Homebrew PCBs

Hi All

I use TT. My paper is semi-gloss photo paper which has proved much easier to remove than the gloss I used when I first tried it =D I hacked a texet laminator by fitting a cloths iron thermostat as a replacement for it's original unit.

I get my prints done at a local printers and I clean my copper with a kitchen sponge and detergent. Then fine wire wool then a final clean.

I have made a bubble etch tank up as well which works quite well but needs a little work to maximise it's efficiency. 

results are excellent the majority of my traces are sharp and crisp and I even have parts as close as 0.5mm. I have made around 40 PCB's this year with it and only had very few minor problems that needed an etch resist pen.

For quick prototyping or a one off it's great.

regards

Fenris

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Dylan Smith <dyls@...> wrote:
>
> I'm neither particularly meticulous, nor do I use solvents :-)
> 
> I've found fine grit wet and dry paper and normal detergent (for  
> dishes) cleans the copper perfectly, and leaves a surface to which the  
> toner adheres very well.
> 
> For taking off the toner after etching, exactly the same process - I  
> just scrub the toner off with the same bit of wet and dry and soapy  
> water that I used to clean the board.
> 
> Pinholes can still be a problem, I've found it depends a lot on the  
> paper (some paper seems terrible for it, with others there's hardly a  
> problem), and 8/8 is as low as I tend to want to go (10/10 is an order  
> of magnitude easier to do than 8/8, I find. But then again, I do use a  
> clothes iron to transfer the toner).
> 
> El 01-dic-09, a las 21:34, DJ Delorie escribi�:
> > For TT: You need a good enough laser printer, and paper that will (1)
> > print cleanly and (2) release cleanly.  You have to be meticulous
> > about cleaning the board or the toner won't stick.  Small details are
> > hard to get, and the toner lets pinhole leaks get through.  You need a
> > solvent to remove the toner after etching.  Lamination requires a hot
> > (350F) temperature to get good adhesion.
>