Toner transfer

[technobreath]

I have been doing some PCB making the last days, and I thought I'd just share a couple things I learnt along the road when it comes to the toner transfer :).

1. Use a paper type that leaves no fibres when separating if from the PCB after laminating.

I have used normal paper that u find in every office around the world. Not very good, because it leaves fibres. Instead I have begun using photopaper specially designed for laser printers. Works very good for me.

2. When u have printed out a design - never touch it with fingers.

3. Find the piece of PCB that u want to use. If it is full of oxi, then use a piece of steelwool (soap-less is prefered) for cleaning it off. After it looks all shiny, clean with a strong cleaner - like aceton or other laqcuer thinner. Alcohol may work too - don't know - I always use aceton.

If u don't do this, it can cause the design to not stick good enough (or not stick at all) to the PCB.

4. Some say that u should preheat the PCB with the clothes-iron before applying the paper to it. It makes the toner stick to the pcb immediatly - in theory that is :). So judge yourself wether to preheat or not for ur project :).

When etching the boards in FeCl like I do, there are a couple of important ones. Always use gloves. Never spill ANY - I really mean it - ANY of the FeCl! It will stain both your fingers and everything else it hits in a signal yellow color that won't wash off at all. On skin, ok - it will wear off eventually - but on kitchen counter - no, on walls or curtains - no... so no spilling antyhere! :).

[kHz-tone]

Very nice method, I use same way to make my PCBs and also use it to make my own silkscreen

Cheers

Philipp

[Shuriken]

If you want to improve over a clothes-iron, there is a simple mod for a GBC Heatseal H65. You then feed the pcb through it a couple of times from different angles. It works quite well.

[technobreath]

Yep, I have been sniffing on modding one of those laminators, but haven't got to that yet. In the meantime I use my wife's clothesiron - she never uses it for clothes anyway :P So it's now a permanent tool @ my workbench :P hehe.

But a laminator would be far less work, and faster.

PS. I had to read through what I wrote first to check if there was something totally "off" in there, coz I wrote it last night, and I was so tired my eyes crossed... luckily it looks ok :P.