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The toner transfer method.

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LAN_403

Marko

Thu Mar 10 2011, 01:33AM

Registered Member #89 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:40PM
Location: Zadar, Croatia
Posts: 3145

Killa-X wrote ...

James wrote ...

Perhaps he's overheating it and melting the plastic? A clothes iron is too hot, I used one in the past but got widely inconsistent results. A $30 laminator with a simple modification worked FAR better.

I iron using the highest settings. Linen or whatever. I usually press the iron down on the clad for 15 seconds straight, nose rube the board, 15 seconds again, nose rub, 15 again, done.

So what is the magic paper you're using then?

Only once I've bought a plastic paper, which melted, burned and ruined everything. Otherwise I just found that stickage is better at higher temperatures so I always ended using max. I never had much time and patience to experiment with various settings though. I'm not sure where I could get a $30 laminator though, other than building one.

Marko

Patrick

Thu Mar 10 2011, 01:38AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

what type/kind of laminator do peeple use here?

IamSmooth

Thu Mar 10 2011, 01:20PM

Registered Member #190 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 12:00AM
Location:
Posts: 1567

For those that are using magazine paper, how are you eliminating the words/pictures that are already on the magazine sheets?

James

Thu Mar 10 2011, 08:07PM

Registered Member #3610 Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506

IamSmooth wrote ...

For those that are using magazine paper, how are you eliminating the words/pictures that are already on the magazine sheets?

You don't. Just print right over it, the ink already on the paper doesn't bond to the copper the way toner does. Actually the existing ink is beneficial, on boards where the toner printed a bit thin, heavily inked areas lacked pitting because the printing ink sealed the pores.

As for the laminator, I first got a cheap Scotch model, but I hear the same basic guts are used in a lot of brands. Target had them for $29 or so. Inside I found the control board had an extra pin to select an even higher temperature that wasn't hooked up so I added a wire to the connector with a toggle switch to enable it.

Later I found a Tahsin commercial laminator on ebay for 30 bucks, got that and fixed it, definitely much better, but the cheapo Scotch one works.

Laminator makes great front panels too. Draw it up in Inkscape, print it, laminate, bond to the panel and then cut out openings as needed. Looks really professional.

2Spoons

Fri Mar 11 2011, 02:34AM

Registered Member #2939 Joined: Fri Jun 25 2010, 04:25AM
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Posts: 615

I've done a lot of work using toner transfer and got far and away the best results with "Press-n-Peel Blue". Its a mylar sheet with a blue release layer that stays attached to the toner, but peels off the mylar - no soaking. This blue layer also helps to reduce the pin-holing that occurs with other papers. More expensive, but worth every cent. I have achieved 5mil (0.005") track and space, double sided, with this paper and a 600dpi printer: 23 working circuits out of a 24 circuit panel.

Patrick

Fri Mar 11 2011, 04:02AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

James wrote ...

Laminator makes great front panels too. Draw it up in Inkscape, print it, laminate, bond to the panel and then cut out openings as needed. Looks really professional.

For those of you puny mortals without access to NC vertical mill/ NC Punch Press, this maybe a useful idea worth pursuing.

James

Mon Mar 14 2011, 03:42AM

Registered Member #3610 Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506

Patrick wrote ...

James wrote ...

Laminator makes great front panels too. Draw it up in Inkscape, print it, laminate, bond to the panel and then cut out openings as needed. Looks really professional.

For those of you puny mortals without access to NC vertical mill/ NC Punch Press, this maybe a useful idea worth pursuing.

Heck I have access to a state of the art CNC machine shop and still use this method for most of my projects. It's a lot easier to draw up a panel and print it than it is to muck around with fixturing and toolpaths. Not to mention you can get color. You can even place tactile pushbuttons behind a printed panel and make really professional looking keypads and such.

Microwatt

Wed Mar 16 2011, 05:12AM

Registered Member #3282 Joined: Wed Oct 06 2010, 05:01PM
Location:
Posts: 224

i got a great idea how about painting a sheet of ordinary copy paper with a glue stick. print your pcb pattern on it and then soak. the glue layer will dissolve and leave you with a fresh track of copper

Patrick

Wed Mar 16 2011, 07:03AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Microwatt wrote ...

i got a great idea how about painting a sheet of ordinary copy paper with a glue stick. print your pcb pattern on it and then soak. the glue layer will dissolve and leave you with a fresh track of copper

Have you done this? Or are you just suggesting?

James

Wed Mar 16 2011, 05:53PM

Registered Member #3610 Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506

Sounds like a good way to really gum up your printer. I would be hesitant to try it without knowing how the glue would behave with the drum and hot fuser rollers.

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