Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 5Iron!
This is the trickiest step. You need to set your iron to its highest setting, no steam. Lay a paper towel over the board & mask; otherwise, the sticky melted plastic that oozes out from under the edges of the mask will cause the whole thing to stick to your iron.
When first applying the iron, press straight down and try not to wiggle or slide the mask. The plastic surface layer of the paper will melt instantly, forming a temporarily slippery layer, which will tend to slide around if you're not careful. This is where it's easiest to screw up, I think.
Start by applying steady, firm pressure to the whole board for one minute, moving the iron occasionally to make sure that the whole board is heated thoroughly. After that, the mask is pretty much stuck to the board, so now you can go over the whole board with the edge of the iron, a little at a time. I use the edge of the iron & lean on it some, putting good heavy pressure lengthwise along the board. Then I move the iron a quarter inch or so and repeat until the whole board is covered. Then I do the same series of "pressure lines" widthwise across the board. Finally, I finish with overall pressure for a few more seconds. The total ironing time is maybe 3 minutes, tops.
When first applying the iron, press straight down and try not to wiggle or slide the mask. The plastic surface layer of the paper will melt instantly, forming a temporarily slippery layer, which will tend to slide around if you're not careful. This is where it's easiest to screw up, I think.
Start by applying steady, firm pressure to the whole board for one minute, moving the iron occasionally to make sure that the whole board is heated thoroughly. After that, the mask is pretty much stuck to the board, so now you can go over the whole board with the edge of the iron, a little at a time. I use the edge of the iron & lean on it some, putting good heavy pressure lengthwise along the board. Then I move the iron a quarter inch or so and repeat until the whole board is covered. Then I do the same series of "pressure lines" widthwise across the board. Finally, I finish with overall pressure for a few more seconds. The total ironing time is maybe 3 minutes, tops.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
3
comments
|
Add Comment
|
Sep 21, 2008. 7:34 AMsha4096
says:
I have tried with two Laser printers. The first one, the HP LaserJet P1005 has a great toner and will easily transfer in less than a minute of ironing using paper from magazines. However, the toner tends to melt and you must not press too much when ironing otherwise you will loose details. The second printer, the Brother HL-2000 has a toner which is more thermal-resistant. It is also more prone to paper-jamming. So set the printer settings such that the highest paper thickness is activated. Ironing is more difficult with the Brother toner, I found that the best way for small PCB was to leave the iron on top of the paper and leave for 5 minutes without moving the iron. Heat is the way to go if you want to transfer with Brother toner.
Reply
Jun 10, 2006. 11:05 AMnickjohnson
says:
Very tricky. I tried this with a used iron bought from the salvy. Even at the highest setting, it's probably not as hot as it should be... First time, I tried no more than 3 minutes, and very little transfered at all. Next, I tried a total of 7 minutes and most of the design was trasnferred, which I touched up later
Reply
Jun 21, 2008. 3:32 AMcarpus101
says:
Hi nick, nice I found yr words here. You see I am trying to find PCB with Iron layer and not copper. You know how and where to find it?? Appreciate yr advice - roger
Reply
 |
Add Comment
|
