Homebrew PCBs

I just picked one up for $50.  I tried doing a toner transfer board with glossy magazine paper and it worked surprisingly well.  This is a high density board with 0603 size parts with 10mil traces.  3 traces near the edge had breaks.  I will have to try it again with better cleaning of the pcb and with the Staples paper that I bought years ago.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "H1000100" <h500ca@...> wrote:
>
> I just picked one up for $50.  I tried doing a toner transfer board with glossy magazine paper and it worked surprisingly well.  This is a high density board with 0603 size parts with 10mil traces.  3 traces near the edge had breaks.  I will have to try it again with better cleaning of the pcb and with the Staples paper that I bought years ago.
>


Is there a list of printers and people's experience with them anywhere? Perhaps somebody would like to start this? I could contribute the couple that I've used.

There's a printer section in the database area.  I will add my results as soon as I actually etch a board.  So far, I'm finding that the Staples paper is unusable.  Tried 3 times without success. This is disappointing because this paper leaves no residue on the toner.

The magazine paper produced perfect transfers.  Even the 6 mil traces transferred cleanly.  However, it leaves a heavy white residue that looks like donut glazing under a 100x microscope. I don't know if it will produce pitted traces.  

I will post etch results as soon as I produce a properly aligned 2 sided pattern.

I also use magazine paper and it works great.

When I do it I also get white residue which I think maybe just paper fiber, or perhaps some kind of coating that was used.

The problem I have noticed with it is that it can obscure places where the printer made a hole, especially on large ground planes.

This makes the work of touching up problem areas a bit harder, but not impossible.


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "H1000100" <h500ca@...> wrote:

>
> There's a printer section in the database area.  I will add my results as soon as I actually etch a board.  So far, I'm finding that the Staples paper is unusable.  Tried 3 times without success. This is disappointing because this paper leaves no residue on the toner.
> 
> The magazine paper produced perfect transfers.  Even the 6 mil traces transferred cleanly.  However, it leaves a heavy white residue that looks like donut glazing under a 100x microscope. I don't know if it will produce pitted traces.  
> 
> I will post etch results as soon as I produce a properly aligned 2 sided pattern.
>

I finally etched my board.  Result was excellent.  Pics are posted in the photo section under "Samsung 1665"

This is a relatively complex 2 sided board. As I've mentioned previously, the I used a Samsung 1665 printer on glossy magazine paper.  It only took one try to get etchable results.  Transfer was done using the lowest cost laminator from Walmart.  I ran it through 4 times.

Etching was done using 500ml of cupric chloride which I made by dissolving copper wires in HCL and 33% H202.  I have 1.5L but I was curious how much H2O2 is needed to keep the etchant fresh.  This board required 25 drops. The solution turns brownish when it is spent.  Adding a few drops of h202 changes the color back to emerald green.

Many mentioned having trouble removing the toner after etching.  In Canada, there's a paint brush cleaner call "Polyclens".  I just paint it on, wait 30 seconds and then wipe off the toner with paper towel.

You know, of all the stuff I've tried...the Pulsar blue paper, the 
Press-n-Peel, magazine paper, etc, the best results I have ever gotten 
from the toner transfer method is the over the counter glossy paper at 
Kinko's, now FedEx Office.  It doesn't come off as cleanly as the 
special papers, leaving the white stuff behind which you can actually 
take a scrub brush to without it coming off, but it resists the etchant 
longer and gives the cleanest traces and pads fo any of them.  Sometimes 
the simplest is the best.



On 04/23/2011 10:54 PM, H1000100 wrote:
>
> I finally etched my board. Result was excellent. Pics are posted in 
> the photo section under "Samsung 1665"
>
> This is a relatively complex 2 sided board. As I've mentioned 
> previously, the I used a Samsung 1665 printer on glossy magazine 
> paper. It only took one try to get etchable results. Transfer was done 
> using the lowest cost laminator from Walmart. I ran it through 4 times.
>
> Etching was done using 500ml of cupric chloride which I made by 
> dissolving copper wires in HCL and 33% H202. I have 1.5L but I was 
> curious how much H2O2 is needed to keep the etchant fresh. This board 
> required 25 drops. The solution turns brownish when it is spent. 
> Adding a few drops of h202 changes the color back to emerald green.
>
> Many mentioned having trouble removing the toner after etching. In 
> Canada, there's a paint brush cleaner call "Polyclens". I just paint 
> it on, wait 30 seconds and then wipe off the toner with paper towel.
>
> 



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

Can you post laminator make and model?

thanks

raymundo



>
>From: H1000100 <h500ca@...>
>To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Sat, April 23, 2011 8:54:29 PM
>Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Samsung 1665 laser
>
>  
>I finally etched my board.  Result was excellent.  Pics are posted in the photo 
>section under "Samsung 1665"
>
>This is a relatively complex 2 sided board. As I've mentioned previously, the I 
>used a Samsung 1665 printer on glossy magazine paper.  It only took one try to 
>get etchable results.  Transfer was done using the lowest cost laminator from 
>Walmart.  I ran it through 4 times.
>
>Etching was done using 500ml of cupric chloride which I made by dissolving 
>copper wires in HCL and 33% H202.  I have 1.5L but I was curious how much H2O2 
>is needed to keep the etchant fresh.  This board required 25 drops. The solution 
>turns brownish when it is spent.  Adding a few drops of h202 changes the color 
>back to emerald green.
>
>Many mentioned having trouble removing the toner after etching.  In Canada, 
>there's a paint brush cleaner call "Polyclens".  I just paint it on, wait 30 
>seconds and then wipe off the toner with paper towel. 
>
>
>
> 

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

It's a generic laminator from Walmart.

The labels says Laminating Machine, Model WMC850HC.   It's the 8.5" wide version. I think I paid about $30CAD for it.



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Raymundo Vega <vega_rm@...> wrote:

>
> Can you post laminator make and model?
> 
> thanks
> 
> raymundo
> 
> 
> 
> >
> >From: H1000100 <h500ca@...>
> >To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> >Sent: Sat, April 23, 2011 8:54:29 PM
> >Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Samsung 1665 laser
> >
> >  
> >I finally etched my board.  Result was excellent.  Pics are posted in the photo 
> >section under "Samsung 1665"
> >
> >This is a relatively complex 2 sided board. As I've mentioned previously, the I 
> >used a Samsung 1665 printer on glossy magazine paper.  It only took one try to 
> >get etchable results.  Transfer was done using the lowest cost laminator from 
> >Walmart.  I ran it through 4 times.
> >
> >Etching was done using 500ml of cupric chloride which I made by dissolving 
> >copper wires in HCL and 33% H202.  I have 1.5L but I was curious how much H2O2 
> >is needed to keep the etchant fresh.  This board required 25 drops. The solution 
> >turns brownish when it is spent.  Adding a few drops of h202 changes the color 
> >back to emerald green.
> >
> >Many mentioned having trouble removing the toner after etching.  In Canada, 
> >there's a paint brush cleaner call "Polyclens".  I just paint it on, wait 30 
> >seconds and then wipe off the toner with paper towel. 
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>