Yep... experiment...experiment....experiment.... document what
works...and what doesn't work....
I went down the laminator path...really thought I was on the right
track... got heat to rise up to 350F......
got motor speed control ....
then
melted the nylon drive gear... which will ruin your day when the
rollers stay put on the heating elements......
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It was a great learning experience.... that defined how to do it
again and again and get the desired results.
I graduated to the toner transfer paper mostly because I wanted to
rule out paper chemistry from being one of
the variables that was causing toner failure to bond.
I don't know about you guys but I buy 70mmX100mm single sided PCB on
EBAY for about 40 cents each
and it looks shiny and clean but very often is stacked in bundles
and taped and gets cruddy so I just stick to
the sandpaper scratching then acetone wash and that takes care of
any cruddy PCBs.
My procedure here is based on a 10 year HP LASERJET 1012......
and
I just put into service a PANTUM P2502W here because my wife needed
it for its WIFI connectivity.
I have another PANTUM P2502W waiting to be hacked into a flat feed
to print directly on copper PCB....
to leave out the heat/press/toner transfer step entirely.
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I have not experimented with it yet.
Perhaps it will lay a better pile of toner on the paper and then I
won't have to trace everything.
Rob
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I think most proponents of toner
transfer would agree that this is a dark art.
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Rob has described a method that works
for him and you tend to stick with what works - which makes
good sense.
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There are many variables which make
for a different result in your situation. First most would be
the printer that you use and the toner characteristics. The
best thing is to experiment but not take what works for one
person as gospel so that you are disappointed with the result.
Experiment.
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I don’t use special paper. Glossy
travel brochures are free ?and
work with the HP printer that I use.
I do not scratch my copper board or
clean it with chemicals at all - or even wipe with a damp spaniel.
I have a large and fairly “hard”
eraser originally intended for carpentry use which has fine
particles so that I get a good clean shine.
Under the microscope there are fine
scratches but I don’t need to score it.
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I use a laminator, albeit a heavy job
intended for office work and not a ten quid cheapie.
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I have never needed to go over the
toner with a pen and I use Ferric Chloride as etchant.
I can get consistent results of track widths to 0.7mm
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So what that all says is that Robs
method works for him and mine works for me and he is right
when he says ?“It’s a
real crap shoot where you NEVER will get the desired results
UNLESS YOU EXPERIMENT AND DOCUMENT”.
Start with what you have to hand - and what is free - like
paper. Work up from that and don't be discouraged if the first
few attempts fail. Try all the methods that have been
suggested. It's worth it in the end.
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Here are some examples of my boards:
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72/73
Tony G4WIF
