Little idea.

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 10:34 am

This idea is not laughable at all. There would obviously be a few technical problems to overcome, such as getting particulate gallium through a printer head, but a completed device could be rather useful.

Give yourself more credit! You don't need to know anything about anything to make good suggestions, you need only to think logically and mechanically. The finer details can be ironed out by other people 'in the know.'

Post by **bicostp** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:34 am

I know it's possible to use etching supplies and a laser printer to make PCBs, but I've never seen the traces printed right on plastic before.

I think one of the biggest issues with this would be modifying the printer to accomodate plastics or fiberglass. Remember most inkjets make the paper turn inside the unit. (however one that was designed to print on stuff like CDs should be suitable out of the box.)

I remember once seeing a pen at RadioShack that had a conductive ink inside. It's called a <a href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... cuitWriter Pen</a>, and sells for $13. I'm not sure how well it would work, but if you just want to put together a couple simple boards it would probably work well. I guess it uses the same sort of ink.

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:57 am

My teacher uses Chalk paper to make pcb's. I think it might be possible, but I don't know a lot about printers. Older printers might be handier as some don't bend the paper and would therefore be easier to use with silicium.

Old type cartridge printer:

------>_____>------- =Silicium stays flat

New type cartridge printer:

--------->
______< =Silicium has a great chance of getting cracked

You know what I mean?

XPCportables · Post by **XPCportables** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:07 pm

brilliant!!! that would be awesome, (goes and gets old trashy printer from attic)

usbcd36 · Post by **usbcd36** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:49 pm

anotherperson wrote:Alternatively the contents of those conductive touch up pens could be used. According to this datasheet it's mostly silver, with a bunch of hydrocarbons to keep it in solution, or something like that.

I would be willing to try that, given a printer with a removable cartridge (ie, HP or Canon). I do have an old Epson printer, but if I managed to ruin the print heads, they're unreplaceable.

Klefmung · Post by **Klefmung** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:31 pm

sort of like that pcb making kit I got at radio shack. It comes with two copper boards, and there are solutions to form it into a real 1337 pcb.

joevennix · Post by **joevennix** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 12:31 pm

How about filling the printer heads with watered-down solder paste. Print it on a piece of fiberboard and stick it in a toaster oven to melt the paste. The water will evaporate and leave behind a line of solder.

EDIT: Or maybe, you could simply print with ink directly on to the fiberboard, then etch that. Simplicity.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:11 pm

Well once you guys come to a conclusion about waht to put in then PM it to me. I have an old Canon bublejet printer that hasn't been used in ages that's mine for hacking. And the print head is on the cartirdge.

superdeformed · Post by **superdeformed** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 5:30 pm

I've got one of the conductive pens from radioshack, and I think you may have a bit of difficulty printing with it. It's pretty thick stuff, and if you heat it up it just burns away. Solder paste might work if it didnt have flux in it, otherwise it will just ball up rather than melt into traces. I kind of remember reading an article on modifying a direct CD printer to print on .032" copper clad boards, but unfortunetly I can't find it

.

Also, I think the chalk paper sammy was talking about is just the paper used for transfering images by hand (same idea as carbon paper). If you used that you would still need to go over it with some form of ink that would resist whatever etchant you're using.

Big-O · Post by **Big-O** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 11:26 pm

This is way off topic but does anyone know where I can buy these?

cennar · Post by **cennar** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:39 am

no i do not...

now be temped no more by the dark side of the bling!!! join me and we shal rule the mall!!!

cennar · Post by **cennar** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:45 am

I'm trying to think if the printer would wrtite to fast and make a mess. it would be a lot better if you made however a totaly custom job. take bits of the printer mainly controll functions and the servo mech out (that big thing that dos the paper moving thing, could be made to roll bonded pcb around, wile the priting bits could instead be used as a cutting tool. like that fella who made that CNC printer. my self I'm all about handmade stuff. no molds and not computer driven nonsense. (then again I promote drug use and premarital sex, so dont take any ideas i have seriously)

superdeformed · Post by **superdeformed** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:56 pm

Came across this yahoo group last night while trying to find the article I read. It's got a bit on modifying a cd label printer near the top, but it got far too technical/off topic for me to follow at 1:00AM

. There are a couple more threads on there for direct printing that I haven't read through yet. Also (according to a couple posts on that page) it seems that the ink from an inkjet printer won't work as it comes off if submerged

.

joevennix · Post by **joevennix** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:48 pm

After a bit of google last night, I came up with this (PDF Link).

It's a one-component, heat-curing conductive epoxy. Water it down a bit, print it on a piece of paper, heat the paper up. Like I said before, the water evaporates leaving behind a conductive epoxy path. Not sure how water-ed down you could get it though.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:24 pm

Well if it makes you feel better I don't see many people buying this.

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Little idea.

Re: Little idea.