Homebrew PCBs

Hi guys,
just thought i would tell you about my new way of pcb making.

Step 1, Printing the artwork:
using glossy advertising junk mail like bigW or K-mart papers
tear out a clean page a bit smaller than A4, about 1cm from the top 
fold the top edge over and hook it onto a standard A4 sheet so the 
advertising is on the top side, and feed the lot into the paper slot 
of a brother hl-2040 laser printer and click print.
the thin advertising wont jam like this because the normal sheet will 
pull it through.

Step 2, Transferring the toner:
find a laminator, the one i use is marbig A4 home laminator bought 
from safeway, it has silicone rubber rollers that can squash to 
accept a standard thickness bcb. cut out and align the artwork and 
feed it to the warmed up laminator. feed it in a couple of times to 
make sure the board all hot.

Step 3, Etching:
once the laminator spits out the board soak in hot water with dish 
wasking liquid and gently rub off bigW's advertising and etch the 
board. printers like the brother hl-2040 have really delicate toner 
so i have to be very gentle.

any laminator should do, the only mod i did was take the top plastic 
cover off so i could get closer to the rollers for feeding tiny 
boards.
any feedback would be great

-Cheers!

I've also had better results wiht with the glossy advertising (Sunday
newspaper inserts)  than with the Staples inkjet paper. My favorite is the
SEARS insert.

I usually first print the -pcb artwork on regular paper, then using laser
labels, tape a piece of the SEARS ad to cover the printed area. The regular
paper acts as a carrier and feeds through the laser printer neatly.

After removing the paper by soaking, I "flash fuse" the toner, by heating it
with a hair dryer, keeping the hair dryer very close 1/8" or 2mm from the
toner.

The flash fusing seems to help the adhesion and evenness of the toner and
makes it more durable.

TANSTAAFL!

Myc

On 7/12/06, loco_labs <burning_you@...> wrote:
>
>   Hi guys,
> just thought i would tell you about my new way of pcb making.
>
> Step 1, Printing the artwork:
> using glossy advertising junk mail like bigW or K-mart papers
> tear out a clean page a bit smaller than A4, about 1cm from the top
> fold the top edge over and hook it onto a standard A4 sheet so the
> advertising is on the top side, and feed the lot into the paper slot
> of a brother hl-2040 laser printer and click print.
> the thin advertising wont jam like this because the normal sheet will
> pull it through.
>
> Step 2, Transferring the toner:
> find a laminator, the one i use is marbig A4 home laminator bought
> from safeway, it has silicone rubber rollers that can squash to
> accept a standard thickness bcb. cut out and align the artwork and
> feed it to the warmed up laminator. feed it in a couple of times to
> make sure the board all hot.
>
> Step 3, Etching:
> once the laminator spits out the board soak in hot water with dish
> wasking liquid and gently rub off bigW's advertising and etch the
> board. printers like the brother hl-2040 have really delicate toner
> so i have to be very gentle.
>
> any laminator should do, the only mod i did was take the top plastic
> cover off so i could get closer to the rollers for feeding tiny
> boards.
> any feedback would be great
>
> -Cheers!
>
>  
>


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

--- loco_labs <burning_you@...> wrote:

> Hi guys,
> just thought i would tell you about my new way of pcb making.
> 
> Step 1, Printing the artwork:
> Step 2, Transferring the toner:
> Step 3, Etching:
> any feedback would be great

I don't see what is 'new' in your method!
this is THE method for doing TT, the variants are:
- type/origin of paper/foil used
- brand/model of printer/copier
- board prep mechanical/chemical
- use iron/laminator/press
- use cold/hot water with/without detergent/chemicals
- rub/no rub the paper off
- fix/no fix the transfer
- etching products and mechanics
- no plating/plating methods

pros and cons of each of these alternatives is most what this group is about.

a 'new' approach is, for example, what Volcan is doing...

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