Homebrew PCBs

OK, now that Stefan has reproduced Volkan's results with "direct to 
copper" printing...I couldn't resist jumping in with both feet.

Especially since I found an Epson C86 for sale this weekend for $4 
(at the Ham Radio Swapmeet). 

In fact the weekend went like this:

1. Epson C86 Printer, capable of printing with DuraBright Inks at 
over 5K DPI resolution - $4.

2. Continuous Ink System (off eBay) with chips to fool the printer - 
$12

3. 4 bottle set of MISPro ink - $48

4. Ability to apply etch resist direct to copper - priceless!

Tbe CIS and Ink should arrive today or tomorrow. I can't wait to try 
them. 

Jim
N6ZOW

P.S.  The C86 appears to be identical to the C84. Stefan, how did 
you modify your C84 to achieve a straight-through print path?  Did 
you just rip away all the plastic?

P.P.S.  Hey....at worst at least I finally have a new printer.  I 
haven't bought a new printer in over a dozen years.  Still have my 
HP-5L Laser Printer.  Only had to repair it once with the mail order 
replacement take-up roller kit.  So what if it is only 5 pages a 
minute?  BTW, the C86 says it is 20 pages a minute. Amazing.

I'll be anxious to hear about this.  I'm also curious about the ability to do double sided boards?
   
  I already have an MIS system, but I'd probably get a cheap printer so I don't hose my current one ;)
   
  -Tony

jzmuda2000 <hwhacker@...> wrote:
          OK, now that Stefan has reproduced Volkan's results with "direct to 
copper" printing...I couldn't resist jumping in with both feet.

Especially since I found an Epson C86 for sale this weekend for $4 
(at the Ham Radio Swapmeet). 

In fact the weekend went like this:

1. Epson C86 Printer, capable of printing with DuraBright Inks at 
over 5K DPI resolution - $4.

2. Continuous Ink System (off eBay) with chips to fool the printer - 
$12

3. 4 bottle set of MISPro ink - $48

4. Ability to apply etch resist direct to copper - priceless!

Tbe CIS and Ink should arrive today or tomorrow. I can't wait to try 
them. 

Jim
N6ZOW

P.S. The C86 appears to be identical to the C84. Stefan, how did 
you modify your C84 to achieve a straight-through print path? Did 
you just rip away all the plastic?

P.P.S. Hey....at worst at least I finally have a new printer. I 
haven't bought a new printer in over a dozen years. Still have my 
HP-5L Laser Printer. Only had to repair it once with the mail order 
replacement take-up roller kit. So what if it is only 5 pages a 
minute? BTW, the C86 says it is 20 pages a minute. Amazing.



         


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Don't go with cheapest one. Try to use printer that has as many nozzles in color, like black one. If you plan to use double side printing, look for the one that has paper sensor on the head. Otherwise alignment is not easy to solve.  
 Volkan 
   
..............  I'd probably get a cheap printer so I don't hose my current one ;) 
     
   -Tony

>  P.P.S.  Hey....at worst at least I finally have a new printer.  I
>  haven't bought a new printer in over a dozen years.  Still have my
>  HP-5L Laser Printer.  Only had to repair it once with the mail order
>  replacement take-up roller kit.  So what if it is only 5 pages a
>  minute?  BTW, the C86 says it is 20 pages a minute. Amazing.
>

I wonder if thats whats wrong with my 5l, I was going to give it to my
daughter for homework but you can only put 1 sheet at a time in, which
it sometimes takes up, or if you put in ten sheets it will take them
all up........

I may take it apart and look at how to fix it with duct tape, you can
fix most things with duct tape......


Lez

Hmm, like which model would you recommend for this?  Also, is there a set of docs and / or pics on any mods that need to be done available on the web?  And does one need to use MIS inks to start with or can one use the epson inks to print a few boards before getting continuous ink ones?  
   
  -Tony

Volkan Sahin <vsahin@...> wrote:
          Don't go with cheapest one. Try to use printer that has as many nozzles in color, like black one. If you plan to use double side printing, look for the one that has paper sensor on the head. Otherwise alignment is not easy to solve. 
Volkan 

.............. I'd probably get a cheap printer so I don't hose my current one ;) 

-Tony 



         


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I am using CX4200 all in one type. It works great. You need to use MIS PRO yellow or magenta; both are working but yellow is the best etch resistant. I use yellow (in cyan and yellow cartridges), magenta (off course in magenta cartridge) as a media glossy photo and as a printing color 'color black'. You can find details in archives. Do not use black only printing.
 I will take some pictures of modifications that I did and put under archives group folder in next days. 
 Volkan
 
 
 
  
>  ... which model would you recommend for this?  Also, is there a set of docs and / or pics on any mods that need to be done available on the web?  And does one > need to use MIS inks to start with or can one use the epson inks to print a few boards before getting continuous ink ones?

> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
> [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com] De la part de Lez
> Envoyé : juin 13 2006 12:45
> À : Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> Objet : Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Setup for direct to PCB printing 
> using Epson&MISPro Ink
> 
> I wonder if thats whats wrong with my 5l, I was going to give 
> it to my daughter for homework but you can only put 1 sheet 
> at a time in, which it sometimes takes up, or if you put in 
> ten sheets it will take them all up........
> 
> I may take it apart and look at how to fix it with duct tape, 
> you can fix most things with duct tape......
> 
> 
> Lez


I had the same problem on a LaserJet 1100.  I've read several posts on the
web with people having similar problems too.  I wouldn't be surprised if HP
used the same piece of crap feeding system on several models.

The LaserJet 2100 I have now won't feed through tray 1, I have to shove back
a cam on the left side of the opening to get it going (hidden behind a
spring).  One day I'm going to lose some flesh doing that, but it's the only
way to get tray 1 actuated.  Tray 2 won't feed unless I shove a piece of
cardboard under the drawer, this elevates the tray just enough for the
feeder to pick up a sheet.

And to think that there was a time when Hewlett Packard stood for top
quality printers.

Robert
:)

Are you using the external tanks as well, or are you filling the containers?  I'm assuming external tanks since you're talking about reset chips.
   
  I noticed in the pics you posted, you did get some double sided boards up, and was wondering how you did the alignment on them.  Also are you using standard thickness boards??
   
  -Tony

Volkan Sahin <vsahin@...> wrote:
          I am using CX4200 all in one type. It works great. You need to use MIS PRO yellow or magenta; both are working but yellow is the best etch resistant. I use yellow (in cyan and yellow cartridges), magenta (off course in magenta cartridge) as a media glossy photo and as a printing color 'color black'. You can find details in archives. Do not use black only printing.
I will take some pictures of modifications that I did and put under archives group folder in next days. 
Volkan




> ... which model would you recommend for this? Also, is there a set of docs and / or pics on any mods that need to be done available on the web? And does one > need to use MIS inks to start with or can one use the epson inks to print a few boards before getting continuous ink ones? 




         


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> 2. Continuous Ink System (off eBay) with chips to fool the printer -
> $12

Where'd you get that so cheap?

> 3. 4 bottle set of MISPro ink - $48
> 4. Ability to apply etch resist direct to copper - priceless!
> Tbe CIS and Ink should arrive today or tomorrow. I can't wait to try
> them.
> Jim
> N6ZOW

> P.S.  The C86 appears to be identical to the C84. Stefan, how did
> you modify your C84 to achieve a straight-through print path?  Did
> you just rip away all the plastic?

First i took all the plastic off as i usually do with the inkjets.  
Although it doesn't appear so from the outside the C84 works just fine  
without. HINT: mark the little arrow that indicates which cart is empty on  
the sheetmetal first (not needed with your reset chips)
If you also remove the upright feeder on the back you can fit through  
PCBs, but you must still actuate the paper sensor lever. The pizza wheels  
come off easily (the whole sheetmetal holder i think).
The head should be raised, but i haven't had time to do that yet. The  
1.5mm PCB will pass anyway but when fitting the carriage i plan to make  
i'll have to raise it.

> P.P.S.  Hey....at worst at least I finally have a new printer.  I
> haven't bought a new printer in over a dozen years.  Still have my
> HP-5L Laser Printer.  Only had to repair it once with the mail order
> replacement take-up roller kit.  So what if it is only 5 pages a
> minute?  BTW, the C86 says it is 20 pages a minute. Amazing.

Do not throw out the 5L, it is better than any inkjet, and you will still  
use it after the Cxx is long dead.
I find it totally impractical to use a inkjet for paper printing.

I haven't had much time lately to work on this. Hope this will change soon.

ST

I am working on CIS system now, before I was filling the cartridges with MIS ink. The auto-reset thing is new that I did last weekend. I modified the printer head height now it can accept up to 80mils (~2mm) board thickness. On the pictures board thickness was 31mils FR4 ( 0.8mm).
 Concerning alignment there was 2 problems for me 
 1- To be sure that printer is always starting at the same Y-axis 
  --- Open a slot on left side of tray and use slotted optical switch to detect it.  I assembled this optical switch to the left rear side paper entry of the printer. I modified my paper emulator software to use this sensor signal. 
 2- Alignment with my CNC.  
 ---Roughly estimate the position of the printed image on tray and put drilled PCB to this location and loosely fix it by Scotch. 
 ---Cover PCB with transparency and securely fix the transparency by Scotch. 
 ---Print your with via/holes unfilled image on transparency 
 ---Now, using small PCB sticks align the holes of the  PCB to the image on the transparency 
 ---Remove transparency 
 ---Reprint image with filled via/holes on PCB 
 Cheers,
 Volkan
  
 > ---the external tanks as well, or are you filling the containers?  I'm assuming external tanks since you're talking about reset chips. 
 >----how you did the alignment on them.  Also are you using standard thickness boards??

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> 
> > 2. Continuous Ink System (off eBay) with chips to fool the 
printer -
> > $12
> 
> Where'd you get that so cheap?
> 

InkExpress4u.  It is not really as good a deal as it seems at 
first.  Sure, your winning bid for the CIS system is only $12.  But 
then he dings you $25 for shipping... We'll see how well it works 
when it arrives.


> 
> I haven't had much time lately to work on this. Hope this will 
change soon.
> 
> ST
>

I hope so, too.

Take care.

Jim

On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:07:09 +0200, jzmuda2000 <hwhacker@...> wrote:

> InkExpress4u.  It is not really as good a deal as it seems at
> first.  Sure, your winning bid for the CIS system is only $12.  But
> then he dings you $25 for shipping... We'll see how well it works
> when it arrives.


I also found this offer, it seems the cheape at first but as you say the  
shipping is a scam. I do not agree with that unfair trading and will not  
buy from such sellers.

ST