PCB rub on dry transfers

[scottjge]

Does anyone know where I can buy rub on dry transfers to make some PCB ? I do not have a laser printer so I figured the dry transfers and a sharpie's marker would be the next best thing. I used to see them in Radio Shack but there don't carry them anymore.

Any ideas?

Glenn

[waltk]

There's a company (called Datak?) that still makes a dry transfer product called "Direct Etch".  A google search turns up a few sellers (e.g. http://www.ceitron.com/tech/datak.html).

[Al Heeley]

Here's where I go:
http://www.megauk.com/artwork_aids.php
or try ebay - search for press-n-peel pcb and circuit transfer paper

[Mark Hammer]

Before I had toner transfer to use, that's what I did.  To my pleasure, Radio Shack decided to abandon rub-on transfers and I bought up a bunch of packs, many of which I still have some 15 years later.  It can work well, but the challenge is keeping one's grimy stinking figers off the board while rubbing stuff on.  Get yourself some silicon surgical gloves.

At the same time, just because YOU don't have a laser printer doesn't mean you can't print up a decent inkjet image of the pattern, bring the sheet to a copy outlet and print your stuff onto photo paper.  One heckuva lot less work.

[scottjge]

Thanks for everyone's help and advise. The closest printing outlet is 30 miles away. Walmart just opened up here but I don't know whether they do printing or not, I will have to check with them. Ya, the rub on is a pain in bottom but it is better than using a marker. I never had a lot of luck with the marker, never could get a good etch.

I will check out the url's that you have suggested. Thanks a million ! Someday maybe I can get a decent laser printer just for making pcb's.

Glenn

[Mark Hammer]

Is there a library near you?  They will generally have a photocopier.  ANY photocopier will do, as long as it permits you to feed in one sheet at a time manually.

[scottjge]

Jeesh, I never thought of the library. Yes as a mater of fact we have a library about 3 miles from my house. I will stop in and see if they offer those services.

Thanks for the tip.
Glenn

[Mark Hammer]

Try them out.  Very often, photocopier owners get a little antsy when they see press-n-peel blue because it doesn't immediately look familiar.  They think it's going to melt inside the copier (it won't).  Photopaper, however, is paper...and looks like it, even to the naive viewer, so you shouldn't meet any resistance.

[smallbearelec]

I, also, used to use donuts and tape. When I attempted to re-order from a Datak distributor, I was told that they were no longer being made. My guess is that what you are seeing is remaining stock on the shelf.

A marking pen, especially a purpose-designed one like a Dykem, is great for filling voids and touching up...not as good, IMO, for drawing a pattern, unless you have a Very steady hand. Yes, if possible, do find some place (public library?) that has a laser printer so that you can use Press N' Peel. Here is a link to my How-To on using various methods to make a PCB:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/DirectPCBoards/DirectPCBoards.htm

Regards
Steve Daniels

[scottjge]

Thanks to all, I will check it out tomorrow. It sure would be a lot easier than the way that I have been doing it.

GLenn

[biggy boy]

Before I got an laser printer
I used to print it out on a bubble jet  printer,
take it to work and photo copy it onto photo paper.

[Mark Hammer]

What I used to do "in the old days" was photocopy the pattern (from the magazine article or wherever), tape it to the copper board, drill the holes, and buff the board after drilling.  Then, I would proceed to put the rub-on transfers for all DIP chips and transistors, and rub on the "doughnuts" for component pads.  Then, I would sit down with my fine-tip Staedtler Lumocolor pen and "connect the dots".  My usual practice was to use two colours, often red or blue and black.  That way I could tell the difference between the first and second "coat" of drawn-on lines.  Keep in mind the resist that prevents eteching is not the pigments in the pen, but the fluid they come in.  So the first red or blue or green coat might not seem very dark,but there was enough of the "ink" flowing to lay down a coat that could resist etchant.  The second coat was simply my insurance policy.

I still have many of those boards, and while they weren't as beautiful as PnP, nor as quick to produce, they still hold up well.  Naturally, with all that manual labour involved, keeping my grimy stinking fingers off the board was an ongoing challenge,  I found that the onion skin paper that usually came with rub-on transfers provided a useful surface to put on top of the board so I could hold it in place with my hand without leaving "finger juice" behind that might impede etching.