Ok! I've got this idea for perfect home-etch circuit boards

[magician13134]

The other day was my parents' anniversary and I was watching my mom make a card for my dad using some weird letters that she transferred onto paper by rubbing them with this little wooden stick, and as I watched, I noticed that they all transferred perfectly, there wasn't a missing serif to be seen. She said they'd stick to anything, so I got to thinking about using these for home-etch PCBs. Here's what I'm talking about:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Basic-Grey-DESIGNER ... dZViewItem

So, I was wondering if you could get these in custom printed designs... Because if you could, that could really make it easier, I know that I personally have a lot of trouble with toner-transferring....

(Some Google searching turned up similar ideas):
http://archive.ampage.org/threads/1/fxg ... tml#004617

OH! Here:
http://www.stc4color.com/ints.htm
Expensive, though

Or maybe this:
http://tipnut.com/make-your-own-transfer-ink/

[oPossum]

You're about 20 years too late with that idea. Rub on symbols for PCB design where a common OTS (off the shelf) item before CAD became popular. They were usually used on paper or mylar rather than on the PCB itself. I think I still have some somewhere.

[magician13134]

O_o! Wow! That's... cool, I guess. But what about for actual traces, you'd need custom rather that on the shelf designs...

[oPossum]

Narrow adhesive tape was used for the traces. Like pin stripe tape for a car.

There were also adhesive pads and other common PCB design elements - an alternative to the rub on method.

[oPossum]

All that stuff was often 2x size. It would be reduced to a 1x photomask with a camera.

Using 1x on mylar and contact exposure was the low budget method.

[magician13134]

That sounds like fun, do you have any idea where/if I could find some of that low budget stuff today? You said pin stripe car tape? That sounds like it's still around...

[oPossum]

Click here for hot PCB pr0n

[schill]

Once upon a time, Radio Shack sold exactly what you're talking about. They were transfers you could rub directly onto the copper board and then etch away. I made few simple boards with those and a resist pen.

[magician13134]

What were they transfers of? Just simple straight lines and holes? Or IC socket type things?

[schill]

I don't remember what all they had. I'm pretty sure there were at least lines, pads, and dip patterns. Maybe some transistor patterns, too.

[franklin97355]

http://www.ceitron.com/tech/datak.html this is the stuff

[macegr]

I had some that included DIP layouts, donuts of various sizes, arcs of different radius and trace widths. I tried to use it exactly one time....

[magician13134]

Cool thanks. I might actually try that (despite macegr's implied dissuasion) because I've been having some MAJOR toner-transfer problems as of late. I can't figure it out, but NOTHING will transfer. I'm getting about 10% of the toner on the copper... I'm doing everything the same... Not sure what's going on

[oPossum]

I found my old PCB artwork supplies. PM me your address if you want these...

[darus67]

Whoaa...
Flashbacks!