How to remove glossy paper residue from copper after laminating
Thomas P. Gootee
the residue from glossy paper that is left on copper-clad printed
circuit boards (pcb) and on laser printer toner, after I heat-laminate
a circuit pattern (i.e. toner) from glossy paper onto a pcb [See
http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm , for the exact procedures
and materials used (with photos), if you're interested.]
Briefly: After printing the artwork for a circuit board's copper
pattern onto glossy (i.e. coated) paper, with a laser printer, I use a
clothes iron or heated laminating press (350+ degF) to transfer the
toner from the glossy paper onto a thin sheet of copper-clad
fiberglass (the "blank" pcb). The etchants (Ferric Chloride, or,
Ammonium or Sodium Persulfate) will etch copper but not plastic. And
laser printer toner is made mostly of plastic. So the desired copper
circuit pattern remains, under the protective toner, after the rest
has been etched away. A quick wipe with acetone or lacquer thinner and
it's ready to drill and plate with tin and then populate with
electronic components.
That all works quite well. But, after heat-laminating the paper and
toner to the copper board, it is very difficult to remove the last
bits of the paper residue (and/or its coating?), which must be removed
prior to etching since it interferes with the etching process.
Specifically, just after laminating, I soak the board, with the paper
still attached, in hot tap water, until the top layers of the paper
can be rubbed off, fairly easily. Most of the remaining paper residue
comes off pretty well, with a lot of rubbing, or scrubbing with a
toothbrush (which would also be nice to be able to avoid). And the
toner stays put. However, it is usually VERY difficult to remove the
paper's residue from the tiny drill-holes that were drawn in the
pattern, which are 0.02-inch squares without toner that are in the
middle of an area that does have toner.
I am hoping that there is some common (or not) chemical or procedure
that I can use to dissolve or loosen the paper residue, without doing
much harm to the toner, the copper, or the fiberglass.
I am not sure what the glossy paper is coated with, that makes it
glossy. It might be clay. I am using "Staples Picture Paper", from the
"Staples" office-supply store chain, in the USA. Some other glossy
papers come off VERY easily, after laminating onto a pcb. But I
haven't found a paper that comes off easily that also accepts images
without leaving pinholes in the toner.
Any helpful ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom Gootee
------------------------
Muhammar
to...@fullnet.com (Thomas P. Gootee) wrote in message news:<11915d6.04072...@posting.google.com>...
Steve Turner
wrote:
>I hope that the someone will suggest a way to make it easier to remove
>the residue from glossy paper that is left on copper-clad printed
>circuit boards (pcb) and on laser printer toner, after I heat-laminate
>a circuit pattern (i.e. toner) from glossy paper onto a pcb [See
>http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm , for the exact procedures
>and materials used (with photos), if you're interested.]
This is not an answer to your question, but I'll chime in anyway:
I have used the "PnP" process quite extensively. In this case the
transfer film is a specialized product made for the purpose by
Techniks (www.techniks.com). After heat transfer, the film is simply
peeled away from the board, leaving the resist pattern. This process
CAN work extremely well; however, with a clothes iron the results are
variable. If you have access to a laminating press I suggest you give
PnP a try.
Steve Turner
Thomas P. Gootee
Thanks, Steve.
But I wanted to stick with a paper that was available locally and was
low cost.
I have done a LOT of testing, to find a paper that gives "perfect"
toner transfers to copper pcbs, with excellent adhesion and excellent
image fidelity.
After finding out how WELL the glossy "Staples Picture Paper" works,
and for only about $0.10 per sheet, I just don't want to try anything
else, especially something that's relatively expensive, and that I
would have to buy through mail-order.
The paper residue sticking in the drill-hole marks is basicaly a small
problem, but one that I would like to alleviate, if possible.
Regards,
Tom Gootee
-----------------------------
Steve Turner
wrote:
>I have done a LOT of testing, to find a paper that gives "perfect"
>toner transfers to copper pcbs, with excellent adhesion and excellent
>image fidelity.
>
>After finding out how WELL the glossy "Staples Picture Paper" works,
>and for only about $0.10 per sheet, I just don't want to try anything
>else, especially something that's relatively expensive, and that I
>would have to buy through mail-order.
>
>The paper residue sticking in the drill-hole marks is basicaly a small
>problem, but one that I would like to alleviate, if possible.
Sure. There are certainly advantages to your method relative to the
Techniks film, which is fairly expensive. For the number of boards I
make the Techniks route is a manageable cost. If you get your process
well worked out I hope you will publish it far and wide.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
Steve Turner
Thomas P. Gootee
Thanks for the reply.
Actually, the process is already VERY well worked out. Please, take a
look at the photos of one of the many printed circuit boards (PCB's)
that I've made with it. They're at:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have absolutely NO problem making traces and spacings that are well
under 10 mils wide (i.e. less than 1/100th inch). In fact, many of the
details on the finished boards are much smaller than that.
And I have done tests that indicate that trace widths of down to
1/600th inch (the lower limit for my old HP LaserJet 4) should work
just as well.
The described toner transfer method is very fast and very easy and
very reliable, and requires minimal-cost equipment and supplies. (It
definitely breaks that rule about not being able to achieve fast,
good, and cheap all at the same time.)
It's a great method for low-volume and home pcb production runs. And
it's also a good and wonderfully-fast method to use for making
prototype pcbs. Designs can go from computer screen to finished
circuit board in well under an hour. I now usually just make a copper
version instead of using a "plug-in"-type of prototyping board. And
it's ALSO great for applying component-legend "silkscreen" artwork.
(It works on almost any material that can stand the heat.)
The type of paper that is used is the key. The exact details of the
paper type that I use, including UPC codes and SKU codes, and which
stores carry it, and where to buy it on line, are posted at the URL
that I gave above, along with the complete, excruciatingly-detailed
instructions for making PCBs using it.
So far, with that type of paper, I have had, literally, ** 100% **
good boards. And I have received MANY, many emails from people who got
perfect boards on their very first attempt, using the paper and
process that are described at the URL above.
Paying about $20 for 100 sheets is great, too, especially when I can
get re-supplied within about 15 minutes, any day of the week, at my
local Staples store.
Try it! You'll like it!
Regards,
Tom
Tom Gootee
-----------------------------
Steve Turner <sp...@spam.net> wrote in message news:<61jlg0trqk8kec6hg...@4ax.com>...
Steve Turner
wrote:
>Actually, the process is already VERY well worked out. Please, take a
>look at the photos of one of the many printed circuit boards (PCB's)
>that I've made with it. They're at:
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[snip]
Tom,
You have convinced me. I plan on giving your process a try, though
probably not until this winter, when my hobbying switches from outdoor
to indoor...
I haven't been frequenting the electronics newsgroups recently. If
you haven't already, I suggest you post your link to at least one of
those as well (such as sci.electronics.misc).
Steve Turner
Thomas P. Gootee
--------------
Steve,
Great! Let me know if you have any problems or questions.
Thanks for the suggestion! But yes, I HAVE posted it, in the
sci.electronics groups, before. I hesitate to post it there, too
often. I'm actually getting flamed, there, right NOW, for
"advertising"! (i.e. Service Manuals PDFs for sale. But I gotta feed
my kids, *somehow*. And I do it (advertising there) VERY sparingly.
And the stuff that I have to sell *IS* of great interest to, and very
helpful for, *most* of the people in those groups. Oh well, never
mind...)
Thanks again!
Tom