Homebrew PCBs

I've just uploaded two images to the Photos section in a new album,
"Ted-KX4OM".  One is a still-wet picture made with my digital camera
of a board made using toner transfer from my problematic Brother
HL-2040.  After reading the posts from this week regarding using
magazine pages, I just had to try it, since Press N Peel Blue and
glossy inkjet paper results have been pretty dismal with this printer.
 The other image is the actual Photoshop image, reversed for
comparison, and shrunk for the web.  I see two significant void areas
below and to the right of the big circle in the lower left quadrant
(RCA connector).  Also, so traces and a few pads need repairing, but I
don't see massive "fogged" areas and 1 cm squared blank areas, like I
got with P n P Blue.

I tried a page from Popular Science magazine (twice), and the printer
wrinkled the paper.  So, I happend to have an Orion Telescopes catalog
lying there, and it had slightly thicker paper, and it worked.

I now have a digital probe thermometer for stabbing into meat in the
oven that reads to well over 350 degrees F.  According to what the
Press N Peel people tell me, the newer laser toners require such
temperatures to fuse.  I measured the iron at the hottest I could get
it, 341 F.  It may have gotton hotter, once it was lying on the board
and paper, rather than on the probe, as there was air space under it.

Surprisingly, I seem to have gotten a usable board transfer.  However,
after soaking for over 24 hours in water, the paper is still difficult
to remove, unlike the reports regarding the magazine paper.  One thing
that may be the cause is that, apparently, the catalog is not printed
using water-based ink, since it does not smear when wet.  I suppose
that would make the printed paper less permeable to water, and
possibly, the print ink may have fused as well.

I actually had to use a Scotchbrite "greenie" to start the removal of
the paper.  I'm finishing up by using my finger, however.  Typing this
post, the board has dried, and I'll have to re-wet it.  Then I'll
retouch it, and see how it holds up in the ferric chloride etchant.

So, all things considered, I'm a pretty happy camper right now.  I
have a board!

Cheers,
Ted