Homebrew PCBs

Hi Bob,

I agree with you. Some people on this list have made
homebrewing pcbs into a high art form, When many of us
are just hobbyists wanting to do a few boards now and
then. These "artists' look down their noses at some of
the simple methods and discourage discussion by the
newbies. (Hi Stefan) (Listowner take note)

I haven't used the Pulsar "Green Film" , but I got the
same results with some leftover gold metallic "laser
foil" and some Reynold's Parchment Paper. It's a
metallized layer on a polyester film that is grabbed
by the toner when heated. It is used for hot stamping
foil seals on material and in the early days before
inkjets, one of the few ways to add color to your
documents.

It worked well on the pcb., I think part of the
success is that it flattens out the toner and seals up
some of the pinholes.

I like your foam brush idea, I used part of a sponge.

Keep posting the simple solutions.

Myc


--- bob_ledoux <bobledoux@...> wrote:

> I'm a hobbyist who builds occasional circuit boards.
>  So unlike
> some contributors I use circuit boards as tools. 
> (Some readers have
> turned circuit board technology into a very
> interesting hobby in its
> own right.)
> 
> My approach is minimalist. I want to use the least
> amount of hardware
> to build my boards.  I just moved from a laundry
> iron to laminator for
> toner transfer because I'm now working with SMT
> components. With
> through hole components and .040 traces the iron did
> me well.
> 
>   
> I have had good luck with Pulsar's products.  The
> cost
> doesn't bother
> me because $15 of toner transfer sheeting will last
> me a year.
> 
> I think many occasional board builders are like me,
> and prefer to keep
> it simple.
> 
> I want to talk about the Pulsar Green Film.  I
> really like this stuff
> because I can etch boards with a pair of gloves and
> a foam brush.  My
> last board was 4 inches square with 1-ounce copper. 
> It took about
> four minutes, using 2 ounces of ferric chloride to
> etch the board.  No
> heaters, no tanks, no agitation needed. 
> 
> With this process it pays to leave large areas of
> copper on the board.
>  The brush system rapidly removes narrow copper
> traces.  The wider
> areas take longer.  
> 
> Whether you use paper or some other product for your
> toner transfer
> medium, take a look at the Green Film.  For the
> occasional user it can
> eliminate the need for more complex etching
> equipment.
> 
> 
> 



		
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