Comments for hux.net.au http://www.hux.net.au Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:03:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on DIY PCB Boards – Toner transfer method by Andrew http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67&cpage=1#comment-2290 Andrew Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:03:30 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67#comment-2290 I am not 100% sure on which ones are the 'hotter' ones but I recall brother being on the list and still, it may not be all of them. I do know however that HP/Canon toners appear to be fine but as will most generic non-genuine toners. I use colour printing at 'RGB 254,254,254' so it uses all colours to make black rather than using actual black. This means you get 3 X the toner and eliminates holes. The downside is that sometimes the colour alignment is not perfect so it can cause problems on tracks with low clearance. As for the laminator, expensive is not necessarily better. You need one that applies heat and pressure at the same time. Not heat then pressure (as most do). The easy way to determine this is generally if they are taller rather than deeper. I am not 100% sure on which ones are the ‘hotter’ ones but I recall brother being on the list and still, it may not be all of them. I do know however that HP/Canon toners appear to be fine but as will most generic non-genuine toners. I use colour printing at ‘RGB 254,254,254′ so it uses all colours to make black rather than using actual black. This means you get 3 X the toner and eliminates holes. The downside is that sometimes the colour alignment is not perfect so it can cause problems on tracks with low clearance.

As for the laminator, expensive is not necessarily better. You need one that applies heat and pressure at the same time. Not heat then pressure (as most do). The easy way to determine this is generally if they are taller rather than deeper.

]]> Comment on DIY PCB Boards – Toner transfer method by Rod http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67&cpage=1#comment-2289 Rod Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:42:20 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67#comment-2289 Andrew can you recommend a brand of printer that has a lower temperature toner than say one of the Brother models. Toner cartridges are over $100, so worth buying right to start with. They have a Samsung colour model for under $200 that might be OK. Your suggestions? Also have found some professional laminators on Ebay 2nd hand, that can take up to 4 mm stock. Missed out on the first one I bid on, but will keep hunting as these have up to 160 deg temp controls as standard. The last one went for over $200, but sometimes better to get the right item in the first place. Will keep looking and can use my glass for the time being. Andrew can you recommend a brand of printer that has a lower temperature toner than say one of the Brother models.
Toner cartridges are over $100, so worth buying right to start with.

They have a Samsung colour model for under $200 that might be OK.
Your suggestions?

Also have found some professional laminators on Ebay 2nd hand, that can take up to 4 mm stock. Missed out on the first one I bid on, but will keep hunting as these have up to 160 deg temp controls as standard. The last one went for over $200, but sometimes better to get the right item in the first place. Will keep looking and can use my glass for the time being.

]]> Comment on DIY PCB Boards – Toner transfer method by Andrew http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67&cpage=1#comment-2086 Andrew Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:31:16 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67#comment-2086 Just be careful, some of the brands/toners melt at a much higher temp than normal. Iirc brothers are one of them. Replacing toner with a generic one is ok tho. Just be careful, some of the brands/toners melt at a much higher temp than normal. Iirc brothers are one of them. Replacing toner with a generic one is ok tho.

]]> Comment on DIY PCB Boards – Toner transfer method by Rod http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67&cpage=1#comment-2085 Rod Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:17:58 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67#comment-2085 Thanks Andrew, for your reply Since the locally avail. laminator works so well, then it makes a lot of sense to do the mod job on it. I am off tonight to buy a laser printer either wireless colour or std. B&W laser. They are really cheap at Office Works currently - $166and $99 respectively Harvey Norman have a slightly early model Brother B&W for just $88. Sounds like electronic hobbiest utopia, given they have ample toner for some time. Laminators cost nothing, and given the speed advantage, I agree with you, easier route......so long as my projects remain sub A4. Aust Post have a GBC laminator, but it is not the older style you have.... it is much 'thinner'........I checked with Kmart and they have a 'blue' one, so not sure if it is the older model. Will check it out also tonight or tomorrow. Price $35 and $39 respectively. Thanks again for you assistance and effort to include photos et al. It has kick started me back into my hobby after a break for a year or two. Thanks Andrew, for your reply
Since the locally avail. laminator works so well, then it makes a lot of sense to do the mod job on it. I am off tonight to buy a laser printer
either wireless colour or std. B&W laser. They are really cheap at Office Works currently – $166and $99 respectively
Harvey Norman have a slightly early model Brother B&W for just $88.
Sounds like electronic hobbiest utopia, given they have ample toner for some time. Laminators cost nothing, and given the speed advantage, I agree with you, easier route……so long as my projects remain sub A4.

Aust Post have a GBC laminator, but it is not the older style you have…. it is much ‘thinner’……..I checked with Kmart and they have a ‘blue’ one, so not sure if it is the older model. Will check it out also tonight or tomorrow.
Price $35 and $39 respectively. Thanks again for you assistance and effort to include photos et al. It has kick started me back into my hobby after a break for a year or two.

]]> Comment on DIY PCB Boards – Toner transfer method by Andrew http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67&cpage=1#comment-2017 Andrew Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:43:08 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67#comment-2017 Rod, that method sounds interesting but it seriously sounds a lot harder than the laminator! I normally use DSE board so it definitely works well for that, but i would recommend doing the mod i link to as well. This ups the temperature and means you do not even need to pre-heat the board. See http://www.ultrakeet.com.au/index.php?id=article&name=superfuser. With a single pass it fuses beautifully. Rod, that method sounds interesting but it seriously sounds a lot harder than the laminator!

I normally use DSE board so it definitely works well for that, but i would recommend doing the mod i link to as well. This ups the temperature and means you do not even need to pre-heat the board. See http://www.ultrakeet.com.au/index.php?id=article&name=superfuser. With a single pass it fuses beautifully.

]]> Comment on DIY PCB Boards – Toner transfer method by Rod http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67&cpage=1#comment-2015 Rod Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:49:45 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=67#comment-2015 Andrew, I was wondering with your GBC via Kmart laminator... how you get on with standard thickness PCB eg. Ex Dick Smith. Will this board thickness fit into a GBC laminator, or must you get a thinner PCB. If so, could you tell me where you procured your thin PCB from please. Great link.......I was about to give up on papers as I have not had much success. My own method: I have tried this with bits of metal and it seems to work OK, but am a few day away from trying out my new theory.... for bigger boards. I have just had 2 sheets of glass cut (10mm thickness sheets) Method Layered thus......Glass, PCB,photopaper,soft, fine weave cloth (for even pressure),Glass These are all sandwiched and clamped with 4 off small but powerful G clamps, with wooden pads to keep metal from direct glass contact. Glass is incredibly strong and doesn't warp to any appreciable degree over short lengths. This little block of goodness is put into a home oven set to 160 degrees C and left for a good cook (say 20-30 minutes) Allowed to cool then disassembled. I picked plate (float) glass as it is very flat to preserve even clamping pressure. The cloth I have found further spreads the force evenly and the oven provides even heat throughout the board and paper and smooth temperature gradient up to toner transition phase and down. Will let you all know how it goes....... Might just work for really big boards, with your great HP 4551A paper My current project is 100 x 85 mm, but have plans for something much much bigger, to get rid of all that stupid wiring one has to perform on the average project. I can put down the nice board in Eagle, then pen or CAD in the other power tracks for macro items, big electros and all the inputs where I want them and etch away, in my yet to be built aquarium heater heated bubbler tank. Andrew,
I was wondering with your GBC via Kmart laminator…
how you get on with standard thickness PCB eg. Ex Dick Smith.
Will this board thickness fit into a GBC laminator, or must you get a thinner PCB. If so, could you tell me where you procured your thin PCB from please. Great link…….I was about to give up on papers as I have not had much success.
My own method:
I have tried this with bits of metal and it seems to work OK, but am a few day away from trying out my new theory…. for bigger boards.
I have just had 2 sheets of glass cut (10mm thickness sheets)
Method
Layered thus……Glass, PCB,photopaper,soft, fine weave cloth (for even pressure),Glass
These are all sandwiched and clamped with 4 off small but powerful G clamps, with wooden pads to keep metal from direct glass contact.
Glass is incredibly strong and doesn’t warp to any appreciable degree over short lengths. This little block of goodness is put into a home oven
set to 160 degrees C and left for a good cook (say 20-30 minutes)
Allowed to cool then disassembled.
I picked plate (float) glass as it is very flat to preserve even clamping pressure. The cloth I have found further spreads the force evenly and the oven provides even heat throughout the board and paper and smooth temperature gradient up to toner transition phase and down.
Will let you all know how it goes…….
Might just work for really big boards, with your great HP 4551A paper
My current project is 100 x 85 mm, but have plans for something much much bigger, to get rid of all that stupid wiring one has to perform on the average project. I can put down the nice board in Eagle, then pen or CAD in the other power tracks for macro items, big electros and all the inputs where I want them and etch away, in my yet to be built aquarium heater heated bubbler tank.

]]> Comment on Action! by Andrew http://www.hux.net.au/?p=46&cpage=1#comment-1907 Andrew Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:53:50 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=44#comment-1907 No, there is not really a need to do so and the added weight is really not worth it. The engine will still run at idle in the water, it just means it keeps moving but only at about 2kph or less. No, there is not really a need to do so and the added weight is really not worth it. The engine will still run at idle in the water, it just means it keeps moving but only at about 2kph or less.

]]> Comment on Action! by cabin guy http://www.hux.net.au/?p=46&cpage=1#comment-1906 cabin guy Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:12:54 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?p=44#comment-1906 did you run a clutch from the motor to the drive shaft did you run a clutch from the motor to the drive shaft

]]> Comment on About Me by Andrew http://www.hux.net.au/?page_id=23&cpage=1#comment-1529 Andrew Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:01:10 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?page_id=21#comment-1529 Email sent. Email sent.

]]> Comment on About Me by David http://www.hux.net.au/?page_id=23&cpage=1#comment-1528 David Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:36:27 +0000 http://www.hux.net.au/?page_id=21#comment-1528 Hi Andrew thanks for the reply The 3d Auto cad drawing would be fantastic i can get it drawn up to be able to construct one I can sort out the electronics myself please use my email adress for contact. thans David Hi Andrew thanks for the reply
The 3d Auto cad drawing would be fantastic i can get it drawn up to be able to construct one I can sort out the electronics myself please use my email adress for contact.
thans David

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