I have been experimenting for a few days trying to come up with a simple and cheap solution.
My new method uses ordinary wax paper (think old fashioned sandwich wrap), print on the side that it is curling to-wards. Makes a fantastic print.
Transfer as usual and let the PCB cool down so that you wont burn yourself. Then soak the wax paper with rubbing alcohol for a minute or so. I just dabbed it on with a small rag, then peal it off slowly. No residue on the PCB at all!
My first try was close to perfect!
Material cost next to nothing and all is redly available just about anywhere in the world.

Enjoy and have fun all you tinkerers.

Rolf

Attached Thumbnails

 

 

Damn, I just printed out two designs on regular photo paper about an hour ago. I'm going to try out the wax paper instead, but I likely wont get to it until tomorrow morning.

Thanks.

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Mark Higgins

 

Hi,

That sounds good, will have to give it a try instead of the magazine paper which can vary unless you keep the same mag all the time.

 

if using inkjet the ink will disolve in the etching solution.
sounds like a novel idea with the wax paper

 

The wax paper doesn't leave deposits on the printer drum or fuser and make ghosts on subsequent documents?

[edit] I can see how wax paper can make two sided registration a lot easier. [/edit]

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de KI6RWX

 

Is this the brown waxed paper, which I think is waxed on one side only, or the regular translucent stuff which I believe is waxed on both sides?
ditto on mneary's question.

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It is not the brown but what we would call translucent.
I have not noticed any ill effects on my regular papers print quality.

 

It sounds like you are on to something.

Does the alcohol dissolve the wax ?

It may work with just the wax paper brand you are using or a group of brands.

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I assume.
But does the inkjet ink disolve or are you using a laser printer??
I am going to have to try this

 

You must use a laser printer to do toner transfer.

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"It sounds like you are on to something."
I hope so.

"Does the alcohol dissolve the wax ?"
It must because it doesn't work with plain water, hot or cold. I meant to try 90 prof but forgot to look at the label. I knew that alcohol doesn't dissolve the toner.

"It may work with just the wax paper brand you are using or a group of brands."
I am hoping others will try so we can find out.

 

I would be a little concerned about the wax melting when it goes though the printer since wax typically melts at 50C where as the fuser temp can go as high as 200C. I'll see if anyone else tries it first.
What brand of wax paper and laser printer are you using?

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There are many types of waxes.

IIRC the coating used on wax paper is not wax and it may vary with who made the paper.

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I couldn't find my wax paper, so I tried Parchment Paper, which has a silicon coating. I tried two boards. One I let cool after ironing and the paper peeled off leaving all sorts of spots. Second one I peeled off while it was still warm and it seemed to work fine, but when I went to use a marker to touch up and empty edge, I found the toner wasn't really stuck to the board well.

So Parchment Paper is a fail.

I managed to find my wax paper. I've printed off a design. I'm going to clean off the old board and try to iron it on. It goes through the printer without any issues and leaves a clean print on the wax paper.

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Mark Higgins

 

This evening I tried some freezer paper, it seems to have some kind of plastic coating on one side only. I got a partial transfer that looks sharper than the ones from the wax paper. Have not completely solved the transfer or the paper removal yet. But it looks promising.
Will try to find some time over the week end to do some more tests.

By the way, the rubbing alcohol I used was 50% alcohol.