lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 08.32.10 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C:> > Aren't there pretty inexpensive ways of getting prototype quantities of PWBs made? I recall several outfits that panelize multiple designs into one batch so you can order a small number of boards at not a high price. >places like jlcpcb etc. will do 5x 100*100mm dual sided, with silk,mask etc. so vastly better than anything you can make at home, for $5 the shipping might be $10 these days https://pcbshopper.com/
Favourite parts with off-label uses?
Started by ●April 4, 2020
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 11:19:17 AM UTC-4, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:> lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 08.32.10 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C: > > > > Aren't there pretty inexpensive ways of getting prototype quantities of PWBs made? I recall several outfits that panelize multiple designs into one batch so you can order a small number of boards at not a high price. > > > > places like jlcpcb etc. will do 5x 100*100mm dual sided, with silk,mask etc. > so vastly better than anything you can make at home, for $5 the shipping might > be $10 these days > > https://pcbshopper.com/Someone is asking me to layout a board that is a bit larger than my usual size range and I was concerned the board cost might be getting up there so I checked with these guys. Not bad at all. But while exploring options I noticed some oddities. When ENIG is selected, not only do they charge $16.00 for 'surface finish', but they add another $9 to the 'board' cost. So it's really $25 extra. Same with 2 oz copper weight. Odd. Then when I checked the 1 layer price vs. the two layer price they lower the 'board' price just a bit less than $4, then add $4 to the 'engineering fee' so the total is a actually a little bit more! The price goes up a lot with layers. They don't add much to the "board" fee, but the "engineering fee" goes up a LOT. I guess that's the labor and the board fee is the material. But the prices are amazing! I had no idea. Their web page is very clear and seems to cover almost every option. I don't see a way to specify the stackup as in layer thickness. They talk about fiducials being made as holes in the PWB either half way through or all the way through. Wouldn't this just be another drill hole? Or is this made with a higher accuracy? Checking another board that is pretty small but 6 layer starts to get pretty expensive by the time I add in the smaller hole size and ENIG it's pushing toward $200. Still not bad really. -- Rick C. --- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging --- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 12:22:46 PM UTC-4, Ricky C wrote:> On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 11:19:17 AM UTC-4, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote: > > lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 08.32.10 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C: > > > > > > Aren't there pretty inexpensive ways of getting prototype quantities of PWBs made? I recall several outfits that panelize multiple designs into one batch so you can order a small number of boards at not a high price. > > > > > > > places like jlcpcb etc. will do 5x 100*100mm dual sided, with silk,mask etc. > > so vastly better than anything you can make at home, for $5 the shipping might > > be $10 these days > > > > https://pcbshopper.com/ > > Someone is asking me to layout a board that is a bit larger than my usual size range and I was concerned the board cost might be getting up there so I checked with these guys. Not bad at all. But while exploring options I noticed some oddities. > > When ENIG is selected, not only do they charge $16.00 for 'surface finish', but they add another $9 to the 'board' cost. So it's really $25 extra. Same with 2 oz copper weight. Odd. > > Then when I checked the 1 layer price vs. the two layer price they lower the 'board' price just a bit less than $4, then add $4 to the 'engineering fee' so the total is a actually a little bit more! > > The price goes up a lot with layers. They don't add much to the "board" fee, but the "engineering fee" goes up a LOT. I guess that's the labor and the board fee is the material. > > But the prices are amazing! I had no idea. > > Their web page is very clear and seems to cover almost every option. I don't see a way to specify the stackup as in layer thickness. They talk about fiducials being made as holes in the PWB either half way through or all the way through. Wouldn't this just be another drill hole? Or is this made with a higher accuracy? > > Checking another board that is pretty small but 6 layer starts to get pretty expensive by the time I add in the smaller hole size and ENIG it's pushing toward $200. Still not bad really. > > -- > > Rick C. > > --- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging > --- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209Did you look at JLCPCB.com ? We use them all the time (from China). Great prices. We have been buying mostly 2-layer, but we do buy some 4-layer occasionally (but not RF, which we prefer to order domestically) Typical delivery is 5-8 days, but running more like 8-10 right now days with this Coronavirus thing.
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 18.22.46 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C:> On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 11:19:17 AM UTC-4, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote: > > lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 08.32.10 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C: > > > > > > Aren't there pretty inexpensive ways of getting prototype quantities of PWBs made? I recall several outfits that panelize multiple designs into one batch so you can order a small number of boards at not a high price. > > > > > > > places like jlcpcb etc. will do 5x 100*100mm dual sided, with silk,mask etc. > > so vastly better than anything you can make at home, for $5 the shipping might > > be $10 these days > > > > https://pcbshopper.com/ > > Someone is asking me to layout a board that is a bit larger than my usual size range and I was concerned the board cost might be getting up there so I checked with these guys. Not bad at all. But while exploring options I noticed some oddities. > > When ENIG is selected, not only do they charge $16.00 for 'surface finish', but they add another $9 to the 'board' cost. So it's really $25 extra. Same with 2 oz copper weight. Odd. > > Then when I checked the 1 layer price vs. the two layer price they lower the 'board' price just a bit less than $4, then add $4 to the 'engineering fee' so the total is a actually a little bit more! > > The price goes up a lot with layers. They don't add much to the "board" fee, but the "engineering fee" goes up a LOT. I guess that's the labor and the board fee is the material. > > But the prices are amazing! I had no idea. > > Their web page is very clear and seems to cover almost every option. I don't see a way to specify the stackup as in layer thickness. They talk about fiducials being made as holes in the PWB either half way through or all the way through. Wouldn't this just be another drill hole? Or is this made with a higher accuracy? >at that price you don't get a choice of stackup, every one gets the same because they nest everyones design on large panels, that's also why anything "special" like enig and 2oz copper adds up I think fiducials half or all way through is for when you order a solder paste stencil> Checking another board that is pretty small but 6 layer starts to get pretty expensive by the time I add in the smaller hole size and ENIG it's pushing toward $200. Still not bad really. >with jlcpcb you can also get vscored panel for not much more so you can fit many smaller boards on the 100x100mm
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 12:44:46 PM UTC-4, mpm wrote:> On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 12:22:46 PM UTC-4, Ricky C wrote: > > On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 11:19:17 AM UTC-4, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote: > > > lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 08.32.10 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C: > > > > > > > > Aren't there pretty inexpensive ways of getting prototype quantities of PWBs made? I recall several outfits that panelize multiple designs into one batch so you can order a small number of boards at not a high price. > > > > > > > > > > places like jlcpcb etc. will do 5x 100*100mm dual sided, with silk,mask etc. > > > so vastly better than anything you can make at home, for $5 the shipping might > > > be $10 these days > > > > > > https://pcbshopper.com/ > > > > Someone is asking me to layout a board that is a bit larger than my usual size range and I was concerned the board cost might be getting up there so I checked with these guys. Not bad at all. But while exploring options I noticed some oddities. > > > > When ENIG is selected, not only do they charge $16.00 for 'surface finish', but they add another $9 to the 'board' cost. So it's really $25 extra. Same with 2 oz copper weight. Odd. > > > > Then when I checked the 1 layer price vs. the two layer price they lower the 'board' price just a bit less than $4, then add $4 to the 'engineering fee' so the total is a actually a little bit more! > > > > The price goes up a lot with layers. They don't add much to the "board" fee, but the "engineering fee" goes up a LOT. I guess that's the labor and the board fee is the material. > > > > But the prices are amazing! I had no idea. > > > > Their web page is very clear and seems to cover almost every option. I don't see a way to specify the stackup as in layer thickness. They talk about fiducials being made as holes in the PWB either half way through or all the way through. Wouldn't this just be another drill hole? Or is this made with a higher accuracy? > > > > Checking another board that is pretty small but 6 layer starts to get pretty expensive by the time I add in the smaller hole size and ENIG it's pushing toward $200. Still not bad really. > > > > -- > > > > Rick C. > > > > --- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging > > --- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209 > > Did you look at JLCPCB.com ? > > We use them all the time (from China). > Great prices. > > We have been buying mostly 2-layer, but we do buy some 4-layer occasionally (but not RF, which we prefer to order domestically) > > Typical delivery is 5-8 days, but running more like 8-10 right now days with this Coronavirus thing.Yes, jlcpb.com was the site. I bookmarked it. -- Rick C. --+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging --+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 18.53.38 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C:> On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 12:44:46 PM UTC-4, mpm wrote: > > On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 12:22:46 PM UTC-4, Ricky C wrote: > > > On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 11:19:17 AM UTC-4, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote: > > > > lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 08.32.10 UTC+2 skrev Ricky C: > > > > > > > > > > Aren't there pretty inexpensive ways of getting prototype quantities of PWBs made? I recall several outfits that panelize multiple designs into one batch so you can order a small number of boards at not a high price. > > > > > > > > > > > > > places like jlcpcb etc. will do 5x 100*100mm dual sided, with silk,mask etc. > > > > so vastly better than anything you can make at home, for $5 the shipping might > > > > be $10 these days > > > > > > > > https://pcbshopper.com/ > > > > > > Someone is asking me to layout a board that is a bit larger than my usual size range and I was concerned the board cost might be getting up there so I checked with these guys. Not bad at all. But while exploring options I noticed some oddities. > > > > > > When ENIG is selected, not only do they charge $16.00 for 'surface finish', but they add another $9 to the 'board' cost. So it's really $25 extra. Same with 2 oz copper weight. Odd. > > > > > > Then when I checked the 1 layer price vs. the two layer price they lower the 'board' price just a bit less than $4, then add $4 to the 'engineering fee' so the total is a actually a little bit more! > > > > > > The price goes up a lot with layers. They don't add much to the "board" fee, but the "engineering fee" goes up a LOT. I guess that's the labor and the board fee is the material. > > > > > > But the prices are amazing! I had no idea. > > > > > > Their web page is very clear and seems to cover almost every option. I don't see a way to specify the stackup as in layer thickness. They talk about fiducials being made as holes in the PWB either half way through or all the way through. Wouldn't this just be another drill hole? Or is this made with a higher accuracy? > > > > > > Checking another board that is pretty small but 6 layer starts to get pretty expensive by the time I add in the smaller hole size and ENIG it's pushing toward $200. Still not bad really. > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Rick C. > > > > > > --- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging > > > --- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209 > > > > Did you look at JLCPCB.com ? > > > > We use them all the time (from China). > > Great prices. > > > > We have been buying mostly 2-layer, but we do buy some 4-layer occasionally (but not RF, which we prefer to order domestically) > > > > Typical delivery is 5-8 days, but running more like 8-10 right now days with this Coronavirus thing. > > Yes, jlcpb.com was the site. I bookmarked it. >https://lcsc.com/ is the same company so you can combine PCB and component order They also have cheap assembly, though it is limited to a selection of LCSC parts and only smd
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 3:21:43 AM UTC-4, Clifford Heath wrote:> On 11/4/20 4:10 pm, dagmargoodboat@yahoo.com wrote: > > On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 1:00:09 AM UTC-4, dagmarg...@yahoo.com wrote: > >> On Friday, April 10, 2020 at 8:19:13 PM UTC-4, Clifford Heath wrote: > >>> On 9/4/20 9:39 am, dagmargoodboat@yahoo.com wrote: > >>>> I haven't been able to get toner transfer working since I changed > >>>> toner carts. But I've dabbled with two promising variations. > >>>> > >>>> 1) If you lacquer-coat the PCB *then* transfer the toner, the > >>>> lacquer fills in the toner's pores. > >>> James, > >>> > >>> What exactly is the stuff that Americans call lacquer? That's not a term > >>> that has a single meaning here. > >> > >> I'm not completely sure. I believe it might be shellac, made from > >> actual shells of actual lac bugs? The important property here is > >> that it's alcohol-soluble. You might be able to vet local products > >> by checking the clean-up solvents spec'd. > >> > >> This is what I tried & recommend -- > >> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Specialty-11-oz-Gloss-White-Lacquer-Spray-Paint-1904830/100163605 > >> > >> I recommend white, as contrasting brilliantly with the black toner. > >> > >> It's easily removed with 90% isopropyl alcohol, leaving printer toner > >> completely unaffected. Toner scoffs at IPA. > > > Acrylic, thanks. I had no idea that IPA would attack it but not lift > toner. That's good to know, I'll give it a try. I'll have to find > suitable local products, as the ones you mention don't ship to Australia.I think you missed a note in there -- they've changed the product. The original (that worked) was shellac(?), but it has been changed to a new formula that allegedly does not work as well. Ammonia strips acrylic floor wax, so maybe it would strip an acrylic undercoating, if acrylic is all we can get. I don't know which Rust-Oleum formula I got. Whatever's in my two-or-three-years-old can of the stuff works wonderfully. It wipes off the open surfaces readily with 90% alcohol(*), but stays in the toner's pores, sealing them. (*) 50% IPA was unsatisfactory.> I could try shellac, I have some flakes here. It's intrinsically more > variable though, being a natural product; the water content and age are > factors in using it for French polish. And it doesn't come in a > convenient spray can. > > >>>> The toner image is printed on the paper you peel off the back of > >>>> adhesive labels, or in my case, backing peeled off adhesive > >>>> shelf-liner paper from the one-dollar store. > >>> > >>> I tried things like that but they were too slippery - bits of toner just > >>> fell off before getting transferred. I'm using toner transfer paper > >>> bought for the purpose. > >> > >> I had that experience early on, years ago. But the current label- > >> backing type paper didn't have that problem. It's truly a godsend; > >> no more rubbing, soaking and peeling, hoping the toner sticks. > > The paper I use has a significant starch (I think) content, and wets > really quickly - like 10 seconds before it comes off cleanly. The only > other relevant factor is how much it slows down the heat transfer in the > laminator; even after proper pre-warming I pass it through 2 or 3 times. > > >> Transferring to a lacquer-coated board might be easier. The lacquer > >> is infinitely grabbier than even roughed up copper. > > Good to know. > > > > BACKING PAPER > > This gent illustrates my joyous experience printing onto backing paper, > > and the ease of transfer--the toner just comes right off, eliminating > > a wet step. He uses the paper he peels off Arlon vinyl. > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haqP8xhsYas > > > > These are the labels whose baking paper is salvaged and used by > > the gentleman in the first of those YouTubes above-- > > > > Best PRINT half-sheet labels (1/2 page-sized labels) > > https://www.amazon.com/Best-Print-200-Half-Sheet/dp/B0069RY9BY > > > > The big lure of backing paper to me was eliminating the process > > variations of thermally transferring toner to copper from paper. > > The backing paper goes a long way toward accomplishing that. I > > still have trouble getting adhesion to bare copper. > > > > > > Overall, this ability to use two different resist coatings (toner and > > lacquer) that dissolve in different solvents feels full of > > promise & possibilities... > > Well, after all, this is only for Saturday afternoon prototyping at RF.Yes, exactly. I've designed a class-C HF QRP PA using CMOS gates that might see first power this way. LTSpice says it's about 80% efficient, ideally, from d.c. input power to 50-ohm load.> Other prototypes can be on assorted grid boards that don't provide a > ground plane, and anything more permanent can go through one of the many > quick-turn board houses. > > A friend uses a modified record-player to spin photoresist onto boards, > and makes double-sided boards quite frequently, but the process took a > lot of work to perfect.Yep. The dry photo resist film method looks easier than spincoating, but I'd really like to _reduce_ the wet steps and process variables. https://www.instructables.com/id/Photoresist-Dry-Film-a-New-Method-of-Applying-It-t/> There's something about knocking up a schematic in Kicad, laying it on a > board, and soldering it up an hour after you started. Sometimes the > magic flows and you want to try something *now*.There sure is something magical about it and that's exactly why I do it. It's liberating. Frankly I'd still be using unmodified toner transfer if it hadn't quit on me. Previously I was making 0.012" traces and spaces with ease. I had no problems at all, worked every time without trouble, and I wondered what everyone else was griping about. But once it quit, no amount of fiddling has gotten it working again. Same papers, same printer, same clothes iron, etc., but no joy. My problem is getting the toner to adhere to the copper. I had the same difficulty transferring thermally, and with the cold transfer (solvent) methods that rely on making the toner sticky--the darn toner just won't stick to the board. But I must say toner sticks very aggressively to a sticky lacquered board, whether I use heat or solvents to soften the lacquer and make it sticky. Cheers, James Arthur
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
lørdag den 11. april 2020 kl. 19.16.51 UTC+2 skrev dagmarg...@yahoo.com:> On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 3:21:43 AM UTC-4, Clifford Heath wrote: > > On 11/4/20 4:10 pm, dagmargoodboat@yahoo.com wrote: > > > On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 1:00:09 AM UTC-4, dagmarg...@yahoo.com wrote: > > >> On Friday, April 10, 2020 at 8:19:13 PM UTC-4, Clifford Heath wrote: > > >>> On 9/4/20 9:39 am, dagmargoodboat@yahoo.com wrote: > > >>>> I haven't been able to get toner transfer working since I changed > > >>>> toner carts. But I've dabbled with two promising variations. > > >>>> > > >>>> 1) If you lacquer-coat the PCB *then* transfer the toner, the > > >>>> lacquer fills in the toner's pores. > > >>> James, > > >>> > > >>> What exactly is the stuff that Americans call lacquer? That's not a term > > >>> that has a single meaning here. > > >> > > >> I'm not completely sure. I believe it might be shellac, made from > > >> actual shells of actual lac bugs? The important property here is > > >> that it's alcohol-soluble. You might be able to vet local products > > >> by checking the clean-up solvents spec'd. > > >> > > >> This is what I tried & recommend -- > > >> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Specialty-11-oz-Gloss-White-Lacquer-Spray-Paint-1904830/100163605 > > >> > > >> I recommend white, as contrasting brilliantly with the black toner. > > >> > > >> It's easily removed with 90% isopropyl alcohol, leaving printer toner > > >> completely unaffected. Toner scoffs at IPA. > > > > > > Acrylic, thanks. I had no idea that IPA would attack it but not lift > > toner. That's good to know, I'll give it a try. I'll have to find > > suitable local products, as the ones you mention don't ship to Australia. > > I think you missed a note in there -- they've changed the product. > The original (that worked) was shellac(?), but it has been changed > to a new formula that allegedly does not work as well. > > Ammonia strips acrylic floor wax, so maybe it would strip an acrylic > undercoating, if acrylic is all we can get. > > I don't know which Rust-Oleum formula I got. Whatever's in my > two-or-three-years-old can of the stuff works wonderfully. It wipes > off the open surfaces readily with 90% alcohol(*), but stays in the > toner's pores, sealing them. > > (*) 50% IPA was unsatisfactory. > > > I could try shellac, I have some flakes here. It's intrinsically more > > variable though, being a natural product; the water content and age are > > factors in using it for French polish. And it doesn't come in a > > convenient spray can. > > > > >>>> The toner image is printed on the paper you peel off the back of > > >>>> adhesive labels, or in my case, backing peeled off adhesive > > >>>> shelf-liner paper from the one-dollar store. > > >>> > > >>> I tried things like that but they were too slippery - bits of toner just > > >>> fell off before getting transferred. I'm using toner transfer paper > > >>> bought for the purpose. > > >> > > >> I had that experience early on, years ago. But the current label- > > >> backing type paper didn't have that problem. It's truly a godsend; > > >> no more rubbing, soaking and peeling, hoping the toner sticks. > > > > The paper I use has a significant starch (I think) content, and wets > > really quickly - like 10 seconds before it comes off cleanly. The only > > other relevant factor is how much it slows down the heat transfer in the > > laminator; even after proper pre-warming I pass it through 2 or 3 times. > > > > >> Transferring to a lacquer-coated board might be easier. The lacquer > > >> is infinitely grabbier than even roughed up copper. > > > > Good to know. > > > > > > > BACKING PAPER > > > This gent illustrates my joyous experience printing onto backing paper, > > > and the ease of transfer--the toner just comes right off, eliminating > > > a wet step. He uses the paper he peels off Arlon vinyl. > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haqP8xhsYas > > > > > > These are the labels whose baking paper is salvaged and used by > > > the gentleman in the first of those YouTubes above-- > > > > > > Best PRINT half-sheet labels (1/2 page-sized labels) > > > https://www.amazon.com/Best-Print-200-Half-Sheet/dp/B0069RY9BY > > > > > > The big lure of backing paper to me was eliminating the process > > > variations of thermally transferring toner to copper from paper. > > > The backing paper goes a long way toward accomplishing that. I > > > still have trouble getting adhesion to bare copper. > > > > > > > > > Overall, this ability to use two different resist coatings (toner and > > > lacquer) that dissolve in different solvents feels full of > > > promise & possibilities... > > > > Well, after all, this is only for Saturday afternoon prototyping at RF. > > Yes, exactly. I've designed a class-C HF QRP PA using CMOS gates > that might see first power this way. LTSpice says it's about 80% > efficient, ideally, from d.c. input power to 50-ohm load. > > > Other prototypes can be on assorted grid boards that don't provide a > > ground plane, and anything more permanent can go through one of the many > > quick-turn board houses. > > > > A friend uses a modified record-player to spin photoresist onto boards, > > and makes double-sided boards quite frequently, but the process took a > > lot of work to perfect. > > Yep. The dry photo resist film method looks easier than spincoating, > but I'd really like to _reduce_ the wet steps and process variables. > https://www.instructables.com/id/Photoresist-Dry-Film-a-New-Method-of-Applying-It-t/ > > > There's something about knocking up a schematic in Kicad, laying it on a > > board, and soldering it up an hour after you started. Sometimes the > > magic flows and you want to try something *now*. > > There sure is something magical about it and that's exactly why I do > it. It's liberating. > > Frankly I'd still be using unmodified toner transfer if it hadn't > quit on me. Previously I was making 0.012" traces and spaces with ease. > I had no problems at all, worked every time without trouble, and I > wondered what everyone else was griping about. But once it quit, > no amount of fiddling has gotten it working again. Same papers, > same printer, same clothes iron, etc., but no joy. > > My problem is getting the toner to adhere to the copper. I had the same > difficulty transferring thermally, and with the cold transfer (solvent) > methods that rely on making the toner sticky--the darn toner just won't > stick to the board. But I must say toner sticks very aggressively to a > sticky lacquered board, whether I use heat or solvents to soften the > lacquer and make it sticky. >tried a quick dip in etchant before the transfer? a few seconds and the copper turns a more dull rough surface
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
On Sat, 11 Apr 2020 17:23:43 +1000, Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> wrote:>Oh wow, quite a lot of things could be the problem. I better have a good >look inside before trying another cartridge.Yep. Have an air compressor with a "blow gun" hose handy to clean out the accumulated toner. About 30 psi seems right. The toner gets into everything. I don't recall if the P2055 uses a laser or an LED array. Probably laser. Sometimes, toner dust gets into the laser and rotating mirror resulting in odd looking shadows. If you bypass the shutter that protects the laser assembly, and blow some low pressure <10 psi air inside, you might be able to clean it out without further disassembly. Don't use the compressed air from a pressurized can. Also, make sure the air dryer is working on your compressor so that it doesn't spray rusty water or oil. Once inside, inspect the rollers carefully, especially the fuser. If you find melted blobs of toner all over the rollers, it's usually easier to replace the rollers than to clean them. I made some tools for scraping the melted toner off of the various fuser parts, but I prefer to replace the entire fuser assembly rather than clean or rebuild it. About $60 as I vaguely recall. Putting a new toner cartridge into a dirty printer is a bad idea. It's possible for the melted toner on the rollers to scratch the imaging drum inside the toner cartridge. Clean first, then install a new cartridge. Old toner tends to clump together in lumps. This appears as uneven coverage in large dark areas. It also damages the rubber wiper blades. When the blades get old, the rubber hardens enlarging the gap between the imaging drum and the blades. This dumps increasing amounts of toner in the cartridge waste bin. When full, the waste toner rubs against the imaging drum and scratches it. It is also possible for toner "flakes" to stick to the imaging drum. That might be another possible cause for the white spots. 05A carts are cheap on eBay: <https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=hp+05A+toner+cartridge> Yet another resource: <https://www.fixyourownprinter.com>>Thanks, >CH-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Reply by ●April 11, 20202020-04-11
On Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 12:53:38 PM UTC-4, Ricky C wrote:> > Yes, jlcpb.com was the site. I bookmarked it. >I didn't mention it earlier but we buy our RF boards (which are nearly always 6-layers and up) domestically because we often find that we need special stack-ups for impedance control (which JLC doesn't offer), AND lately on a few boards, the parts are getting so small and so densely packed that we need to tightly couple our Gerbers (silkscreen, pad tweaks, etc..) to the vendor's SMT line so the parts solder correctly during reflow, etc... We've had a couple cases lately where some tiny SAW filters (etc..) float off the (otherwise adequate) paste-up inspection. Resulting in re-work on our end to get the boards to meet spec. All of which is a big wasted breath on the bean-counters in our company who simply can't understand why you can't shop the design around to just anybody who claims to stuff PCB's. They think they can just send the Gerbers and get perfect first article boards, no matter how complex (or high-frequency) the design is.
