Homebrew_PCBs

Hi all,

What do people think of Press-n-Peel Dry Blue?

I've been reading lots of talk of other systems but for convenience these look like a proven of the shelf system? Does it literally work with a domestic iron or is a laminator a far better approach?

Like most UK hobbyist we lack some of the specialist places to get bits and pieces and I usually use Maplin and it is pretty much all they do apart from UV based systems.

Anyone got any feelings?


Cheers all

Kev/.


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

> Anyone got any feelings?

feeling:

Why pay ridiculously high sums for pnp when you can get 'ol paper
from the office shop around the corner that works just as well?

ST

A long time ago, I got some of the PNP stuff. It was hard to use and
I finally gave up, never actually getting a usable PCB with the stuff.
Last year, hearing about people using cheap to free paper for toner
transfer, I tried it again but using magazine paper but pretty quickly
gravitated to inkjet paper. I dunno what others think but I believe
that you are better off using regular inkjet paper. It turns out that
lots of different papers work. Photo paper, inkjet paper, magazine
paper (yes, cut out pages from a glossy magazine). I just can't see
paying those high prices for special transfer paper, especially since
you need to experiment a bit to get the process figured out. It took
me about 10 tries to get it right and it cost me less than 10 cents
for the paper.

A laminator will make it easier but you need to take care on the board
thickness - depending on the laminator. You can have success with an
iron, though. You just need to play around with the time and pressure.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Kev Pearce \(kevp.com\)"
<email.me@k...> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> What do people think of Press-n-Peel Dry Blue?
>
> I've been reading lots of talk of other systems but for convenience

these look like a proven of the shelf system? Does it literally work
with a domestic iron or is a laminator a far better approach?

>
> Like most UK hobbyist we lack some of the specialist places to get

bits and pieces and I usually use Maplin and it is pretty much all
they do apart from UV based systems.

I have used PNP Blue for all my boards and when used with a laminator
I have gotten good results.

I have not tried the magazine paper method, but I seem to recall some
issues with dimensions changing with changes in moisture content. The
backing on PNP Blue is plastic and I have had no problems holding
tolerances when doing an LH79520 which has 176 pins and .4mm pitch.

Granted it is expensive, but I just cut off what I need and attach it
to a sheet of paper and run that through the printer. To attch in the
correct place just print on the paper first, then attach the PNP Blue
and run through a second time. I use laser printer compatible labels
for tape.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Kev Pearce \(kevp.com\)"
<email.me@k...> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> What do people think of Press-n-Peel Dry Blue?
>
> I've been reading lots of talk of other systems but for convenience

these look like a proven of the shelf system? Does it literally work
with a domestic iron or is a laminator a far better approach?

>
> Like most UK hobbyist we lack some of the specialist places to get

bits and pieces and I usually use Maplin and it is pretty much all
they do apart from UV based systems.

Thanks for all the input guys. It as I suspected, a bit of a trail and error game.

It sounds like a good starting point for me as a first timer (using this method anyway, all the PCBs I've made in the past were using the DecaDry rub on transfers... oh happy days...)

I also been thinking about making my own UV box as from what I've read it seems a lot easier but more costly...

Cheers for the input all

Kev/.



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

On 28 Sep 2004, at 17:08, Kev Pearce ((kevp.com)) wrote:

> What do people think of Press-n-Peel Dry Blue?
>
> I've been reading lots of talk of other systems but for convenience
> these look like a proven of the shelf system? Does it literally work
> with a domestic iron or is a laminator a far better approach?

It's meant to be used with a domestic iron, but I never had much luck
with that.

A better approach is to use a laminator to tack the PNP to the copper
first (introduce the PCB in with a corner first), then put the sandwich
onto a folded newspaper, a piece of kitchen paper on top, then rest a
hot smoothing iron on top for a minute. Then back into the laminator
for a few passes.

The GBC 950 laminator is supposed to be able to reach a high enough
temp. to not need the iron to get there, so if you want to
experiment...