Homebrew PCBs

Well, try number 2 wasn't great at all.

Actually, it was dinky-di, true blue, slap-my-butt-and-call-me-Mary
perfect!

A couple of other notes... I used Scotch brand 'Magic Tape'. Peels off
and leaves no residue as long as you grab the paper and peel - you
can't seem to lift the corner of the tape itself.

Again - thanks everyone, Luc in particular!

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "phildimond"
<my-yahoo-groups@...> wrote:
>
> Luc - I wanted to really thank you for this post. I've been trying to
> do toner transfers for .. well .. forever. Never got anything even
> vaguely useful.
> 
> I am writing this with the first board that's ever been viable for me.
> Very good, in fact!
> 
> I used the same GBC Creative laminator. I have been trying to get a
> Laserjet 1020 but simply surrendered. However, I do have an old 3015
> all-in-one that uses the same 12A cartridge as the 1020 - and it
> worked great. I wonder if it's more in the cartridge than the printer
> per se. I would guess that all printers that use the same cartridge
> must have to heat the toner the same amount for optimal results,
> though I also guess the more density, the better.
> 
> The real trick is the paper, I now understand. In my case, advertising
> pages from Australian Aviation worked very well. The magazine is so
> irritating to read with the glossy pages, but it makes great toner
> transfer paper! :^)
> 
> I also realise now that a big secret is to make sure the board cools
> before you soak off the paper, and to use lukewarm water at the
> warmest. Too warm and it seems to soften the toner.
> 
> I lost a few pads on my board, but that's just because they were too
> fine (10 though doughnuts). Not a single broken (or even thin) trace
> otherwise. I fattened the pads up, and I'll have another crack later
> this evening.
> 
> And you're right - the toner that does transfer sets like a rock!
> 
> Again - THANK YOU!
> 
> Phil
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Luc Small" <luc.small@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Everyone,
> > 
> > Chilliismyweakness: I used the following model:
> > 
> > GBC Creative Laminator
> > 
> > It is available from Dick Smith Electronics, catalogue number F1424,
> $40:
> > 
> >
>
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/488e64bf03cce6be2741c0a87f9c076c/Product/View/F1424
> > 
> > I've also seen it at an Australia Post Shop for ~$44.
> > 
> > I am pretty happy with the results I am getting from it. It works very
> > well with the Open Road paper, but doesn't seem to work at all with
> > the Press'n'Peel film. I don't think enough heat gets through the
> > thicker Press'n'Peel film to properly bond the toner to the board.
> > However, I can't see much need to use the more expensive film when the
> > Open Road is free and works just as well for me.
> > 
> > One of its virtues is that it can handle 1.6mm FR4 board without
> > modification. I think the rollers have some give (perhaps they are
> > spring loaded), and can therefore adapt to the board's thickness. I
> > found that feeding the board on a slight angle worked best, i.e. so
> > that one corner contacts with the rollers first. Feeding it in this
> > way, the board never got stuck. Feeding it in parallel to the rollers
> > occasionally caused the rollers to jam.
> > 
> > I still think it would be nice to modify the laminator at some point
> > so it can fuse boards in a single pass. I think these things use a low
> > speed AC motor running at a fixed speed. I think I might eventually
> > turf this motor, and put a little DC motor, gearbox and a speed
> > controller in its place. But that project is some time off - for the
> > moment I'll just stick to feeding the board through ~8 times or so.
> > 
> > 
> > Myc: Thanks for the tip vis Avery and Dennison labels. My first
> > thought was Kapton tape since I have a couple of rolls of the stuff
> > lying around and I can't even melt it with the tip of my soldering
> > iron. However, I'd does seem kind of wasteful and expensive to use
> > such 'fancy tape' for making PCBs. Will give the labels a go.
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > 
> > Luc
> >
>