Homebrew PCBs

I've added Volkan description of modifying his CX4200 to the 
tutorials up on the WIKI page at
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcb/etch/directinkjetresist.htm

His mods are far more complex than Stefen's and not all the 
circuitry / source code is available, but for advanced users, it 
will be great. I'd like to extend this offer: Volkan, if you release 
the circuit and source for the electronics, I will also pay $50 to 
you or any charity for your effort.

Stefen: I'm ready to payout $50 to you (or the charity of your 
choice), but I would like to get just a couple small items that I 
think will be critical to people who are doing the modifications:

1. We really need a picture at the text "Lastly you need to raise 
the front head rail by the same amount. Simply put spacers (nuts) 
under where the screws attach the piece and use longer screws."

2. How you place the tape to secure the PCB... ehh.. this is no big, 
nevermind.

3. Screen shots of the printer settings. Those should be easy to do, 
let me know if you need help. Or just detailed readout of what is 
set to what.

4. A picture of the hotplate setup used to cure the PCBs. Where was 
the PCB relative to the aluminum block: Top or bottom? Between the 
hotplate and the block or was the block on the hotplate and the PCB 
on top of that?

And of course, I need to know where to paypal the payment.

Given the excellent job these guys have done in supporting us and 
sharing thier experiences, I would like to encourage everyone to 
consider showing real appreciation. My $50 or $100 is a drop in the 
bucket. But if a few of us pulled out the wallets, it could really 
make a difference and encourage others in the future to develop and 
share. This was ground breaking stuff. It is going to change the way 
things are done from now on: We have another option for making 
boards; one that never existed before!

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:37:04 +0200, James Newton  
<jamesmichaelnewton@...> wrote:

> 1. We really need a picture at the text "Lastly you need to raise
> the front head rail by the same amount. Simply put spacers (nuts)
> under where the screws attach the piece and use longer screws."
> 2. How you place the tape to secure the PCB... ehh.. this is no big,
> nevermind.
> 3. Screen shots of the printer settings. Those should be easy to do,
> let me know if you need help. Or just detailed readout of what is
> set to what.
> 4. A picture of the hotplate setup used to cure the PCBs. Where was
> the PCB relative to the aluminum block: Top or bottom? Between the
> hotplate and the block or was the block on the hotplate and the PCB
> on top of that?


I actually aleady made those pictures and put them in the same place as  
before. they all have the same date code to search more easily  
<http://dipcb.schtuff.com/>.

But i want for several days to make more, namely of the PCB holding  
mechanism i constructed that no longer needs tape.
Note that i have replaced the hotplate in the pictures with a clothes iron  
by now, but the thermostat is also not ideal, i plan to get a oven monday  
and equip it with a electronic thermostat.

Also got some propylene glycol, will try what it does. It's dirt cheap so  
let's hope it does something positive ;-)

James, i did not have time yet to check out the wiki functions of your  
page, although i did read some other interesting articles. I will do so  
later on, it's great if it is a wiki, although i'm still not convinced it  
is right to collect loads of ideas, trials, possibly nonsense, on your  
webpage so i do not know if we should use it for what really is more or  
less just note taking. It's definitely great though for keeping an up to  
date version of instructions.


ST

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> I actually aleady made those pictures and put them in the same 
place as  
> before. they all have the same date code to search more easily  
> <http://dipcb.schtuff.com/>.

Excellent! Ok, I've finished up the pages. Unless you give me a 
differnt address, I will PayPal $50 to your email.

> But i want for several days to make more, namely of the PCB 
holding  
> mechanism i constructed that no longer needs tape.
> Note that i have replaced the hotplate in the pictures with a 
clothes iron  
> by now, but the thermostat is also not ideal, i plan to get a oven 
monday  
> and equip it with a electronic thermostat.
> 
> Also got some propylene glycol, will try what it does. It's dirt 
cheap so  
> let's hope it does something positive ;-)

I look forward to your continued contributions. I really can't tell 
you how cool I think it is that you and Volkan have come up with 
this new method.


> James, i did not have time yet to check out the wiki functions of 
your  
> page, although i did read some other interesting articles. I will 
do so  
> later on, it's great if it is a wiki, although i'm still not 
convinced it  
> is right to collect loads of ideas, trials, possibly nonsense, on 
your  
> webpage so i do not know if we should use it for what really is 
more or  
> less just note taking. It's definitely great though for keeping an 
up to  
> date version of instructions.

The only thing my site doesn't do well is allow for new pictures to 
be uploaded. I had that, but found that I was hosting a lot of porn! 
For now, I just ask people to email me the photos, and that way I 
get to make sure they are ok first. Other than that, it works great. 
Anyone can add a comment to a page with the little form at the 
bottom of the page. One person can own and edit the entire page at a 
time.

On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 03:18:36 +0200, James Newton  
<jamesmichaelnewton@...> wrote:

>
> Excellent! Ok, I've finished up the pages. Unless you give me a
> differnt address, I will PayPal $50 to your email.
>

That is great, thanks!


> I look forward to your continued contributions. I really can't tell
> you how cool I think it is that you and Volkan have come up with
> this new method.

Well, without Volkan i doubt we would have gotten there in the next few  
years. I mean if someone remembers the "future floor polish" things we  
tried a long time back it was a complete failure. The chances that someone  
tries to cure a working ink at exactly the right temperature are minimal.  
Even if someone had just tried it - with the poor results i got at first i  
doubt i would have even tried a second time without knowing that Volkan  
made it work somehow. I'm still at a loss as to how on earth he managed to  
work that one out, but i'm damn glad that he did and also that he came  
here and told us how!
Anyway, it's great, even with the curing step this is much better than  
toner transfer. And to get paid for learning how to do it - well, that's  
even better. I doubt i would have worked so much on this without that  
incentive...

But what we need now is research into inks. I have this older epson that  
wouldn't work because the resolution is too low. That looks forward to be  
killed with various crazy ink experiments. Even if the nozzles are larger,  
it should still be possible to see if some ink will totally clog the head  
or something...
Knowing what it is that makes this ink work would be great, also what  
makes some colors work better? Maybe the MSDS could help some little way  
in that direction.

> The only thing my site doesn't do well is allow for new pictures to
> be uploaded. I had that, but found that I was hosting a lot of porn!
> For now, I just ask people to email me the photos, and that way I
> get to make sure they are ok first. Other than that, it works great.
> Anyone can add a comment to a page with the little form at the
> bottom of the page. One person can own and edit the entire page at a
> time.


Yes, i was thinking there must be problems with the "stupid elements" to  
have such wiki-like systems...

Hey, when i go to your page just now i get "Server Application Error".  
Also on main <http://techref.massmind.org/> ..
Something's broken...

ST

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 03:18:36 +0200, James Newton  
> <jamesmichaelnewton@...> wrote:
> 
> >
> > Excellent! Ok, I've finished up the pages. Unless you give me a
> > differnt address, I will PayPal $50 to your email.
> >
> 
> That is great, thanks!

Sorry to take so long, but that $50 is in PayPal on its way to you. 
I also sent $50 to Volkan.

<SNIP>

> Hey, when i go to your page just now i get "Server Application 
Error".  
> Also on main <http://techref.massmind.org/> ..
> Something's broken...


Oops... How embarrassing.... I screwed up. The complete details are 
at:
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/servfail.htm#20060812 but in 
summary, I temporarily fired up an old server to try out a new mail 
service and I think it took over being the domain master and changed 
some passwords. 

It's ok now, but the direct inkjet pages are getting popular on digg 
and so the server may be a little slow for a while.

http://digg.com/hardware/Finally_Direct_to_PCB_InkJet_Resist_Printing
_Make_your_own_PCBs_for_cheap