Making PCBs...

[Vincent Volta]

hI EVRYONE,
I just wonder if anybody could be kind enough to explain me the "toner transfer" thing, how its done, cause Ive been drawing and etching my boards by hand so far.
I have an idea but its not quite clear yet... also, I dont own a computer so I wanna  know the actual system requirements (soft-hardware) beyond the PC and the laser printer. Thanx in advance for your patience.

[punkaled]

well, as far as the software/hardware requirements go, you can find free pcb design packages for computers going back over ten years old, so if your planning to buy a computer just for pcb design you needent pay much at all for it. And for the printer, any laser printer which can print at at least 300x300dpi (dots per inch) should be fine for pcbs.
In fact you could use any printer with more than 300dpi if you have access to a photocopier.
Oh, and you'll need an iron  :wink:

[nightingale]

there is a photo essay here~
www.tonepad.com
hth,

[RobB]

I’ve been using a toner transfer method (from transparency) for a while now and am very happy with the results I’ve been getting.  Here’s the method.  

Print layout onto paper and then have it photocopied onto a transparency.
Cut board to size and file down any copper edges, which may be standing up.  
Clean copper side thoroughly, and dry.  
Place transparency onto copper side and cover with a sheet of paper, iron until toner just begins to smear.
Let cool down then peel off.  Touch up with fine permanent marker if necessary.  
Place board at one end of a small plastic fast food container and pour in water from electric jug, which has just boiled.  About 12mm 1/2 “ of boiling hot water.  
Add level tablespoon of Ammonium Persulfate to the other end.  
Clip plastic lid on and start sloshing.  Leave cold water running at tap just in case a spill occurs.  
Most stomp box sized boards will etch within 5 minutes.  
Peal off lid and tip etching solution down the drain.  Flush board and container with plenty of cold water.  
Drill, then wipe off toner with paint thinner.  
To make the board easy to populate, I also iron the component side values on at this time.  

Some people here swear by the glossy photo paper instead.  I haven’t been able to try that because the “JetPrint” brand of paper isn’t available where I live.

Hope the method above gets you started.  If you’re worried about spilling the chemicals then wear gloves and goggles while you do this.

[RedHouse]

I use Avery Label backing paper, it's way cheaper than Press-n-Peel (Blue) and works well enough for me as I do one-off's all the time.

Note: I did not discover this method, I found the idea on the web and for the life of me I cannot recall where, sorry, but it works for me and I'll pass it along for others here.

1.) Print the trace image onto a piece of paper so you can get it sized right.

2.) Get a piece of Avery Label sheet stock and cut a piece about an inch larger than the pattern you are trying to reproduce.

3.) Peel all the label material off of the backing material, taking care not to get your finger oils on the backing stuff as this is the part we will use.

4.) With a piece of the sticky label material, use it as tape to attach the backing piece over the trace you printed on the paper in step 1. Tape at the leading edge only, the edge that feed into the laser printer. (if you tape anywhere else the process will fail and you will likely jam up your printer)

5.) Place the paper that now has your avery label backing piece taped over your printed pattern back into the printer and re-print the exact same image, the exact same size. The printer will place the toner pattern onto the avery label backing material which you can then use like Press-n-peel.

TIPS:

When you go to iron the pattern onto the copper board, place a piece of paper under and on top of the copper board while ironing, iron for around 45 seconds on a hight temp.

Use a hot iron when tranfering onto you copper board as the backing material is thick.

I pre-heat the board a bit before laying the trasfer piece onto it as sometimes a board can warp due to thermal shock, so pre-heat the opposite side from the side you intend to lay the pattern piece on before you iron it on.

When you are done ironing it is important to LET IT COOL A BIT before trying to remove the backing piece, I usually wave it in the air for 30 seconds or so.

Equally important, when removing (peeling) the avery backing run the board under cold water WHILE SLOWLY peeling the backing off the board, dunno why but this helps the toner stay on the copper. Let the cold water get between the material and the board as you peel.

Any goof's in the traces (from toner failure) can be covered with a "Sharpie" perm marker pen. I use the "Industrial" Sharpie #13601 as sometimes the hot etchant has desolved the "fixes" made with a standard Sharpie.

In case you're wondering about hot etchant, you can heat your etchant in the microwave just until it steams a bit (don't breath in the fumes) then toss your board into the container, you will turn a 30 minute etch job into a 5 minute deal.

I went and bought crystal clear plastic container with a lid from WallMart because the etchant works so quickly when it's hot it dissolves the copper right before your eyes as you rock the container, you can see just when it's time to yank the board out if you have a clear plastic container to etch in, and with the hot etchant method there is no need for a bubble-tank.

Also when you toss your board into the hot etchant it helps to keep the continer warm by placing it into the sink which has hot water in it.

If you use Ferric Chloride, after etching, clean the board with an acid solution as ferric chloride is a base, this will remove all traces of the cloride, normally a 7% tincture of hydrocloric acid is used, but the home-brewer can use stuff like full strength white Vinegar, pour enough into a container to cover the board then scrub the traces with an old tooth brush, then rinse thoroughly with cold water, this will keep the copper traces from turning green because of leftover etchant residue.

[Mark Hammer]

Not to brush you off or anything, but there have been a number of threads about PCB-making here that are likely in the archives.  It's not so much that I wish to pass the buck, but when you get geezers like me trying to explain something for the 40th time, the odds are pretty good that we leave out important details because we think we covered it already.

If laser-based wizardry is not available to you for whatever reason (though those circumstances are become rarer and rarer), I will put in a good word for hybrid methods.  I've made a number of boards where I drilled out the holes, buffed the copper surface, rubbed on IC-pad and circular component-pad transfers that I bought at Radio Shack, then used a waterproof pen to connect the dots.  The rub-on/pen method worked fine and saved lots of time from trying to do the whole thing with pen.  besides, you have to admit that rub-on IC pads are generally a whole lot neater than hand-drawn.

The trick though is to assure that you keep the board absolutely spotless throughout the application of whatever resist materials you use.  One favourite technique of mine is to use a piece of plastic wrap to grasp and move the board so that I can see what I'm doing but keep my finger juice off the surface.  Anything that comes between the bare copper and the etchant, even stuff you can't exactly see, slows down the etching process and makes it sloppier as a result.

[Torchy]

ATTENTION MODS ....

Please make the entry by Redhouse either a sticky or part of the FAQ. I aint not never done made a decent pcb until guys here pointed out the right way. Redhouse's post summarises the process very well. Using exactly that method I have made pcbs from Mill2 boards to my EZVibe boards - it works well.

[RedHouse]

Mark has a great point, and I too have done that, it IS in fact the Q&D way to get a prototype up-n-running. In fact I didn't even drill the holes I just printed a trace layed it over the copper board, used an sharp Xacto knife (rotate it between your fingers) to make the pad-hole marks then connect the dots with the Radio Shack rub-on stuff.
(276-1577B)



Aron, Torchy, if y'all make this a sticky PLEASE don't attribute the "Avery Label Method" to me, it's not my work, I found it on the web and it was very good work done by another. I only passed it along here as I've used it plenty and can vouch that it works great and is WAY cheaper than the press-n-peel.
(just a bit finicky at first)

I've been pouring over my Favorites (Bookmarks) folder and I just can't find where I got the info, I'd love to point to the original author as he/she was quite detailed and had done MUCH experimenting and documentation and surely deserves the kudos.

(please original author, if you read this please chime-in with the website URL and make yourself known here)

Note: when I say it's just a bit finicky at first, I mean the exact heat of the iron-vs-time ironing. I bought a cheap iron 'cause my wife wouldn't let me use hers and it seems (I didn't know this) that Irons have different heat range settings.

It's easy to get it zero'ed in though, you just do it a few times. You can use the same circuit board too so no waste there.

If a iron-on process craps-up on you, just clean the board with paint thinner, it will disolve the toner and leave it clean and ready to try again, then you just try it again adjusting time or temp until you dial yourself in...(cool eh?)

[Sic]

"quote" Torchy
I aint not never done made a decent pcb...

do what now?

[JerryP]

Tried to reply to this topic earlier but inadvertantly started a new one (still getting used to this forum!  :oops: ). Anyway here it is and basically gives a URL that might be Redhouses original author of the Avery technique??


http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=22381