Homebrew PCBs

> > Hello all,
> >        Like many of you, I've had great success with the Direct 
toner 
> > method. Unless I'm mistaken I was the FIRST to suggest the use of 
> > sheets from magazines as a souce of the paper ( I did EXTENSIVE 
> > research on the net for a couple of months looking for 

> 
> 
>    But, again, remember that you guys had a reason that made you 
believe 
> you needed to GET a laminator.  You were clearly not getting the 
results 
>
Thats right, I needed to get consistancy to get anywhere near the 
resolution I'm getting now with the laminator.  I tried a few years 
ago to make several different papers work with a clothes iron 
(dynart, transparencies, sticker backer board, gelatin coated papers, 
elmers glue coated paper, inkjet photo paper, and yes even magazine 
paper --all at suggestions from other people on other usegroups at 
the time) with limited success.  I could do small boards with fairly 
coarse resolutions, but I finally went back to the tried and true 
photoresist method.  I like many people wasen't willing to stick with 
it for just something that I could only successfully build smt adaper 
and carrier boards.  Obviously other people where getting better 
results but I couldn't reproduce them.  

The laminator got me to revisit the method when I didn't have coated 
boards handy and to my pleasant suprise it worked great.  The 
laminator limited the amount of technique required to get the toner 
transfer to work (for me).  I was able to produce very complex boards 
with it.  If you get it right, you don't need to do *any* touchup.  
The laminator may be a crutch, but it can simplify your life 
greatly.  YMMV, but the laminator worked better for me.  You can get 
them new from $29 on up (the Royal Sovereign I use is ~$70; so to me 
its a no brainer.  Others will disagree.

That said, I think the clothes iron video would be a great idea.  
Many people don't have access or the funds to use a paper laminator.  
It's always handy to see what works for other people.