Homebrew_PCBs

Hi Guys
I have not tryed the method your describing or even understand the
thermal transfer method, but I would like to give it a go in a few
weeks and I do not want to buy a laminator. I came across a HP laser
jet 4 printer which is going in the bin, the question is can I use
the fuser unit from this Printer ? what should I look for ? I have no
problems with building the control board for the stepper motor or the
temperature control board.
best regards
Luis


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Alexandre Souza" <alexandre-
listas@e...> wrote:

>
> SUCESS!
>
> Yesterday I gave a try on ppdeayal method of thermal transfer.
>
> Got an old Toshiba Pagemaster printer, dismanteled and got the

entire

> fuser assembly and gear unit. Built it onto a board of wood and a

small

> circuit to drive the step motor. In my first try, I got so much

sucess I'm

> really amazed. Here is how it happened:
>
> - Got a Couche paper (time magazine, in Brazil we have "Veja")

sheet and

> glued it with double sided tape into an A4 sheet. My HP Laserjet 4

plus

> cannot feed a paper so thin, so I used the A4 sheet as a carrier.
>
> - Printed the circuit in the darkest mode possible
>
> - Warmed the fuser unit, monitoring temperature in the

thermistor (The

> IDEAL temperature of the fuser unit is between 190 and 210 degrees.

In HP

> printers the Thermal Fuse opens in 210 degrees celsius, so keep this
> temperature lower!)
>
> - Put the board + paper sandwich in the fuser unit, and ran 4

times in

> each direction (my PC program allows me to do that automatically,

so I don't

> need to take the board from one side to re-insert in the other side

of the

> laminator)
>
> - Took the board off, and put it on the cold water bath
>
> - The board came WONDERFULLY TRANSFERED. Wow!
>
> My DOs and DON'Ts:
>
> - Fuser units that has plastic bearings on the fuser roller

sides are

> complicated to work. Mine melted the plastic 2 times while I was

looking for

> the maximum temperature I can use.
> - If you have money for a commercial laminator unit, go for it!
> - The board has to be completely clean, of course
> - In high temperatures (as you can see in the photos I put on

the site)

> the ink of the magazine can be transfered to the board. Use a clean

sheet of

> couche paper, or if you can, the lighest printed page you can find

on the

> magazine.
> - The "secret secret" of the thermal transfer isn't really

TEMPERATURE

> but EVEN PRESSURE.
>
> Greetz for all!
> Alexandre Souza
>
>
>
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