Enclosure Etching Failure

[MadPostman]

The title of this topic might be a bit deceiving as I never actually got to the etching part. The toner transfer process has me stumped!

I followed the usual tutorials for etching enclosures and after three tries I still don't have a useful toner transfer. I will say, it got better each time, but not good enough. The materials I used were Glossy Photo paper (double sided so I used parchment paper between the transfer and the iron) printed on a high end laser printer. Each attempt I put the iron on high and ironed the transfer for a good 20 minutes.

Transfer Attempt #1
For my first attempt I didn't let the enclosure cool or run it under water before I tried pulling the transfer paper off. This didn't work well at all. It seems like the toner didn't completely attach to the enclosure.



Transfer Attempt #2
This time I spent some extra time sanding the top of the enclosure to prepare it for the transfer. I finished it with a 320 grit wet sanding. After applying the transfer with the iron I ran it under cool water before attempting to peel away the paper. Better, but not good.



Transfer Attempt #3
After applying the transfer with the iron, I let it cool before attempting to peel the transfer paper off. I did not run this under water immediately afterward. After I peeled away the transfer, I submerged the enclosure in warm water and peeled away as much of the leftover paper as possible. It seems like a lot was left that I'm unable to rub off. Still, not an elegant transfer to work with for etching in my opinion.




I feel like I got very close with my third try. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Maybe the paper I'm using isn't very good for this application?

[night-B]

I don't etch myself but I heard that some laser printers put a very thin layer of toner and some put a thicker coat...That could be a problem for some people

[2tonewarrior]

I use photo paper for PCBs and works good for me but not for etching enclosures. I tried and always I got the transfer like your first photo. I buyed PNP paper and the result was awesome. Anyway your third photo looks really good for etch, just fill the defects with nail polish and you should get a good result.

[atreidesheir]

Yes.  Use a sharpie marker to fill in the gaps around the edges.  Do not worry about the paper.  It is just extra protection from the solution.  Even the second attempt could have been salvaged with some patience and a straight edge.  The enclosures have a lot more mass than our copper boards and thus never get as hot. 

[stecykmi]

if your printer has a "high quality" setting, turn it on, i think it adds just a little more toner to the paper when it's being printed.

i etched a pedal using magazine paper as the transfer medium. the result was really good but it looks very distressed. lots of pitting and minor imperfections.

[MadPostman]

I really appreciate everyones advice so far.

Leaving extra paper on top of the toner was my biggest concern, I wasn't sure how it would react with the Ferric Chloride. Looking back at my last attempt, I'm starting to think it was salvageable. I think I will start again one more time and work on some of the weak areas. Fourth times the charm, right?

[gtr2]

What printer are you using?  If it's a Brother, their toner never transfers well for enclosures.

Also, only a VERY select few of the photo papers work well.  The pnp works really well for enclosures provided you are using a samsung or HP laser printer.

Josh

[MadPostman]

I'm using a large Ricoh copier.

This last time around I decided to run the page through the printer an extra time for an extra layer of toner. My attempt to transfer the toner to the enclosure this time around was a bit more successful. I touched it up with some nail polish and decided to go for it.

I let it sit in the Ferric Chloride for about 10 minutes. I took it out once and gave it a bit of a wash and put it back in. It looked like the Ferric Chloride was started to eat through the toner so I decided it was time to remove it. Definitely not a deep etch but I was starting to lose detail.

I think next time I need to find a better paper/toner combination.


Pre Etch


Post Etch


Cleaned Up

[jimijam]

I've found that having too hot an iron will cause the toner to glue the paper to the enclosure. on my iron I set it to about 30%, ymmv. also i fill a basin with luke warm water and let the enclosure soak till the paper simply lifts off by itself. I them reinforce the mask with an enamal paint marker getting as close to the edge of the transfer as i can and completely filling in the background. also it is very important to "flatten the surface by block sanding with a hard flat surface to remove any dips in the surface. edges and holes tend to round over if you sand without a block and your iron will not make full even contact with the enclosure. getting a clean transfer is all in the sanding. I tend to sand about 20-30 minutes in order to get a workable surface. but that work pays off later when i have sharp text and a smooth clean background without any specs or pits.