6 Dec
2013
6 Dec
'13
1:19 p.m.
On Dec 6, 2013, at 4:13 PM, David Riley <fraveydank at gmail.com> wrote:
On Dec 6, 2013, at 3:28 PM, Ethan Dicks
<ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote:
Agreed. The important thing to remember, in spite of many confused users out there, is
that WD-40 is NOT a lubricant. When used as a lubricant, it will temporarily loosen the
things you use it on, and then it will stick them together with sticky residue after the
volatile parts evaporate. WD-40 is trouble when used on machinery; it's horrible to
imagine how bad it would be if it were to creep into the guts of a print head. You may
very well end up with the print wires stuck inside the head.
paul
On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 7:39 PM, Bob Armstrong
<bob at jfcl.com> wrote:
WD-40 has a good reputation for this, but I'm always wary about
applying WD-40 to anything (it does terrible things to pinball
machines over the long term, I have to imagine it's not that
great for print heads). I imagine it's probably the white
spirit in the solvent cocktail that does the job for printer
ribbons, but I somehow imagine you need more than just some
mineral spirits from the hardware store to get the job done. Does anybody have a source or replacement for
LA120 DECwriter III ribbons?
I've actually got about 8 "new old stock" ones, still shrink wrapped, but
all that I've tried are pretty much dried out despite the shrink wrap. They
barely make a mark on the paper, even with the little print impression lever
cranked all the way up.
I don't have any that are any newer, but what about adding a solvent to
moisten the ones you have? A quick patent search reveals methods of
impregnating fibers with ink and acetone to make typewriter ribbons, but
there must be more than that because acetone is so volatile. A mix of
acetone and a heavier aromatic solvent?