Homebrew PCBs

I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it.  Based on a quick "Look-
over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB printing.  
As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little cutting 
here, and little there should clear the path.

As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, there 
appears to be a few more switches to detect various things.  I am 
going to need to study that all very carefully before I start cutting 
it apart though.  So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend will 
provide me with some time to get to work on it.

Chris

Hi Chris,

If you are doing pcb's smaller than a CD, you should
be able to mount them on the CD holder. It would be a
quick start to prove of the concept without a lot of
effort.

Myc

--- lcdpublishing <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:

> I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it.  Based
> on a quick "Look-
> over", it appears as though it is mechanically good
> for PCB printing.  
> As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way,
> but a little cutting 
> here, and little there should clear the path.
> 
> As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper
> printing, there 
> appears to be a few more switches to detect various
> things.  I am 
> going to need to study that all very carefully
> before I start cutting 
> it apart though.  So, with a bit of luck, this
> coming weekend will 
> provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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On Tue, 23 May 2006 17:53:14 +0200, lcdpublishing  
<lcdpublishing@...m> wrote:

> I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it.  Based on a quick "Look-
> over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB printing.
> As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little cutting
> here, and little there should clear the path.
> As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, there
> appears to be a few more switches to detect various things.  I am
> going to need to study that all very carefully before I start cutting
> it apart though.  So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend will
> provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> Chris


I bought a C84 for 1eur. It has head problems but i hope to clean it up.
I'll fetch it tomorrow, but not sure if i can experiment before the  
weekend.

ST

Hi MYC, yes, that is the plan.  First I am going to get it working 
to print CD/DVDs - that's the primary reason I bought it.  Then, I 
will make some small PCBs to fit the CD holder thing and try some 
experiments using that and with the stock inks.  Once I get some 
results there, I will know how to procede from that point.

Fingers crossed!

Chris



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Mycroft2152 <mycroft2152@...> 
wrote:

>
> Hi Chris,
> 
> If you are doing pcb's smaller than a CD, you should
> be able to mount them on the CD holder. It would be a
> quick start to prove of the concept without a lot of
> effort.
> 
> Myc
> 
> --- lcdpublishing <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
> 
> > I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it.  Based
> > on a quick "Look-
> > over", it appears as though it is mechanically good
> > for PCB printing.  
> > As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way,
> > but a little cutting 
> > here, and little there should clear the path.
> > 
> > As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper
> > printing, there 
> > appears to be a few more switches to detect various
> > things.  I am 
> > going to need to study that all very carefully
> > before I start cutting 
> > it apart though.  So, with a bit of luck, this
> > coming weekend will 
> > provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> > 
> > Chris
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>

Cool, maybe this weekend will be THE weekend to make some progress 
on this for the both of us.

Chris



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> On Tue, 23 May 2006 17:53:14 +0200, lcdpublishing  
> <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
> 
> > I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it.  Based on a 
quick "Look-
> > over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB 
printing.
> > As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little 
cutting
> > here, and little there should clear the path.
> > As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, 
there
> > appears to be a few more switches to detect various things.  I am
> > going to need to study that all very carefully before I start 
cutting
> > it apart though.  So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend 
will
> > provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> > Chris
> 
> 
> I bought a C84 for 1eur. It has head problems but i hope to clean 
it up.
> I'll fetch it tomorrow, but not sure if i can experiment before 
the  

> weekend.
> 
> ST
>

> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "lcdpublishing" 
> <lcdpublishing@> wrote:
>
> I finally got the R220 today and un-boxed it.  Based on a quick 
> "Look-
> over", it appears as though it is mechanically good for PCB 
> printing.  
> As typical, there is a lot of plastic in the way, but a little 
> cutting 
> here, and little there should clear the path.
> 
> As this thing is designed for CD printing and paper printing, there 
> appears to be a few more switches to detect various things.  I am 
> going to need to study that all very carefully before I start 
> cutting 
> it apart though.  So, with a bit of luck, this coming weekend will 
> provide me with some time to get to work on it.
> 
> Chris

Check your CD printing tray. If the end that feeds into the printer 
has a thin clear mylar strip attatched to it, then you have the proper 
one. If it has no mylar strip, but instead has a straight black edge, 
with two small semicircles, then you have an 'old version' which is 
what I believe destroyed my R340 (the feed rollers for the CD printing 
broke). Call Epson and see if they will change it out for you, though 
I believe they're denying the problem exists (and quietly replacing 
the printers that break).

There's a sensor on the printhead that checks the alignment of the 
three white patches on the tray before it will start printing 
(otherwise it just spits it out). I also know that I could /not/ 
get the OEM ink to work on copper or brass, I've tried it on thin 
sheets fed through the paper path, and it completely beads up or 
smears away. With /very/ careful prep I was able to reduce the beading 
and get a 'decent' enough print to heat-set, but heat setting it made 
the ink mostly evaporate, nearly nothing left to protect the metal at 
all. The R220 uses a completely different type of ink than the C88

Yup, that's the one I got - the one with the black leading edge and 
two molded circular tabs.  Figures :-(



> 
> Check your CD printing tray. If the end that feeds into the 
printer 
> has a thin clear mylar strip attatched to it, then you have the 
proper 
> one. If it has no mylar strip, but instead has a straight black 
edge, 
> with two small semicircles, then you have an 'old version' which 
is 
> what I believe destroyed my R340 (the feed rollers for the CD 
printing 
> broke). Call Epson and see if they will change it out for you, 
though 
> I believe they're denying the problem exists (and quietly 
replacing 
> the printers that break).
> 
> There's a sensor on the printhead that checks the alignment of the 
> three white patches on the tray before it will start printing 
> (otherwise it just spits it out). I also know that I could /not/ 
> get the OEM ink to work on copper or brass, I've tried it on thin 
> sheets fed through the paper path, and it completely beads up or 
> smears away. With /very/ careful prep I was able to reduce the 
beading 
> and get a 'decent' enough print to heat-set, but heat setting it 
made 
> the ink mostly evaporate, nearly nothing left to protect the metal 
at 
> all. The R220 uses a completely different type of ink than the C88
>

Tried to run a test last night.  DIdn't go well.

For my first tests, I figured i would swap the CD tray with a PCB 
board the same width.  This would allow me to do some tests without 
any modifications to the printer.  However, the printer doesn't seem 
to act correctly.

The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and ofcourse 
the tabs on the front edge.  I am guessing that either the tabs or 
the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.  

I have yet to open up the plastic yet as this printer is a bit more 
complex than normal ink jets.  All the crap needed to accomodate 
both paper and CDs seems to be "getting in the way" right now.  If 
this won't work for PCB work, I still need it for CD printing so I 
am hesitant to get too carried away with taking it apart at this 
time.

I will try to look for some additional sensors and such but if 
anyone has any ideas, I am certainly all ears at the moment!

Chris

>The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and ofcourse
>the tabs on the front edge.  I am guessing that either the tabs or
>the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.

I've heard that a real CD is sensed there, including borders and the 
center hole.
Try to print something like PCB drawing on a genuine CD first,  then 
replace it with a PCB disk without the center hole.
Cristian

Hi Chris,

A step by step approach may be appropriate here due to all the 
variables and unknowns.

1.Try printing a pcb pattern on a CD

2.Replace the CD with a pcb.

3.Dry / cure and etch the test pcb.

At this point you have proven the process, then "tweak" it as needed.

The print/dry/etch have still not yet been duplicated. Or is someone 
holding out here? :)

TANSTAAFL!

Myc


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Cristian <bip@...> wrote:

>
> 
> >The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and ofcourse
> >the tabs on the front edge.  I am guessing that either the tabs or
> >the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.
> 
> I've heard that a real CD is sensed there, including borders and the 
> center hole.
> Try to print something like PCB drawing on a genuine CD first,  then 
> replace it with a PCB disk without the center hole.
> Cristian
>

Mine(900) has a painted white square at the front, and next to it a
notch cut out, I dont know if its looking for a reflection from white
and then no reflection from the notch, or if its no reflection on
black, reflection on white, then a sensor under the notch.

I have tried on pcb (shaped like a cd...) but its not good, very
uneven and lots of beading, but I have not got new ink yet, still
waiting for the cis system

Will try to cut a PCB to fit the opening where the CD goes into the 
tray.  I need to check the thicknesses of everything to make sure it 
will go through the printer. THe PCB material I have on hand may be 
too thick for this, but will check into it as soon as I can.






--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mycroft2152" 
<mycroft2152@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Chris,
> 
> A step by step approach may be appropriate here due to all the 
> variables and unknowns.
> 
> 1.Try printing a pcb pattern on a CD
> 
> 2.Replace the CD with a pcb.
> 
> 3.Dry / cure and etch the test pcb.
> 
> At this point you have proven the process, then "tweak" it as 
needed.
> 
> The print/dry/etch have still not yet been duplicated. Or is 
someone 
> holding out here? :)
> 
> TANSTAAFL!
> 
> Myc
> 
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Cristian <bip@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > >The CD tray has some markings on it with White paint and 
ofcourse
> > >the tabs on the front edge.  I am guessing that either the tabs 
or
> > >the markings are somehow sensed by the printer.
> > 
> > I've heard that a real CD is sensed there, including borders and 
the 
> > center hole.
> > Try to print something like PCB drawing on a genuine CD first,  
then 

> > replace it with a PCB disk without the center hole.
> > Cristian
> >
>

> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Lez <lez.briddon@> wrote:
>
> Mine(900) has a painted white square at the front, and next to it a
> notch cut out, I dont know if its looking for a reflection from 
> white
> and then no reflection from the notch, or if its no reflection on
> black, reflection on white, then a sensor under the notch.
> 
> I have tried on pcb (shaped like a cd...) but its not good, very
> uneven and lots of beading, but I have not got new ink yet, still
> waiting for the cis system
>

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what happens. If you lift the lid and 
watch as it tries to sense the CD, the printhead runs over the white 
squares (there's a blueish light underneath it, the paint might be 
UV), and if it doesn't line up with them, it ejects the tray. It 
doesn't look like it looks at the CD itself at all. It /may/ check the 
CD after it checks the white spots to make sure there's a CD in the 
tray, but I'm not sure about that one.

It can be irritating, because the feed rollers will often misalign and 
you sometimes have to stick the tray back in several times before it 
will accept and print. Get that tray replaced as soon as you can, my 
R340 died in less than 3 months, the rollers that the tray is supposed 
to go under towards the back of the printer stopped lifting, and the 
tray would slam into them and instantly get rejected.