making PCBs without an inkjet printer

[davidbball13]

hey i want to make my own PCBs.........but i dont ahve an inkjet printer no one does ware i live not my school or libary. so is there a way to make one with out one

 

[blueroomelectronics]

What sort of printer do you have access to?

 

[davidbball13]

regular one not one of the fancy laser ones

 

[davidbball13]

hey blueroom you have skype i do to...... man thats amazing these days every one has it

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Yes I have Skype, I forgot to enable it to allow status on the web. Now it should work.

 

[Krumlink]

You can make tracks using an permanent marker. This is not suggested, as it can wash off in the etching solution to a slight degree.

 

[Torben]

Office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot often have laser printers and copiers for public use. Just go in, get a copy card, make your copies, and pay when you leave based on how many copies you make. Black-and-white laser images should be really cheap.

I have an old Laserjet that I use, but it desperately needs a tuneup and I've been considering using Staples or similar instead.

Of course, you might have a problem if you're using something like Press-n-Peel and they don't want to put that through the machines. If they don't recognize it they might worry about it jamming. In that case you can try using glossy photo paper; I've used that with good results. (Actually better results than the Press-n-Peel I tried, but I suspect that stuff might have been off-brand crap).


Torben

 

[dknguyen]

You can also send away for one. BatchPCB.com $10 initial fee (shipping included) at $2.50 per square inch.

Someone with time as valuable as mine cannot be bothered to make my own PCBs. My time spend sitting there waiting is worth its weight in gold.

 

[bryan1]

Well with laser printers becoming so cheap I saw in the local paper this weekend, I can buy a colour laser printer cheaper than a toner cartridge for my current mono laser.

Talk about a consumable wasting culture........

 

[DigiTan]

I have to second Torben's method. At Office Depot for example, you can waltz in with the PCB on your flash drive, and be done before the song over the PA finishes. 7 cents per page.

 

[Pommie]

Someone with time as valuable as mine cannot be bothered to make my own PCBs. My time spend sitting there waiting is worth its weight in gold.

You obviously have a very slow life. If I need a PCB, I need it now.

BTW, how much does an hour weigh? And how do you spend when your sitting around?

Mike.

 

[mashersmasher]

you can get kits that include a copper plate and some orange acid stuff. you draw your cuircut with a sharpie and let it soak for a while. the acid eats the excess copper and you get your pcb

 

[blueroomelectronics]

regular one not one of the fancy laser ones

What's a regular printer? dot matrix?

 

[mashersmasher]

What's a regular printer? dot matrix?

i imagine he means your every day inkjet.

 

[davidbball13]

i have a dot matrix
will regular sharpie work on copper clad then i could use ferrous choride

 

[blueroomelectronics]

i have a dot matrix
will regular sharpie work on copper clad then i could use ferrous choride

Well inkjet printers are cheap as Borst, probably less than the ribbon for your dot matrix. People throw them out nowadays.

 

[davidbball13]

so will a regular sharpie work. i am thinking and i dont know if it would even stick and make a usable trace. if so could i use a fine point sharpie

 

[Torben]

so will a regular sharpie work. i am thinking and i dont know if it would even stick and make a usable trace. if so could i use a fine point sharpie

Yes, but the Sharpie ink does wipe off easier than well-ironed-on toner as Krumlink said. I normally just use the Sharpie for fixing up any traces which don't transfer well after ironing.


Torben

 

[HarveyH42]

so will a regular sharpie work. i am thinking and i dont know if it would even stick and make a usable trace. if so could i use a fine point sharpie

Yes, Sharpies work great. We used them in High School, late 70's. Also black electrical tape + razor blade, fingernail polish (removes with acetone). Basically, anything that will stick to the copper, and not come off in liquids or a little heat.

You can't expect thin traces, and quality depends on how much time and patience you put into it.

HP usually has a laser printer on sale monthly, for around $100. Got mine for $120 about 3 years ago, just started my second toner cartridge, and I print everything on it. New cartridge is $69, but lasts a long time.

 

[Gayan Soyza]

Ya shapie works ok but just think for your future work.

For now you need only one PCB.On day you will need a method that you need to make instant pcb's.The shapie needs patience & takes lots of time.

Thats why I shifted to UV expose method.The PCB's are high quality.Than other toner transferring methods.I also don't have a laser printer.Just have a deskjet printer.All the print work doing by it.