Homebrew PCBs

Hi Ted,

Comments between the lines.

Myc

--- kilocycles <kilocycles@...> wrote:

> Myc,
> I just did another one using a flyer from the paper.
>  This time I
> tested it for smudgability with my finger, and sure
> enough, they used
> the vegetable-based ink on that one.  It' currently
> soaking in the
> sink, but I pulled up a corner, and I did get a
> transfer.
>

I was surpised  with the Sears flyer paper. I didn't
try smearing the ink, but I did print over printed
photos. I let the board cool and you could see the
paper bubble a bit, where there was no toner. Then a
few minutes under hot water and it came right off.
 
> I'll have to try the flash technique.  I could
> actually use my Harbor
> Freight shrink tubing/paint removal gun, which is
> good for up to 650
> degrees F.  Nah, I'd probably burn my fingers.

Ypu the board does get HOT, wach your fingers. I used
a clamp to hold the board. I fried part of the
bathroom vanity once, and was my wife pissed.

> 
> I tried my mother-in-law's tabletop Canon copier on
> a Press N Peel
> blue board, and I just ironed it
> on...disappointing...I used too much
> heat and pressure.  The image (3 x 4 inches) is
> skewed, and the pads
> are smeared in some places.  It's a double-sided
> board with a 40-pin
> IC socket on it, so it's probably unuseable. 
> Obviously, my 341 degree
> iron setting and pretty heavy pressure is needed
> only for the Brother
> images, not for copier toner.  I've had that problem
> occasionally with
> other P n P boards on big copiers, so the little
> Canon seems to be
> about in the same range as to fuser temperature and
> toner ingredients.

Temperature and pressure is critical. There is a lot
of therml mass in the pcb. Laminators abe really built
for very thin lightweight items. Though the badge
laminators are heavy duty.
> 
> I'm intrigued by your results with the muriatic
> acid.  The ferric
> chloride method typically takes me 20 minutes or so.
>  I'll look in the
> archives and get the exact percentages of muriatic
> acid.  I'm not sure
> the stuff you buy for swimming pool cleaning, etc,
> is 100 %.  I think
> Home Depot carries it as well, for cleaning garage
> floors prior to
> painting the concrete.

The Muriatic acid is standard 38% from the hardware
store. I converted the formula from the text in the
files for using regular H2O2. Three minutes is a bit
fast. You have to keep an eye on it. Since it is a
clear solution, it's easy. I would prefer 6-8 minutes
for the next boards.
> 
> I just happen to have a bottle of Future floor wax
> handy.  I use it to
> apply decals to the panels of some of my stuff I
> build.  Using the
> Testors decal paper, you can still see the edges of
> the cuts, but the
> decals will not lift off or even curl at the edges. 
> So you can solder
> right through the stuff, eh?  Have to try that.

soldering was fine. I did try to put a component
legend on after the Future (I liked the shine it gave
to the surface), but the ink from the flyer was
grabbed by the Future.
> 
> Regards,
> Ted
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Mycroft2152
> <mycroft2152@...> wrote:
> >
> > I just ran up a few boards last weekend. I've had
> a
> > great success with the Staples inkjet paper, but
> based
> > on the recent discussions, and the fact I had some
> > extra time, I decided to try a few other papers
> and
> > techniques.
> > 
> > I am using a Samsung ML-2010 with third party
> refill
> > toner and a Xerox laminator.
> > 
> > Paper: the best and most amazing result was with
> the
> > paper from the SEARS flyer in the sunday paper!
> Great
> > transfer and almsot fell off under hot water.
> > 
> > Fusing the toner: after removing the paper and
> before
> > etching, I flash fused the toner using a hair
> dryer. I
> > flash fused half of a test board. The flash fused
> > portion has excellent 0.006" traces, where the
> > "normal" 0.006" traces were very crappy and had
> gaps.
> > 
> > Etching: I used a Muriatic Acid / H2O2 etch. 3
> parts
> > water, 2 parts Muriatic Acid and 1 part 40 volume
> > H2O2. It gave a etching time of about 3 minutes. A
> > little quick, next time I'll reduce the H2O2 a
> bit.
> > 
> > "Tinning": Well not actually "tinning" per say
> more
> > like protecting the traces from oxidation. I had
> read
> > about using Future floor wax as a resist. And yes
> it
> > does work. This time I wiped a thin coat on the
> trace
> > side after etching and let it dry. Soldering was
> no
> > problem.
> > 
> > Just a few more tweaks to the Toner Tranfer
> process.
> > 
> > Myc
> ---snip---
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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