Homebrew_PCBs

I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it. Based on a quick "Look-
over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB printing.
As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little cutting
here, and little there should clear the path.

As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, there
appears to be a few more switches to detect various things. I am
going to need to study that all very carefully before I start cutting
it apart though. So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend will
provide me with some time to get to work on it.

Chris

Hi Chris,

If you are doing pcb's smaller than a CD, you should
be able to mount them on the CD holder. It would be a
quick start to prove of the concept without a lot of
effort.

Myc

--- lcdpublishing <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:

> I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it. Based
> on a quick "Look-
> over", it appears as though it is mechanically good
> for PCB printing.
> As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way,
> but a little cutting
> here, and little there should clear the path.
>
> As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper
> printing, there
> appears to be a few more switches to detect various
> things. I am
> going to need to study that all very carefully
> before I start cutting
> it apart though. So, with a bit of luck, this
> coming weekend will
> provide me with some time to get to work on it.
>
> Chris
>
>
>
>
>
>

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On Tue, 23 May 2006 17:53:14 +0200, lcdpublishing
<lcdpublishing@...> wrote:

> I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it. Based on a quick "Look-
> over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB printing.
> As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little cutting
> here, and little there should clear the path.
> As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, there
> appears to be a few more switches to detect various things. I am
> going to need to study that all very carefully before I start cutting
> it apart though. So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend will
> provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> Chris

I bought a C84 for 1eur. It has head problems but i hope to clean it up.
I'll fetch it tomorrow, but not sure if i can experiment before the
weekend.

ST

Hi MYC, yes, that is the plan. First I am going to get it working
to print CD/DVDs - that's the primary reason I bought it. Then, I
will make some small PCBs to fit the CD holder thing and try some
experiments using that and with the stock inks. Once I get some
results there, I will know how to procede from that point.

Fingers crossed!

Chris



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Mycroft2152 <mycroft2152@...>
wrote:

>
> Hi Chris,
>
> If you are doing pcb's smaller than a CD, you should
> be able to mount them on the CD holder. It would be a
> quick start to prove of the concept without a lot of
> effort.
>
> Myc
>
> --- lcdpublishing <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
>
> > I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it. Based
> > on a quick "Look-
> > over", it appears as though it is mechanically good
> > for PCB printing.
> > As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way,
> > but a little cutting
> > here, and little there should clear the path.
> >
> > As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper
> > printing, there
> > appears to be a few more switches to detect various
> > things. I am
> > going to need to study that all very carefully
> > before I start cutting
> > it apart though. So, with a bit of luck, this
> > coming weekend will
> > provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>

Cool, maybe this weekend will be THE weekend to make some progress
on this for the both of us.

Chris



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan"
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:

>
> On Tue, 23 May 2006 17:53:14 +0200, lcdpublishing
> <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
>
> > I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it. Based on a

quick "Look-

> > over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB

printing.

> > As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little

cutting

> > here, and little there should clear the path.
> > As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing,

there

> > appears to be a few more switches to detect various things. I am
> > going to need to study that all very carefully before I start

cutting

> > it apart though. So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend

will

> > provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> > Chris
>
>
> I bought a C84 for 1eur. It has head problems but i hope to clean

it up.

> I'll fetch it tomorrow, but not sure if i can experiment before

the

> weekend.
>
> ST
>

> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "lcdpublishing"
> <lcdpublishing@> wrote:
>
> I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it. Based on a quick
> "Look-
> over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB
> printing.
> As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little
> cutting
> here, and little there should clear the path.
>
> As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, there
> appears to be a few more switches to detect various things. I am
> going to need to study that all very carefully before I start
> cutting
> it apart though. So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend will
> provide me with some time to get to work on it.
>
> Chris

Check your CD printing tray. If the end that feeds into the printer
has a thin clear mylar strip attatched to it, then you have the proper
one. If it has no mylar strip, but instead has a straight black edge,
with two small semicircles, then you have an 'old version' which is
what I believe destroyed my R340 (the feed rollers for the CD printing
broke). Call Epson and see if they will change it out for you, though
I believe they're denying the problem exists (and quietly replacing
the printers that break).

There's a sensor on the printhead that checks the alignment of the
three white patches on the tray before it will start printing
(otherwise it just spits it out). I also know that I could /not/
get the OEM ink to work on copper or brass, I've tried it on thin
sheets fed through the paper path, and it completely beads up or
smears away. With /very/ careful prep I was able to reduce the beading
and get a 'decent' enough print to heat-set, but heat setting it made
the ink mostly evaporate, nearly nothing left to protect the metal at
all. The R220 uses a completely different type of ink than the C88

Yup, that's the one I got - the one with the black leading edge and
two molded circular tabs. Figures :-(

>
> Check your CD printing tray. If the end that feeds into the

printer

> has a thin clear mylar strip attatched to it, then you have the

proper

> one. If it has no mylar strip, but instead has a straight black

edge,

> with two small semicircles, then you have an 'old version' which

is

> what I believe destroyed my R340 (the feed rollers for the CD

printing

> broke). Call Epson and see if they will change it out for you,

though

> I believe they're denying the problem exists (and quietly

replacing

> the printers that break).
>
> There's a sensor on the printhead that checks the alignment of the
> three white patches on the tray before it will start printing
> (otherwise it just spits it out). I also know that I could /not/
> get the OEM ink to work on copper or brass, I've tried it on thin
> sheets fed through the paper path, and it completely beads up or
> smears away. With /very/ careful prep I was able to reduce the

beading

> and get a 'decent' enough print to heat-set, but heat setting it

made

> the ink mostly evaporate, nearly nothing left to protect the metal

at

> all. The R220 uses a completely different type of ink than the C88
>

Tried to run a test last night. DIdn't go well.

For my first tests, I figured i would swap the CD tray with a PCB
board the same width. This would allow me to do some tests without
any modifications to the printer. However, the printer doesn't seem
to act correctly.

The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and ofcourse
the tabs on the front edge. I am guessing that either the tabs or
the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.

I have yet to open up the plastic yet as this printer is a bit more
complex than normal ink jets. All the crap needed to accomodate
both paper and CDs seems to be "getting in the way" right now. If
this won't work for PCB work, I still need it for CD printing so I
am hesitant to get too carried away with taking it apart at this
time.

I will try to look for some additional sensors and such but if
anyone has any ideas, I am certainly all ears at the moment!

Chris

>The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and ofcourse
>the tabs on the front edge. I am guessing that either the tabs or
>the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.

I've heard that a real CD is sensed there, including borders and the
center hole.
Try to print something like PCB drawing on a genuine CD first, then
replace it with a PCB disk without the center hole.
Cristian

Hi Chris,

A step by step approach may be appropriate here due to all the
variables and unknowns.

1.Try printing a pcb pattern on a CD

2.Replace the CD with a pcb.

3.Dry / cure and etch the test pcb.

At this point you have proven the process, then "tweak" it as needed.

The print/dry/etch have still not yet been duplicated. Or is someone
holding out here? :)

TANSTAAFL!

Myc

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Cristian <bip@...> wrote:
>
>
> >The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and ofcourse
> >the tabs on the front edge. I am guessing that either the tabs or
> >the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.
>
> I've heard that a real CD is sensed there, including borders and the
> center hole.
> Try to print something like PCB drawing on a genuine CD first, then
> replace it with a PCB disk without the center hole.
> Cristian
>

Mine(900) has a painted white square at the front, and next to it a
notch cut out, I dont know if its looking for a reflection from white
and then no reflection from the notch, or if its no reflection on
black, reflection on white, then a sensor under the notch.

I have tried on pcb (shaped like a cd...) but its not good, very
uneven and lots of beading, but I have not got new ink yet, still
waiting for the cis system

Will try to cut a PCB to fit the opening where the CD goes into the
tray. I need to check the thicknesses of everything to make sure it
will go through the printer. THe PCB material I have on hand may be
too thick for this, but will check into it as soon as I can.






--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mycroft2152"
<mycroft2152@...> wrote:

>
> Hi Chris,
>
> A step by step approach may be appropriate here due to all the
> variables and unknowns.
>
> 1.Try printing a pcb pattern on a CD
>
> 2.Replace the CD with a pcb.
>
> 3.Dry / cure and etch the test pcb.
>
> At this point you have proven the process, then "tweak" it as

needed.

>
> The print/dry/etch have still not yet been duplicated. Or is

someone

> holding out here? :)
>
> TANSTAAFL!
>
> Myc
>
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Cristian <bip@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > >The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and

ofcourse

> > >the tabs on the front edge. I am guessing that either the tabs

or

> > >the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.
> >
> > I've heard that a real CD is sensed there, including borders and

the

> > center hole.
> > Try to print something like PCB drawing on a genuine CD first,

then

> > replace it with a PCB disk without the center hole.
> > Cristian
> >
>

> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Lez <lez.briddon@> wrote:
>
> Mine(900) has a painted white square at the front, and next to it a
> notch cut out, I dont know if its looking for a reflection from
> white
> and then no reflection from the notch, or if its no reflection on
> black, reflection on white, then a sensor under the notch.
>
> I have tried on pcb (shaped like a cd...) but its not good, very
> uneven and lots of beading, but I have not got new ink yet, still
> waiting for the cis system
>

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what happens. If you lift the lid and
watch as it tries to sense the CD, the printhead runs over the white
squares (there's a blueish light underneath it, the paint might be
UV), and if it doesn't line up with them, it ejects the tray. It
doesn't look like it looks at the CD itself at all. It /may/ check the
CD after it checks the white spots to make sure there's a CD in the
tray, but I'm not sure about that one.

It can be irritating, because the feed rollers will often misalign and
you sometimes have to stick the tray back in several times before it
will accept and print. Get that tray replaced as soon as you can, my
R340 died in less than 3 months, the rollers that the tray is supposed
to go under towards the back of the printer stopped lifting, and the
tray would slam into them and instantly get rejected.