I am looking for a laminator which can handle PC boards for making the boards Mr. Carlson is giving us to use. Can someone recommend a laminator which is capable of doing the job?
Also, what temperature should the laminator be able to handle for the PCB transfers?
@fdx12345 If you can find one, I got the
Larry – N7LUF
That is what I am seeking. Thank you. Hopefully they are still available.
Bill – N5AIO
I’ve not tried a laminator yet, but I’ve had great results with a vevor t shirt heat press!
@ke8uyv-shawn How high does the temperature get.
A t shirt heat press would be fun making some t shirts.
Larry – N7LUF
@larry_n7luf Hey Larry… I didn’t see your comment until now. I apologize.
the press I have goes up to 450f/250c. I have never used the laminator method before, but compared to a clothing iron, works extremely well. Haven’t had any issues since I’ve used the press… a perfect transfer with no smearing like I would get with the clothing iron.
However, I WILL find a laminator this summer to modify and work with since this process is preferred by Mr. Carlson, and then figure out which works best for me.
I happened upon an article on hackaday.com several years ago that covered a hackaday.io project involving an Apache AL13p laminator. These laminators are robust and very reliable. I built the board and completed the modification on a unit that I purchased on ebay. I have since used this machine to make hundreds of PCBs using the toner transfer process. I also find that the yellow toner transfer paper from ebay is excellent. See links below.
https://hackaday.com/2014/11/21/upgrading-a-laminator-for-toner-transfer-pcbs/
https://hackaday.io/project/3363-apache-al13p-tl-320b-one-pass-pcb-toner-xfer
@ingrownelectron I have not looked for awhile, but finding a AL13p laminator was a problem and I got the Vevor one and did not have to do anything.
Larry – N7LUF
@larry_n7luf There are usually two to three AL13p laminators available on ebay, with some dips in availability from time to time. The modification that I completed is not strictly necessary. All that it does is automate the forward / reverse operation of the rollers to reduce the effective speed that the board runs through the laminator. It also implements a cool down routine that prevents flat places developing on the rollers while they’re hot and not moving. The vevor machine looks very similar to the AL13. I doubt it would be difficult to automate the roller direction control on that machine as well. But if you’re using it with good results, that probably isn’t necessary at all.