Homebrew PCBs

I started out by putting on rubber gloves. I cleaned my board with 
sandpaper but it was kinda rough. Need to use a finer grade next 
time. and a final cleaning with aolchol.

I set the iron on high. I taped my board to the paper with scotch 
tape and placed a paper towel on it, folded in half. I pressed as 
hard as I could and moved it around for 4 minutes and WOW!! The white 
specks are pieces of the paper.

(see figure 1)

I put it in the etchent for 15 to 20 minutes or so, no heating or 
bubbles, stirring every 30 seconds. and washed with water for 1 
minute after all the copper was gone.

(see figure 2)

I had to use the sand paper again to get off the toner being carefull 
not to sand too much and POW! There it was...

(see figure 3)

I will get the model of the laserjet printer and the paper later. My 
friend did it for me. It looked like the lines spread a little during 
the ironing. I will have to wait until I get to work to measure the 
line widths. My prints look like 10 mil and my board looks like 15 to 
20 mil. I still have to do electrical checks but it looks like it 
will pass.

Brian

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <blue_eagle74@...> 
wrote:
>
> I started out by putting on rubber gloves. I cleaned my board with 
> sandpaper but it was kinda rough. Need to use a finer grade next 
> time. and a final cleaning with aolchol.
> 
> I set the iron on high. I taped my board to the paper with scotch 
> tape and placed a paper towel on it, folded in half. I pressed as 
> hard as I could and moved it around for 4 minutes and WOW!! The 
white 
> specks are pieces of the paper.
> 
> (see figure 1)
> 
> I put it in the etchent for 15 to 20 minutes or so, no heating or 
> bubbles, stirring every 30 seconds. and washed with water for 1 
> minute after all the copper was gone.
> 
> (see figure 2)
> 
> I had to use the sand paper again to get off the toner being 
carefull 
> not to sand too much and POW! There it was...
> 
> (see figure 3)
> 
> I will get the model of the laserjet printer and the paper later. 
My 
> friend did it for me. It looked like the lines spread a little 
during 
> the ironing. I will have to wait until I get to work to measure the 
> line widths. My prints look like 10 mil and my board looks like 15 
to 
> 20 mil. I still have to do electrical checks but it looks like it 
> will pass.
> 
> Brian
>
I forgot to add that the photos are in the photos section under the 
wadester13 folder.

Brian

I have found that unless the board is badly stained, all that is needed is a quick wipe with alcohol before applying the pattern. I only lay a towel on the counter to keep from scorching it, but nothing between the paper pattern and iron. Iron set on cotton. I use only the weight of the iron, no extra pressure. I do run the tip around the edges of the board since the edges seem to loose heat more rapidly. I don't use tape to hold the pattern, just put a finger on the pattern and put the iron on the other end to get the pattern tacked down. Don't have to remove the melted glue that way. I use 220 grit paper to take off the toner. Acetone works well too. 

I put my silk screen on the top of the board the same way. I also give the top and bottom of the board a very light spray of clear acrylic before assembly. You can solder right thru the acrylic and it forms its own solder mask. Helps prevent solder bridges as well.

I use a plastic cereal box with a glass fish tank heater and fish tank bubbler. 

All my boards are single side. I find it faster to run jumpers than to mess with doing double sided. You have to put in the via's by hand anyway. 

I don't like making things any more complex than necessary ;).

RD

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

toner transfer, not photo transfer.

--- On Wed, 8/27/08, Brian <blue_eagle74@...> wrote:

From: Brian <blue_eagle74@...>
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] My first photo transfer
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 4:34 AM






I started out by putting on rubber gloves. I cleaned my board with 
sandpaper but it was kinda rough. Need to use a finer grade next 
time. and a final cleaning with aolchol.

I set the iron on high. I taped my board to the paper with scotch 
tape and placed a paper towel on it, folded in half. I pressed as 
hard as I could and moved it around for 4 minutes and WOW!! The white 
specks are pieces of the paper.

(see figure 1)

I put it in the etchent for 15 to 20 minutes or so, no heating or 
bubbles, stirring every 30 seconds. and washed with water for 1 
minute after all the copper was gone.

(see figure 2)

I had to use the sand paper again to get off the toner being carefull 
not to sand too much and POW! There it was...

(see figure 3)

I will get the model of the laserjet printer and the paper later. My 
friend did it for me. It looked like the lines spread a little during 
the ironing. I will have to wait until I get to work to measure the 
line widths. My prints look like 10 mil and my board looks like 15 to 
20 mil. I still have to do electrical checks but it looks like it 
will pass.

Brian

 














      

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

What kind of paper and printer do you use ?

Mike.

--- On Wed, 8/27/08, RICHARD HEILIGER <rdheiliger@...> wrote:

From: RICHARD HEILIGER <rdheiliger@...>
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re:My first photo transfer
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 3:17 AM










    
            I have found that unless the board is badly stained, all that is needed is a quick wipe with alcohol before applying the pattern. I only lay a towel on the counter to keep from scorching it, but nothing between the paper pattern and iron. Iron set on cotton. I use only the weight of the iron, no extra pressure. I do run the tip around the edges of the board since the edges seem to loose heat more rapidly. I don't use tape to hold the pattern, just put a finger on the pattern and put the iron on the other end to get the pattern tacked down. Don't have to remove the melted glue that way. I use 220 grit paper to take off the toner. Acetone works well too. 



I put my silk screen on the top of the board the same way. I also give the top and bottom of the board a very light spray of clear acrylic before assembly. You can solder right thru the acrylic and it forms its own solder mask. Helps prevent solder bridges as well.



I use a plastic cereal box with a glass fish tank heater and fish tank bubbler. 



All my boards are single side. I find it faster to run jumpers than to mess with doing double sided. You have to put in the via's by hand anyway. 



I don't like making things any more complex than necessary ;).



RD



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




      

    
    
	
	 
	
	








	


	
	


      

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

HP LaserJet 1020 and Kodak Soft Gloss - CAT 182 0406

It works great. just peal off the paper while its still hot and its 
ready to etch once it cools.

The traces are 10mil. I measured them at work. The paper is also 10 
mil so it didnt spread out like I thought it did. I looked at it 
under a 10X scope and only had one spot where the trace had a dimple, 
still connected but only half the width.

Brian

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Michel Baguet <bagmik@...> 
wrote:
>
> What kind of paper and printer do you use ?
> 
> Mike.
> 
> --- On Wed, 8/27/08, RICHARD HEILIGER <rdheiliger@...> wrote:
> From: RICHARD HEILIGER <rdheiliger@...>
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re:My first photo transfer
> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 3:17 AM
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     
>             I have found that unless the board is badly stained, 
all that is needed is a quick wipe with alcohol before applying the 
pattern. I only lay a towel on the counter to keep from scorching it, 
but nothing between the paper pattern and iron. Iron set on cotton. I 
use only the weight of the iron, no extra pressure. I do run the tip 
around the edges of the board since the edges seem to loose heat more 
rapidly. I don't use tape to hold the pattern, just put a finger on 
the pattern and put the iron on the other end to get the pattern 
tacked down. Don't have to remove the melted glue that way. I use 220 
grit paper to take off the toner. Acetone works well too. 
> 
> 
> 
> I put my silk screen on the top of the board the same way. I also 
give the top and bottom of the board a very light spray of clear 
acrylic before assembly. You can solder right thru the acrylic and it 
forms its own solder mask. Helps prevent solder bridges as well.
> 
> 
> 
> I use a plastic cereal box with a glass fish tank heater and fish 
tank bubbler. 
> 
> 
> 
> All my boards are single side. I find it faster to run jumpers than 
to mess with doing double sided. You have to put in the via's by hand 
anyway. 

> 
> 
> 
> I don't like making things any more complex than necessary ;).
> 
> 
> 
> RD
> 
> 
> 
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For my toner transfer I use Hammermill paper, the office glossy. I looked for it again about a month ago and apparently it is no longer made. Will have to look for another paper when this pack runs out. If any one has found a substitute, or if Hammermill has just renamed it, let us know. Would suspect that most any 32# glossy would work.

I have an old cheap Minolta Page Pro with generic toner refill that works great. I set the resolution to 1200 dpi and print it out.

RD

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]