Homebrew PCBs

I just ordered a laminator and will give transfer another shot when it gets
here.

On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 5:41 PM, James <jamesrsweet@...> wrote:

>
>
>
> >
> > Back to the toner transfer method. All my transferring was done using an
> > iron. Sometimes it stuck, sometimes it didn't. Fine traces never did.
> > Paper type made huge amounts of difference, could never find the right
> kind
> > I guess, even after reading many of the posts here. Maybe the laminator
> > will make a difference, but I'm still up against paper selection and line
> > widths. Perhaps you can shed some light on this, since the transfer
> method
> > may improve my making 2 sided boards. Now that would definitely get my
> > attention.
> >
>
> I've used several different methods and so far the toner transfer has been
> by far the simplest, and I can use cheap surplus board stock instead of the
> expensive photosensitive boards which I never seem to have in the size I
> need.
>
> There are a few critical points, one is the right combination of printer
> and toner, another is proper preparation of the board prior to transfer, and
> another is the transfer technique.
>
> I use a $25 laminator now and have excellent results, I use my Xerox laser
> printer (OEM toner) to print on glossy catalog paper, most recently an old
> catalog from Action Lighting which has been working better than any other
> I've tried. An iron works too, but it's more difficult to get it consistent.
>
> Clean the board with circular scrubbing with a Scotchbrite pad until it has
> a matte finish, then wipe it off with a paper towel dipped in acetone. Cut
> out the pattern you printed down to just a couple mm beyond the edges of the
> board. Lay the pattern on the blank board taking care not to touch either
> the printed surface or the clean copper. 8 passes through the laminator then
> dump it in cold water. After 5 minutes or so peel off the paper, sometimes
> you have to scrub it, but the thin really glossy stuff from the lighting
> catalog just floats right off and leaves a perfect transfer.
>
> As with the photo process, once you tune the technique, you can get very
> consistent results. For fine pitch SMT stuff photo is likely superior, but
> toner transfer is nice in that you can whip up a board from concept to
> finished product in just a few steps and very little time for under a dollar
> in materials.
>
>  
>



-- 
Thank you,

Barry


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