Overhead transparency transfer technique

pmace

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I literally stumbled on a product that seems to work to transfer laser (toner) images from a transparency sheet to a work piece. Clean the work and the image with isopropyl alcohol and apply a thin layer of Loctite 271 threadlocker to the image side of the film. Place the transparency image side down on the work and burnish out the air bubbles with a Q-tip. Let cure for 30-60 minutes and remove the film. The image stays on the work. Wipe with isopropyl alcohol to remove the uncured 271. If you get too much product on the film it gets a little rubbery when you cut through it.
I was using UV cure adhesive which works but this works better and is much cheaper. The Loctite 271 is the standard high strength red stuff in the hardware store.
 

monk

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interesting. does the toner have to be done without heat? if so, i don't know how to turn the heat off my laser.
 

pmace

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Standard printing with a regular laser printer. Nothing special about the transparency film either. I had a bottle in the tool box and thought I’d try it. I’ve tried everything else I can think of so why not. Surprised me how well it worked first time. Gotta let it cure at least 30 min but it peels the toner clean off of the acetate. I guess it makes sense since threadlocker is essentially super glue. I never could get regular super glue to work though. Loctite says it has to do with metal ions or some such alchemy.
 

Ron Spokovich

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Loctite and Super Glue are completely different, with different 'work' times. This might be the reason your use shows differences. Even a slight difference in chemistry can yield vastly difference in results!
 

mitch

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"super glue" (and its many variations) is cyanoacrylate. "loctite" (and its many variations) is an anaerobic adhesive (off the top of my head, i can't remember the basic chemical makeup) that cures in the absence of oxygen. they're two very different chemicals.

however, with that in mind, "Place the transparency image side down on the work and burnish out the air bubbles with a Q-tip.", getting all the air out from under the transparency film is critical to curing the loctite.
 

pmace

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Sorry, I saw methacrylate in the SDS for Loctite and equated that to cyanoacrylate in Superglue. Chemistry ain't my strong suit.

The rubbery effect was what I was trying to eliminate by using a low elasticity UV cure adhesive. The problem with the UV adhesive is that even when I dilute it I can't get a thin enough layer and wind up with a lot of debris when cutting. The black image prevents the adhesive from curing properly and the image transfer is not complete. Loctite gives nearly 100% transfer and the adhesive layer is much thinner. The elasticity of the product doesn't bother me but it may be an issue for others trying to do more detailed work.

I find that the viscosity of the product is quite thin so I haven't tried to dilute it. My chemistry set is limited to acetone, MEK and lacquer thinner. I might try some lacquer thinner and let it flash off before assembly to see if it helps.

The biggest obstacle in my shop is dirt and dust. Even a minute particle of dust will keep the film from making contact with the work and leave a bubble that you can't chase out. Finding a dust free spot in Arizona in a room shared with my 5 canine helpers is somewhat of a challenge.

I'd be interested in hearing what results others experience if they try this.
 

monk

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well, my laser printer prints in iron oxide, or magnetic ink. i use magnetic, as such is needed to fuse designs into glass. i'll buy a jug of the stuff and give it a whack. will let youall know if it works.
 

Mike Fennell

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Monk, try turning off the printer before the image reaches the heat element. On my hp laserjet I hit "print", count to 6 and hit the "off" switch on the printer. Open the printer and lift out the printed page carefully. The image has not been cooked onto the document, so it will smear easily, but it is a perfect image.
 

monk

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Monk, try turning off the printer before the image reaches the heat element. On my hp laserjet I hit "print", count to 6 and hit the "off" switch on the printer. Open the printer and lift out the printed page carefully. The image has not been cooked onto the document, so it will smear easily, but it is a perfect image.
tyvm. that sounds too easy to be true. will try as soon as i get the loctite. thanks for the info.
 

pmace

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Dan
The film has to remain in contact with the workpiece while curing. Before applying the Loctite I would get everything arranged so that you can pack, pad, clamp, tie or somehow hold the film tight to the work. I let the stuff cure for 30 minutes just to be sure it's done. I'm still looking for something that softens the toner enough to transfer by burnishing but stays firm enough that it doesn't smear. I haven't gotten there yet though.
 

monk

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tyvm. that sounds too easy to be true. will try as soon as i get the loctite. thanks for the info.

always lookin to try things. this time, no joy. i got way too much loctite on the design. not sure how i would be able to
put such a tiny amount on the transfer to get it to work.lost 6 bucks in the attempt, nbd
 

pmace

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I put a couple of drops on the back of the acetate and spread it out with my finger. I put the image side down on the work then use a q-tip to get the bubbles out and force as much of the Loctite out as possible. Most of the time I can get it that the color is kinda pink rather than the Loctite red. The Loctite is meant to be in a very thin layer so I’m not afraid to squeeze out as much as I can. I might try a cotton ball or piece of gauze to see if I can get a thinner layer. They make a thinner for Loctite and a low viscosity version but they are industrial supplies and I’d rather make hardware store stuff work if I can.
Paul
 

monk

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i got it burnished to the point there was almost no trace of color left. certainly no air bubbles. it was worth a try. as i mentioned, i like trying different techniques. some things work well, some not so well. this may well be the real deal for some.
 

pmace

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Just out of curiosity what didn't you like about it? You say there was too much adhesive on the design. Do you object to having to cut through the adhesive? What transfer method do you use that doesn't have a coating of some sort on the part but still gives a durable image? I don't have an inkjet printer so I'm limited to the techniques I can use.
 

monk

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Just out of curiosity what didn't you like about it? You say there was too much adhesive on the design. Do you object to having to cut through the adhesive? What transfer method do you use that doesn't have a coating of some sort on the part but still gives a durable image? I don't have an inkjet printer so I'm limited to the techniques I can use.

ok: my "go to" transfer usually is my hp inkjet. #92 black cartridge. i print on clear acetate film. must dry for at least a half hour. 45 minutes is best. applied sooner, the ink will squish into a mess. when dry, the image will burnish directly on any smooth surface. if surface is too shiney, i'll usually dull it a bit with very light coat of flat white spray paint.
i cant say about the cutting part; the design never transferred onto the polished brass plate. the toner in my laser is iron oxide, used by banks for magnetic printing. that toner may have been the problem. too busy now to try with my inkjet. will give that a whack after xmas.
btw, the #92 black leaves a rather durable transfer. no acetone, damar, or other stuff needed.
 

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