Printer ribbons [Was: Re: 1990 Era computer room]

[steven at malikoff.com]

Thirty years or so back I used to have a device called a 'MacInker' with which I re-inked the ribbon spools for my OKI Microline 84 dot matrix printer.
This was a plastic plate with legs. It had a very slow rpm motor (perhaps 10rpm?) driving an upward-facing spindle which would engage in the spool. The ribbon ran against a cylindrical ink reservoir with a tiny hole in it, where it would be drawn onto the ribbon. The ribbon was guided by adjusting
two O-rings on the reservoir. It was a universal device (the name had nothing to do with Macintoshes) for printers, teletypes and typeriters and came with a few pins and spares to suit different spools or catridges. I recall the ink was thicker and more oily than modern inkjet ink, sort of like what
a stamp pad has. It was also very messy to operate, ink went everywhere as it continued to drain out the pin hole in the cylinder.Original MacInkers seem to still be available (Google images finds a few) but it certainly would not be difficult to build a workalike device from Lego or a junked Microwave oven turntable motor.

Steve.

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: Printer ribbons [Was: Re: 1990 Era computer room]
From:    "Alexandre Souza" <alexandre.tabajara at gmail.com>
Date:    Thu, June 25, 2015 7:13 am
To:      "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

>
>     Get a printer ribbon from another printer, take the ribbon from the
> cartridge and put it on the cartridge of your printer.
>
>     Some printers in Brazil I gotta do this, or else.
>
> ---
> Enviado do meu Apple IIGS (pq eu sou chique)
> Meu site: http://www.tabalabs.com.br
> Meu blog: http://tabajara-labs.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pontus Pihlgren" <pontus at Update.UU.SE>
> To: <jwsmail at jwsss.com>; "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 5:19 AM
> Subject: Printer ribbons [Was: Re: 1990 Era computer room]
>
>
>> On Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 10:14:00PM -0700, jwsmobile wrote:
>>> The only reference I could find that separated them are to google
>>> for the printer ribbons.  I find a lot of the companies who list
>>> ribbons don't purge their databases of even the most ridiculously
>>> old products, and they list models.
>>>
>>
>> I just experienced the same thing with my newly found DATASAAB D16.
>> Google turns up three worthwhile mentions and whole host of ribbon
>> resalers.
>>
>> I kind of assumed that the printer ribbon was the same as something else
>> and still awailable. Assuming I am wrong, what should I do to get a
>> printer ribbon with fresh ink?
>>
>> /P
>
>