Homebrew PCBs

I just bought a GBC H200 laminator and am trying to modify it as per
the plans on the www.pulsar.gs website for use with toner transfer to
PCBs. 

Step (12) in their modification involves removing the "Release Lever".
It is press fit (I think) into the plastic motor mount assembly. I
have been unable to budge it using finger pressure. Can anyone who has
succeeded in this mod advise how?

A more minor question - in step (7) I was able to remove the plastic
spacers from the bottom guide plate. But there are no strips of
silicone rubber on the other guide plate, as described in the mods.
Anyone else encounter this?

Grant

Grant, I haven't done the modification because i am running 0.040 
boards. Maybe you could ask that question on Pulsar site 
www.pulsar.gs? He is very helpful and I amsure he knows the answer. 
It appears there are already three people that own that fine 
laminator und morgen die ganze Welt! Mike

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "grantfair2001" 
<grant.fair@s...> wrote:
> I just bought a GBC H200 laminator and am trying to modify it as per
> the plans on the www.pulsar.gs website for use with toner transfer 
to
> PCBs. 
> 
> Step (12) in their modification involves removing the "Release 
Lever".
> It is press fit (I think) into the plastic motor mount assembly. I
> have been unable to budge it using finger pressure. Can anyone who 
has

> succeeded in this mod advise how?
> 
> A more minor question - in step (7) I was able to remove the plastic
> spacers from the bottom guide plate. But there are no strips of
> silicone rubber on the other guide plate, as described in the mods.
> Anyone else encounter this?
> 
> Grant

Hi Mike - I had emailed Frank at Pulsar after I emailed this list. He
responded quickly, and with good advice (more brute force) which worked.

I then had some problems with the top metal guide at the rear blocking
PCB's, but once I figured that out I found that it works flawlessly. 

Ironing often worked but was inconsistent, especially for bigger
boards. This machine is pretty amazing though I think I will order
some of the stuff he adds to make the etch less aggressive through the
toner.

By the way it was your positive experience which you posted here which
decided me to buy and try - thanks!

Grant

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mikezcnc" <eemikez@c...> wrote:

> 
> Grant, I haven't done the modification because i am running 0.040 
> boards. Maybe you could ask that question on Pulsar site 
> www.pulsar.gs? He is very helpful and I amsure he knows the answer. 
> It appears there are already three people that own that fine 
> laminator und morgen die ganze Welt! Mike
>

Hi Grant,

That is great news. I agree that quality of TT is amazing. Can you 
comment if after those modifications one can do thinner AND thicker 
boards?
And yes, the owner of Pulsar is an amazing person and I would 

www.pulsar.com for people who don't know him.

Mike

PS I did go overboard with my comments on purpose: I wanted to see 
the dream team consisting of Stefan T., Stefan the Astronomer Amator 
and Dave the CNC Plans Guy In Spe to comment on my combination-it 
worked well. Und morgen die ganze Welt!


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "grantfair2001" 
<grant.fair@s...> wrote:
> Hi Mike - I had emailed Frank at Pulsar after I emailed this list. 
He
> responded quickly, and with good advice (more brute force) which 
worked.
> 
> I then had some problems with the top metal guide at the rear 
blocking
> PCB's, but once I figured that out I found that it works 
flawlessly. 
> 
> Ironing often worked but was inconsistent, especially for bigger
> boards. This machine is pretty amazing though I think I will order
> some of the stuff he adds to make the etch less aggressive through 
the
> toner.
> 
> By the way it was your positive experience which you posted here 
which
> decided me to buy and try - thanks!
> 
> Grant
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mikezcnc" <eemikez@c...> 
wrote:
> > 
> > Grant, I haven't done the modification because i am running 0.040 
> > boards. Maybe you could ask that question on Pulsar site 
> > www.pulsar.gs? He is very helpful and I amsure he knows the 
answer. 

> > It appears there are already three people that own that fine 
> > laminator und morgen die ganze Welt! Mike
> >

Mike - you asked if the modified laminator also lets you do thinner
and thicker boards.

I have some doublesided PCB material which is 12 thousandths of an
inch thick. For comparison's sake, credit cards are typically 30 thou.
So this material is quite thin.

I just ran it through the laminator with some dyna-art (now pulsar)
paper with a laser printed PCB pattern. It came through printed onto
the PCB just fine, same as with thicker boards.

So the answer is yes, the modifed laminator does both thick and thin
boards. Nifty, eh?

Grant

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mikezcnc" <eemikez@c...> wrote:

> Hi Grant,
> 
> That is great news. I agree that quality of TT is amazing. Can you 
> comment if after those modifications one can do thinner AND thicker 
> boards?
> And yes, the owner of Pulsar is an amazing person and I would 
> 
> www.pulsar.com for people who don't know him.
> 
> Mike
> 
> PS I did go overboard with my comments on purpose: I wanted to see 
> the dream team consisting of Stefan T., Stefan the Astronomer Amator 
> and Dave the CNC Plans Guy In Spe to comment on my combination-it 
> worked well. Und morgen die ganze Welt!
> 
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "grantfair2001" 
> <grant.fair@s...> wrote:
> > Hi Mike - I had emailed Frank at Pulsar after I emailed this list. 
> He
> > responded quickly, and with good advice (more brute force) which 
> worked.
> > 
> > I then had some problems with the top metal guide at the rear 
> blocking
> > PCB's, but once I figured that out I found that it works 
> flawlessly. 
> > 
> > Ironing often worked but was inconsistent, especially for bigger
> > boards. This machine is pretty amazing though I think I will order
> > some of the stuff he adds to make the etch less aggressive through 
> the
> > toner.
> > 
> > By the way it was your positive experience which you posted here 
> which
> > decided me to buy and try - thanks!
> > 
> > Grant
> > 
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "mikezcnc" <eemikez@c...> 
> wrote:
> > > 
> > > Grant, I haven't done the modification because i am running 0.040 
> > > boards. Maybe you could ask that question on Pulsar site 
> > > www.pulsar.gs? He is very helpful and I amsure he knows the 
> answer. 
> > > It appears there are already three people that own that fine 
> > > laminator und morgen die ganze Welt! Mike
> > >

Thanks, Grant. That's goo news for me. Right now I fell in love with 
0.020" PCB material but eventually I will run out of it. Mike

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "grantfair2001" 
<grant.fair@s...> wrote:
> Mike - you asked if the modified laminator also lets you do thinner
> and thicker boards.
> 
> I have some doublesided PCB material which is 12 thousandths of an
> inch thick. For comparison's sake, credit cards are typically 30 
thou.

> So this material is quite thin.
> 
> I just ran it through the laminator with some dyna-art (now pulsar)
> paper with a laser printed PCB pattern. It came through printed onto
> the PCB just fine, same as with thicker boards.
> 
> So the answer is yes, the modifed laminator does both thick and thin
> boards. Nifty, eh?
> 
> Grant
>