MAKING YOUR OWN PRINTER RIBBON RE-INKER

                             by Trevor Parker 


   ¿? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿?

   One of the easiest and most useful things you can do for yourself to save
  money and to always have good black printer output in your documents is to
  make your own ribbon re-inking machine.

   Go to your local rubbish tip, recycling depot or household appliance
  repairer and (for a song!) obtain a working rotisserie motor and shaft
  from any clapped-out electric stove. My repairer sold me one for $5.

   Get any piece of flat board that is large enough to set your ribbon
  cassette on with about 8 inch's length to spare. Nail and glue two more
  similar pieces of board to this forming "legs" to raise the original board
  off your bench by enough to clear the depth of the motor when it is mounted
  under the original board.

   Drill a small (say, 1/4 inch) hole through the original board exactly
  where the rotation port underneath your ribbon cassette will sit when the
  cassette is mounted. Now, mount the motor under the board so that its
  shaft can be inserted straight down through the hole which you drilled.

   Mount on the board (try Araldite) an ink container - preferably a small
  fairly thick plastic cylindrical one such as a photographic film container,
  for example. Centre it about 5-6 inches from the tip of the cassette.
  Make a SMALL (try a HOT needle) hole in it. The hole should, of course, be
  on the side AWAY from the cassette and should be the same height from the
  face of the board as the CENTRE of the ribbon will be when the cassette is
  mounted ALMOST on the board's surface. You can sit the cassette on pieces
  of lino or cardboard if you need to adjust its clearance from the board.

   Fit the shaft down into the motor, mark it and cut it the right length to
  protrude just enough to fully engage the cassette's drive port. you might
  have to grind or file the end of the shaft carefully to make it fit your
  cassette port properly.

   Now, fit the cassette onto the end of the shaft, pull out some ribbon,
  place the ribbon around the ink well, take up the slack, turn on the power
  (I assume you've safely connected a lead and plug to the motor) and test
  the running of the ribbon for alignment and stability. You might need to
  use a few lightly driven nails to stabilise the cassette (I haven't needed
  to) and/or some electrical tape to secure the ribbon's path around the ink
  well, but it's all easy going!!

   Once you have done all this, just put some PROPER dot matrix ink in the
  well and you are in business! One major supplier who will send you the ink
  for a small extra freight charge is: Aussoft, 512 Bloomfield St, Cleveland,
  Qld 075-2865590 However, you could check with "Information" first as I
  haven"t bought any for some time (a little ink goes a long way). If you
  know any other sources please let know.

   Finally, you can leave the excess ink in the well (if it has a suitable
  top) by simply taping the hole over, but don't forget to clean the running
  surface when you remove the tape for more re-inking.

   Happy and successful re-inking. Don't overdo it though, about twice
  through is plenty!

   Trevor Parker, 4 Skinner St Ballina 2478, phone 066-867660


   ¿? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿?