Homebrew PCBs

Thought I would put in my two cents on the subject.

I make small pcb's for my BEAM robots using the free version of 
EAGLE cad. For my purposes a 3" by 4" board is huge. Making the pcb 
is only one step in a project, and shouldn't be a project in itself.

I picked up a GBC laminator, the smaller 4" version and am using it 
with the Staples paper (aka Gootee paper) for both the traces and 
the component sides.

All I can say it that it works. No fuss, pretty simple. I had 
considered building/converting a fuser. But this sertup is 
inexpensive (the smaller GBC is ~ $50) and easy to store.

I'm sure that building a fuser could improve quality and reduce the 
number of passes, but for my purposes its overkill.

I recommend the GBC / staples paper combo to anyone starting out.

Myc


P.S. I found that toner transfer works on painted surfaces. To 
improve the appearance of my bots, I give the top side of the pcb a 
light coat of Krylon flat white and then toner transfer. Looks great.

In recent time we had several suggestions for working paper/fuser 
combinations.

On the group homepage you will find the database section.
Please add any reports of results you have to the database.


I know the database is not ideal, not technically and not because of
the subjective results. But it is better than nothing.

ST

Hi, 

Congratualations! You are the first that actually tried that 
combination and is happy with it. My historic role has been fulfilled 
with just one soul being spared the aggrevation of cobbling up PCBs 
using TT.

OK, I am talking out loud: who will publish the next good process for 
something that can be simple and have great result?

I might add, that if one sticks to 0.030 PCBs then they can be cut 
using regular scissors.

For drilling, we have our "Ballendo PCB Drill/Mill'.

We some a magic solution for plated holes.

For multilayer we already know that all is in gluing.

Have fun!

Mike






--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mycroft2152" 
<mycroft2152@y...> wrote:
> Thought I would put in my two cents on the subject.
> 
> I make small pcb's for my BEAM robots using the free version of 
> EAGLE cad. For my purposes a 3" by 4" board is huge. Making the pcb 
> is only one step in a project, and shouldn't be a project in itself.
> 
> I picked up a GBC laminator, the smaller 4" version and am using it 
> with the Staples paper (aka Gootee paper) for both the traces and 
> the component sides.
> 
> All I can say it that it works. No fuss, pretty simple. I had 
> considered building/converting a fuser. But this sertup is 
> inexpensive (the smaller GBC is ~ $50) and easy to store.
> 
> I'm sure that building a fuser could improve quality and reduce the 
> number of passes, but for my purposes its overkill.
> 
> I recommend the GBC / staples paper combo to anyone starting out.
> 
> Myc
> 
> 
> P.S. I found that toner transfer works on painted surfaces. To 
> improve the appearance of my bots, I give the top side of the pcb a 
> light coat of Krylon flat white and then toner transfer. Looks 
great.

On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 19:42:52 -0000, mikezcnc <eemikez@...> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Congratualations! You are the first that actually tried that
> combination and is happy with it. My historic role has been fulfilled
> with just one soul being spared the aggrevation of cobbling up PCBs
> using TT.
>
> OK, I am talking out loud: who will publish the next good process for
> something that can be simple and have great result?
>

If you look here:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/database?method=reportRows&tbl=2>
you will find working papers and laminators, and ones that don't work.
The informatin is aready there for some time and i hope it grows soon to 
even
more known good and known ba items.

In my opinion it is good for a beginner to have known paper and a 
laminator others use,
but on the other hand it isn't vital. None of the suggested papers or 
laminators is sold
where i live, and i had to find out on my own. It wasn't that hard, i 
tried copier paper,
magazine paper, which didn't work, and then photo paper which did work 
great.
I mean, it were maybe 3 hours experimenting, no more. Not sure why you had 
such bad luck.

ST

>  None of the suggested papers or 
> laminators is sold
> where i live, and i had to find 
> out on my own. It wasn't that hard, 
> I tried copier paper,
> magazine paper, which didn't work, 
> and then photo paper which did work 
> great.
> I mean, it were maybe 3 hours 
> experimenting, no more. 
> Not sure why you had 
> such bad luck.
> 
> ST


I'm thinking there is another thing going on.  I have a HP4 and use 
aftermarket toner.

I am pretty sure the HPII and III use a different type of toner.

It may be very similar as far as paper goes, but the heating process 
and the transfer to papers would probably be different.

When I was doing CAD work, I would PLOT to the laser using HPGL and 
not PRINT to it.   VERY different methods and very different line 
widths and angles and such.

But, I have tried different papers to a limited degree, with a home 
iron and it seems there is a difference in papers, but....

It would also seem that the make-up of the toner itself would be a 
HUGE part of the process.

Dave

> It would also seem that the make-up of the toner itself would be a
> HUGE part of the process.
>
> Dave

Certainly, i had much better results with the genuine HP toner.
the remanufactured toner did not cover well and left a lot of pinholes.
The toner is one reason why i'm reluctant to get a new printer (though i 
would
love the higher res.). But for the IIID i get the genuine toner for well 
below 10EUR,
often 1EUR. For any newer printer there is much more demand and i'd pay 
50eur or
more, and even then it is not ensured the toner works well. this is one 
reason why
i'm so persistent with the database section. For someone buying a new 
printer it should
be possible to know before buying if it will work.

ST