Homebrew PCBs

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 21:54:08 -0000, joshdewinter <joshdewinter@...> 
wrote:

> Hey JT.
>   You know, at our comapany, we use paper-thin copper sheets for the
> in-between layers of multi-layer boards.  One night, I got the idea
> of sending one of these through our LaserJet printer.  It didn't
> work at all.  It's not that it didn't make it through, but the toner
> just couldn't stick to the copper.  I think it must have to do with
> the static charging the printer does to the material it is printing
> on to make the toner stick before fusing.  For some reason, metal
> just doesn't work.  Not to get your hopes down, but just thought I'd
> share my results.
>
> -Josh
>

I think the copper shorts it out...
The process would work in principle, charging the drum, transfering it 
with high voltage,
but you would need to charge the copper. as it moves through the printer 
it touches a lot of metal parts
before and after the area with the corona wire below.

It was mentioned before that the "ancient" flat-bed copiers would maybe 
work but it is impossible to get
such a unit.


would it work to convert a laser printer?
What would be needed? remove the whole transport / lower part and put in a 
flat carrige?
could it even work? isn't it necessary to have the high voltage 
accelerating the toner
to a "line" under the drum? if the whole copper is charged, wouldn't it 
blur?

If it could be done i think it might be a possibility to get more 
resolution.

ST