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Running Copper Clad Kapton Through Laser Printer

I did some searching on:

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As suggested by DJ Delorie.:

Poster says ...won't work..

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Posters says aluminum foil works

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Poster mentions flaws of aluminum

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Poster tried and succeeded.

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Poster tried and failed

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Poster wondering about it.

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Poster was witness to success

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Well...the thrill is gone after reading all the stuff... :)

My conclusions:

1) The copper foil needs to be prepared to protect drum. 2) Due to heat and electrostatic property differences between paper and metal, it most likely won't work. 3) It is risky to the laser printer 4) There is hope that my coating idea might work to improve direct toner transfer. Although not mentioned in any of the articles I read. D from BC
Reply to
D from BC
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Thanks.. I'm still thinking about it.. I'll put some pics on my website if successful.. Link will be posted. D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

It might seem like just another DIY homebrew PCB idea but I'd like to take it a step further.. It leads to exploring DIY Al metal core PCB's. I can bond the flex cct. to aluminum sheets. This provides heat sinking and ground plane for single sided SMD PCB's. So...the idea of feeding flex cct material (Cu on kapton) through a laser printer seemed worthy to check out.. D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

Hmm, drum is charged, discharged via photoelectric effect, toner is deposited, copper surface presented to drum, but I forget what makes the drum let go of the toner... it might work....

find a printer with a flat paper path, such are usually advertised as being capable of printing cardstock.

you might do better experimenting with a junky used photocopier.

desktop laser printers would almost certainly jam.

thermal wax printers may be another option, probably easier to clean off too.

Bye. Jasen

Reply to
jasen

A little kerosene or wax stripper (floor cleaner), or depending on the meltng point, a dishwasher (with dishwasher detergent) could maybe do it.

I wonder what could be done with a foil printer...

--

Bye.
   Jasen
Reply to
jasen

jasen wrote in news:eq1663$sbp$ snipped-for-privacy@jasen.is-a-geek.org:

I don't think that is so, I have made quite a few transparencies (about

3.5 mil thick) with no problems. From what I have seen

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73233.pdf)

the two are quite similar...

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Reply to
me

I tried it!!!

Theory: Coating Cu clad kapton may make it laser printable. The idea is to let the laser printer charge the coating to attract the toner off the drum. The coating is removed by a chemical wash leaving the toner intact.

Test Results Photos (~700Mb) on site (smaller photos by request)

After printout (looks great!)

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After chemical wash (looks like sh*t!)

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Conclusion: Failed :(... But was close!!! :)

Suspected problems: Toner is not fusing completely to coating. Superficial.

D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

Foil printer??? I gotta Google that.. Is that what's printing on beer cans?? :) D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

Ooops ... Supposed to be photos (~700Kb/photo)

D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

Besides, you have already been taught here how to do our own research. It is past time for you to start doing it.

I would try PET (Mylar) first, Kapton is ex$pen$ive.

--
 JosephKK
 Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
  --Schiller
Reply to
joseph2k

I have seen them. A generic HPGL driver should do. What interface though, GPIB is getting rare now.

--
 JosephKK
 Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
  --Schiller
Reply to
joseph2k

Then steel wool roughen the Kapton side instead.

--
 JosephKK
 Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
  --Schiller
Reply to
joseph2k

It is time to put on your thinking cap. What about a conductive surface interferes with image transfer? What can be done about that that can be readily undone (without damaging the pattern) before going into the etch phase?

--
 JosephKK
 Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
  --Schiller
Reply to
joseph2k

The fuser roll is hot enough to get a sheet of paper up to toner melting temperature, but not hot enough to get this stack that hot. I suggest you try with the copper preheated a bit. You don't want it hot enough to melt the toner on to the photo sensitive drum, but just warm. A few degrees can make a big difference. Toner has a pretty sharp melting temperature.

Reply to
John Popelish

"D from BC" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

How do you make the coating?

regards - Henry

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Reply to
Henry Kiefer

news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I worked on the coating idea and part of my reward is keeping it a secret. :) I haven't seen the coating idea on the net yet..

D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

Interesting... Reminds me of a wave solder machine :)

I could probably preheat (everything) by putting the printer in the kitchen oven :) It's just a desk laser printer HP Laserjet 1020 ($200.CAD).

I might try preheating with a spot light... Thanks D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

"D from BC" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... | On Sat, 3 Feb 2007 18:32:22 +0100, "Henry Kiefer" | wrote: | | >"D from BC" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... | >

| >How do you make the coating? | >

| >regards - | >Henry | | I worked on the coating idea and part of my reward is keeping it a | secret. :) | I haven't seen the coating idea on the net yet..

The coating idea is not so new but I never seen a working solution. Indeed, I tried a test series january 2006 but refused it because of other projects.

You can keep it secret but then you will be alone ;-)

Now it attracts me again. I have high-quality copper-foil with epoxy-foil laminated to offer.

- Henry

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Reply to
Henry Kiefer

Thus spake D from BC:

Might a clothes iron do the job? The common method of making a laser printer PCB (last time I Googled this) is to use hard-coated (shiny) paper with the (reverse-printed) PC image and to transfer the image onto a cleaned copper PCB using a hot iron on the back of the paper. This melts the toner onto the copper.

Maybe find some non-stick material (is teflon smooth enough?) to lay over your copper foil when it emerges from the printer and by heating, better melt the toner to the foil. Or maybe just put the foil with image into the oven for a few minutes? Seems that higher temperature is all that might be needed to make it stick better...

Great concept.

Good luck,

--
John English
Reply to
John E.

I haven't thought that yet.. Thanks... I'll try kitchen oven heating at 200C or ironing for improving the toner fusion. D from BC

Reply to
D from BC

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