Homebrew PCBs

On Sun, 2007-01-21 at 17:14 +0000, niponcio wrote:
> In new laser printers you can somehow twitch this temp by changing the
> type of paper in the printing settings, and get a less fragile print.

I've got my HP2550L Color Laserjet set to '75-105gsm gloss card' - the
paper goes through slowly, prints hot, and spits out with impeccable
reproduction.

> I posted this thread because I didnt find anything about this paper
> (blame it on my search skills), but after reading the ones mentioning
> the pain it is to soak and scrub the paper fibers, I thought it was a
> good idea to put it out there. 

Yes - a very good idea indeed. I felt the pain of soaking/scrubbing on
Saturday, when I did a batch of 24 boards (as 2 lots of 4x3 12-up). It's
a task with as much enjoyment as scrubbing a filthy toilet bowl with a
worn toothbrush. To make matters worse, I tried the dishwasher soaking
with the second batch, it came out so bad that I had to scrub the board
clean and start again. So your label backing paper idea came as a
God-send, only 24 hours late :P

> Well, nothing more to say, hope more tests are made, Im going to post
> mine after I test a new brand of labels (IRONING involved) :(

Irons and me don't get along very well. My trusty second-hand $35
laminator has lifted me out of the harsher levels of hell.

I think my final setup will be:
 * artwork with slightly thinner traces
 * label backing paper, printed slow/hot through printer
 * 2 or 3 passes through laminator at slowest/hottest setting,
   with paper+board enclosed in a folded strip of thin card

I'm out of blank PCB - will buy some more today, try it out and report
on results.

Cheers
David



> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan"
> <stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
> >
> > On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 05:04:23 +0100, David McNab <rebirth@...> 
> > wrote:
> > 
> > > Result - after just 2 passes through laminator, I have a
> spotlessly
> > > perfect transfer, and the paper just falls off. And the process
> takes
> > > less than a tenth the time that I was spending with the old
> painful
> > > print-onto-card, soak, rub, soak, peel-with-tape, soak, rub,
> > > pray-I-don't-damage-toner process.
> > 
> > 
> > Have you tried etching too?
> > Strangely with silicone paper i get "through etching".
> > 
> > In many printers, including mine, the toner will fall off from
> label 
> > paper, you can use silicone paper then. It peels off just the same,
> but i 
> > have problems with etching using that. I use it for component legend
> all 
> > the time though.
> > 
> > It's not a new thing BTW, we have discussed various anti-stick
> papers 
> > including label paper many times in the past.
> > 
> > ST
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
>