Homebrew PCBs

Hello, group,
Several people were commenting recently that the Apache AL13P laminator, frequently hacked and used to make PCBs, has been unavailable on amazon and elsewhere for some time.
For whatever reason, it seems to be back -- and at a fantastic price:
http://www.amazon.com/Apache-AL13P-Professional-Laminator-Documents/dp/B0012UEQ5C/ref=pd_bia_nav_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07JX6MQD89BY0SN0XWF8
73,
--Kirk, NT0Z   My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from
www.stealthamateur.com and on the Amazon Kindle (soon)

what is with all the reviews of it catching on fire?




On Feb 25, 2015, at 3:46 PM, Kirk Kleinschmidt kirk@...
[Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:

>
> Hello, group,
>
> Several people were commenting recently that the Apache AL13P
> laminator, frequently hacked and used to make PCBs, has been
> unavailable on amazon and elsewhere for some time.
>
> For whatever reason, it seems to be back -- and at a fantastic price:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Apache-AL13P-Professional-Laminator-Documents/dp/B0012UEQ5C/ref=pd_bia_nav_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07JX6MQD89BY0SN0XWF8
>
> 73,
>
> --Kirk, NT0Z
>
>
> My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from
> www.stealthamateur.com and on the Amazon Kindle (soon)
>
>

Synth,
I haven't come across those reviews yet...but I don't leave mine powered up and unattended :)
--Kirk, NT0Z
 My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from
www.stealthamateur.com and on the Amazon Kindle (soon) 

     On Thursday, February 26, 2015 1:26 AM, "synth synthesizerdiy@gmail.com [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
   
 

     what is with all the reviews of it catching on fire?

On Feb 25, 2015, at 3:46 PM, Kirk Kleinschmidt kirk@... [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:

    
Hello, group,
Several people were commenting recently that the Apache AL13P laminator, frequently hacked and used to make PCBs, has been unavailable on amazon and elsew here for some time.
For whatever reason, it seems to be back -- and at a fantastic price:
http://www.amazon.com/Apache-AL13P-Professional-Laminator-Documents/dp/B0012UEQ5C/ref=pd_bia_nav_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07JX6MQD89BY0SN0XWF8
73,
--Kirk, NT0Z   My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from 
www.stealthamateur.com and on the Amazon Kindle (soon)

There are plenty of them on Amazon.  For this model and it's larger
18inch model.  People saying either an actual fire, or smoking, etc.
















On Feb 26, 2015, at 1:28 AM, Kirk Kleinschmidt kirk@...
[Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:

>
> Synth,
>
> I haven't come across those reviews yet...but I don't leave mine
> powered up and unattended :)
>
> --Kirk, NT0Z
>
> My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from
> www.stealthamateur.com and on the Amazon Kindle (soon)
>
>
> On Thursday, February 26, 2015 1:26 AM, "synth synthesizerdiy@...
>  [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> what is with all the reviews of it catching on fire?
>
>
> On Feb 25, 2015, at 3:46 PM, Kirk Kleinschmidt kirk@cloudnet.com
> [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Hello, group,
>>
>> Several people were commenting recently that the Apache AL13P
>> laminator, frequently hacked and used to make PCBs, has been
>> unavailable on amazon and elsew here for some time.
>>
>> For whatever reason, it seems to be back -- and at a fantastic price:
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/Apache-AL13P-Professional-Laminator-Documents/dp/B0012UEQ5C/ref=pd_bia_nav_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07JX6MQD89BY0SN0XWF8
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> --Kirk, NT0Z
>>
>>
>> My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from
>> www.stealthamateur.com and on the Amazon Kindle (soon)
>>
>
>
>
>
>

Hi....I have done extensive testing of this laminator and developed this:
http://www.amazon.com/Apache-AL13P-Professional-Laminator-Documents/dp/B0012UEQ5C/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_8

I have also, subsequently, determined the fire hazard....and it's cause.

If you over tighten the tensioning screws at the bottom to get one pass 
results, the motor can 'stall'. This causes the side mounted heat 
sensor  to NOT see the top and bottom roller heating and the heater goes 
full duty cycle , melting the roller surfaces near it producing a lot of 
white smoke and ash. You can recommission the 'failed' laminator by 
swapping the hot and cold roller sets and wrapping the damaged rollers 
in kapton tape after cleaning them. Even if they are not round anymore 
they serve no function other than to help transport the laminated item, 
they don't do the laminating. The motor should be lubricated and tension 
reduced.  Upgrading the starting capacitor from 1.55uf to 2.0uF can also 
prevent 'starting' stalls.

To be sure this doesn't happen (again) I remove the grey heat shield 
cover so I can see the rollers. Do not leave the unit unattended for 
more than a minute or 2.

I am looking at upgrading my mod. (above) to also handle and protect 
against this 'failure' condition.

Ancel

The subject line says it all, the Apache AL13P Laminator is 
available, it's a very high quality heavy duty professional laminator 
that is very easy to modify to transfer the toner to a PCB. For a 
while it was not available but Amazon now has them in stock which is good news.


At 09:56 AM 2/27/2015, you wrote:
>
>
>I'm sorry but I do not understand what you developed. The link goes 
>to the Amazon page for the laminator. Was there something else you 
>were intending to link to?

-- 
Cecil - k5nwa
<  http://thepartsplace.k5nwa.com/ > <  http://www.softrockradio.org/ >

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

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Available on Amazon for $86.96 with free shipping.

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 7:26 PM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Apache AL13P Laminator is Back

 

  

The Jameco kit is the electronics to modify the laminator's time and
temperature control.    Where do you get the Apache AL13P laminator itself?
I must have missed that part.