper or circuit board in our case. These
printers we have been using have been used for printing about 1000
pages a month besides perhaps 50 circuit boards a term.
>
> Finally does the ink stand up to the CuCl + H2O2 etching as used by
> many in this group?
We have been using Sodium peroxide. We also used Feric Chloride (if I
remember right) and it worked for both.
>
> Since the bottom end Xerox 840 is selling for $999 it could be an
> ideal solution for homebrewers.
I think it isn't a bad solution. We have been gluing the flexible
boards onto regular ones if we don't want the flexible attribute. The
thing I like about the process is that it is simple, and very quick for
small boards like my students make for my engineering electronics class
and lab.

Best regards,

Rob
>
> Curt
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--
Rob Frohne, Ph.D., P.E.
E.F. Cross School of Engineering
Walla Walla College
http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/