Homebrew_PCBs

> Hi All: Just picked up a used Laserjet 4 for use in TT. Testing and
> evaluating produced some tips I share. To remove TT from a spoiled
> board we all know that acetone makes a mess by diluting the old toner
> and staining the board requiring a lot of scrubing to restore a bright
> copper surface. I found that gasoline and a dead toothbrush works much
> better, the old toner is not diluted but dislodged from the board and
> with a little soap and water you are back to a clean board.
>
> The laserjet came with a lexmark toner cartridge that looks like it
> has never been refiled and I completed about 30 sq.in. S/S pcb with
> maybe 100 linier inches of .15 traces and not a single pit or pin
> hole. Considering my past experiance with pin holes in TT I speculate
> that the toner is the culprit, and the toner in the lexmark cartridge
> for an unknown reason is not as apt to produce the pin holes.
>
> Removing Epson glossy paper from the PCB is easy with denatured
> alcohol but it leaves a little residue at the edges of the traces and
> in the pad center holes. This residue in easily removed by lightly
> scrubbing with a dead toothbrush and denatured alcohol.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files,
> and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
>
> If Files or Photos are running short of space, post them here:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs_Archives/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

> Removing Epson glossy paper from the PCB is easy with denatured
> alcohol but it leaves a little residue at the edges of the traces and
> in the pad center holes. This residue in easily removed by lightly
> scrubbing with a dead toothbrush and denatured alcohol.

>
> Gasoline is nasty stuff - it's bad for the enviroment, it is very easy
> to catch fire, it burns very quickly, and the smell stays around for a
> long time after using. Acetone on the other hand is very mild by
> comparison - after all, look at the active ingredient in your wife's
> nail polish remover, it's acetone. I have worked around many
> industrial solvents all my life and I don't mind messing with them,
> but gasoline is just "not good".

> health and nasty smell arguments.
>
> ST
>

>
> Thanks for the tips, I will try the residue removal methods, but
> Gasoline? That's a real big no-no as far as I am concerned. Acetone
> works fine if you use enough of it and I have gone right from Acetone-
> toner-removal to transfering again without and polishing.
>
> Gasoline is nasty stuff - it's bad for the enviroment, it is very easy
> to catch fire, it burns very quickly, and the smell stays around for a
> long time after using. Acetone on the other hand is very mild by
> comparison - after all, look at the active ingredient in your wife's
> nail polish remover, it's acetone. I have worked around many
> industrial solvents all my life and I don't mind messing with them,
> but gasoline is just "not good".
>
> Chris
>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Dave King <KingDWS@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ray
>
> I have a 4 lined up to try. Can you tell me what settings you
> used 300-600 dpi? density/blackness setting of toner etc?
>
> I need to make some 3/4 inch square pcb's and I was quoted
> over $200 to make 10 plus 30 days delivery. So a pack of paper
> and a hour or two of my time is more than paid for if I can
> get it to work.
>
> Dave
>
>
> > Hi All: Just picked up a used Laserjet 4 for use in TT. Testing
and
> > evaluating produced some tips I share. To remove TT from a
spoiled
> > board we all know that acetone makes a mess by diluting the old
toner
> > and staining the board requiring a lot of scrubing to restore a
bright
> > copper surface. I found that gasoline and a dead toothbrush
works much
> > better, the old toner is not diluted but dislodged from the
board and
> > with a little soap and water you are back to a clean board.
> >
> > The laserjet came with a lexmark toner cartridge that looks like
it
> > has never been refiled and I completed about 30 sq.in. S/S pcb
with
> > maybe 100 linier inches of .15 traces and not a single pit or
pin
> > hole. Considering my past experiance with pin holes in TT I
speculate
> > that the toner is the culprit, and the toner in the lexmark
cartridge
> > for an unknown reason is not as apt to produce the pin holes.
> >
> > Removing Epson glossy paper from the PCB is easy with denatured
> > alcohol but it leaves a little residue at the edges of the
traces and
> > in the pad center holes. This residue in easily removed by
lightly
> > scrubbing with a dead toothbrush and denatured alcohol.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files,
> > and Photos:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> >
> > If Files or Photos are running short of space, post them here:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs_Archives/
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

> I cant see a problem with petrol/gasoline, wife actually likes the
> smell of it which is worrying, I wonder if she had a past secret life
> I dont know, in the 80's over here (uk) a craze was 'petrol sniffing'
> for its intoxicating effect, dont know where any of those ppl are
> now............

>
>
> Acetone doen't burn like gasoline - much more slowly. We used a lot
> of it at one company I worked at - needed it to clean bearings we
> made. Anyway, we used to have a lot of fun "playing" with it.
>
> Here is something you should NEVER try...
>
> Soak a rag with acetone
> Light it on fire
> Wrap burning rag around bit in pnuematic die grinder
> Pull trigger on grinder
>
> It's amazing what if feels like standing in the middle of that
> spinning rag, being fed vast amounts of air, spinning at 30,000 RPM
> and a fire ball that goes from floor to ceiling. It sounded like
> a "neat idea"..... just before pulling the trigger :-) The other
> guys in the shop said it "Looked cool".
>
> Chris
>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, John Young <wa8kne@...> wrote:
>
> Famous last words -
> Hey guys, watch this.......
>
> John
>
>
>
> lcdpublishing wrote:
> >
> >
> > Acetone doen't burn like gasoline - much more slowly. We used a lot
> > of it at one company I worked at - needed it to clean bearings we
> > made. Anyway, we used to have a lot of fun "playing" with it.
> >
> > Here is something you should NEVER try...
> >
> > Soak a rag with acetone
> > Light it on fire
> > Wrap burning rag around bit in pnuematic die grinder
> > Pull trigger on grinder
> >
> > It's amazing what if feels like standing in the middle of that
> > spinning rag, being fed vast amounts of air, spinning at 30,000 RPM
> > and a fire ball that goes from floor to ceiling. It sounded like
> > a "neat idea"..... just before pulling the trigger :-) The other
> > guys in the shop said it "Looked cool".
> >
> > Chris
> >
>