adding an overlay to a home etched board?

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James HE

Well-known member
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
54
Location
Richmond VA US
I was wondering if this is possible. After etching a board is it possible to print an overlay with the toner transfer method? Seems doable with a singled sided board if we print on the componet side, but what if we have a double? What if we spray the board with laquer before to protect the traces? I guess the iron would melt the laquer. :? or would it? If we only use soapy water and our fingers to get the paper off after the overlay printing would this still be safe for the traces? or can the traces not take the heat?

Just sort of thinking out loud. (er... as loud as the sound of typing)

I think I'll just try an experiment, but will be a while before I get around to it. I got a bunch of boards off ebay for cheap. And coincidentally we have a new laser printer at the house. (gotta love having a girlfriend that's a graphic artist) I haven't etched a thing yet, but I'm almost ready to go.

Oh yeah - another dumb idea I had. The boards I got are single sided. I need a double sided board for one design I made where I have pots on both sides. I will just get some double sided boards to try (once I get more comfortable etching a single sided board) But I had this idea to just put two of the single sided boards together, glued with contact cement or whatever to make an annoyingly thick PCB board. I could etch them seperatly, which gives some flexability. Lining them up is still a huge issue, but it might be easier, I could drill the holes on each board and use that to line them up. Looking at some of the componets I have lying around, it looks like the leads on the pots I have and IC's will just barely clear the thickness of two boards, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Wow. DIY sure is fun so far. Despite the fact that I have all this crap lying around now and I haven't built anything with it yet.. lol (Well I did make a power supply on perf board - works! but I don't have anything for it to power yet!) . Just making sure I get it right.

hopefully :cool:
 
I'm not sure what you mean? Gluing two boards together isn't really a problem. 3M spray adhesive will probably work fine. The first part of my question was about printing on an etched pcb using the toner transfer method using an iron. Or am I missing something?
 
if you are going to do the transfer method on the circuit side of the board
the traces would make the surface uneven and not a good ground to
do the transfer method.

if you were doing a one sided board , and using the blank fr4 side , then the iron on transfer method would work fine .

hell , you could actually use a real 'iron on transfer' or a large lable
with the legend printed on it then stuck to the pcb.

as for printing on a double sided board with copper on top and bottom
im sorta at a loss , unless you had a solder mask or something
to make the surface of one of the sides even for printing.


for lining up two boards , just add four pads (one in each corner of the board in the exact same spot on top and bottom . then drill pin size holes
in those pads on on both boards then use push pins to align .)

some art stores have nice little silkscreen kits with photo emulsion.
its really easy , and you can silkscreen acrylic paint then seal with
crystal clear.

hope this helps

g.
 
[quote author="James HE"]I'm not sure what you mean? Gluing two boards together isn't really a problem. 3M spray adhesive will probably work fine. The first part of my question was about printing on an etched pcb using the toner transfer method using an iron. Or am I missing something?[/quote]
No no no... forget the iron... It won't do what you want.

Some time ago I discovered that if you print (reversed of course) with a LASER printer onto a backing sheet from Avery "laser labels" or the like, the toner 'sort of' sticks... but comes off at the slightest provocation.

-So... if you gently mist a fine dusting of 3m super 77 coating over a panel (I di some front panels with it) and then let it go nice and tacky (5-7 minutes or so) then you can just lay the reverse-printed backing sheet on top, and simply rub it down with a pencil. It transfers right off. -Failed attempts wash easily away with lighter fluid or naptha.

I did an LA-2a clone front panel with it:

LA2apanel.jpg


It works well -even for very fine detail.

For a PCBoverlay, you'd have to have registration marks to save a lot of trial-and-error.

Keith
 
Two things:

SSLTech: I like the super 77 method. I can't believe I didn't know about it. Must be reading the wrong threads. Do you use something to "seal" it when you're done?

JamesHE: "Toner Reactive Foils" will allow you to do component side in white color. Since laser printer won't print white. Here's a product at pulsar.gs which you might already know about Toner Reactive Foils. (See 'WhiteTRF'.) I wouldn't try it with double sided though.
 
Ahh! I understand now. That's great. Thanks SSL.

and drip thanks for the tips. I hadn't thought about the surface being uneven. of course.
 
What I do which is pretty cheap and very easy is after I have etched my Board but before I have drilled the holes I Print the Stuffing guide on to some Clear Sticker Paper and then Carefully put the Sticker on the top of the PCB makeing sure that the Trases and places were the components go match up...I then just drill the Holes and the board is finnished and the Design is on the top of the Board so you know what value part goes were....


Works good for me anyways.....

Cheers
 
yeah, the Super-77 method was one which I developed myself... try it out on old metal panels or anything you like, just to get the hang of it... then off you go.

I've sealed things with clear lacquer spray, -works well.

:thumb:

Post back with pics when you're done!

Keith
 

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