Harvesting parts from laser printers
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http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/ Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop Harvesting parts from a Laser Printer by SilverJimny on January 15, 2013 Table of Contents Harvesting parts from a Laser Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Intro: Harvesting parts from a Laser Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Step 1: Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Step 2: In the beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Step 3: Motoring on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Step 4: Frickin' Laser Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 5: Colour me bad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Step 6: The end.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Step 7: The Spoils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 8: In detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Step 9: Questionables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Step 10: What now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
description
Electronics and robotics
Transcript of Harvesting parts from laser printers
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop
Harvesting parts from a Laser Printerby SilverJimny on January 15, 2013
Table of Contents
Harvesting parts from a Laser Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Intro: Harvesting parts from a Laser Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 1: Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 2: In the beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 3: Motoring on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 4: Frickin' Laser Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Step 5: Colour me bad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 6: The end.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Step 7: The Spoils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Step 8: In detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Step 9: Questionables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Step 10: What now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Author:SilverJimny SilverJimny.co.ukI like to build and drive 4x4s, my latest is a Suzuki Jimny which my partner and I drove across Europe in 2010. More recently I have been working on theFishPi project. We're developing an Autonomous Marine Vehicle which we hope to have cross the Atlantic. During my spare time I play PC games or tinkeraround in my workshop.
Intro: Harvesting parts from a Laser PrinterFREE!
A lovely word isn't it.
Free is the prefix to so many exciting idioms; Free Speech, Free Money, Free Lunch, and Free Love, are but just a few. However nothing quite sparks the imagination, orsets the heart racing quite like the thought of Free Parts!
Sometimes opportunity knocks, and chance delivers something wonderful and free. This time the chance of opportunity brought me an Epsom C1100 Colour LaserPrinter !
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 1: ToolsTo take a printer apart you will need the following;
A Screwdriver, or two.Needle-nose pliers.Side-Cutters.A Cardboard Box, or similar, for the big bits.The lid from an Aerosol can, or similar, for the small bits.A bin, for the unwanted bits.A bit of rag to clean off the toner.
There are two things you should know about the Laser Printer; One, it prints, so it has toner inside which can get everywhere, and two, it has a laser in it, which canrender your eyes useless.
Don't disassemble the printer while it is connected to a power supply, or a Doctor might ask to start harvesting parts from you.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 2: In the beginningHow to start?
Peel back the layers. The simplest method is to just unscrew any visible screws until you can't get any further, then spin the whole assembly around, and carry onattacking from another side. I began with the duplex unit at the back.
Toner Cartridges; bin them. Don't even touch one if you can help it. Should one of them open and dump toner everywhere it will be hours before you're done with theclean up.
You'll want two receptacles, one for the large parts like gears, motors & wires, and a second smaller pot for the screws, washers, clips & bearings. Everything else, likeplastics and scrap metal will go in the bin.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 3: Motoring onThere will be lots of wires held on with clips. Don't tug and break things off, doing so will only reduce the usable items you get from the strip down.
Take your time, your collection boxes will slowly fill with goodies.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 4: Frickin' Laser BeamsThe deeper inside the printer you mine, the closer you come to the centre carousel. The carousel housed the four, cyan, yellow, magenta, and black, toner cartriges. Asyou would expect with years of use there is some spillage of the toner. Before tackling the carousel removed all other parts, including and most importantly, the laserassembly.
The laser assembly features a Class 3B Invisible Light Laser Diode and if you're not careful you could damage it. Luckily the laser diode is enclosed within the laserassembly along with several lenses and a spinning mirror.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 5: Colour me badRemoving the carousel from the chassis.
This is where some scrap cloth is important. Place down a sheet of cloth and dismantled the carousel on it. Any loose toner should remain on the cloth which can bethrown away when finished with.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 6: The end.........of the beginning
The fuser unit was removed from the printer before I began the stripdown, along with the photo conductor unit . They are the final two components left in the strip down.Be careful with the photo condutcor, I took the side off and a pile of black toner came out. Thankfully the scrap cloth was there to catch it all.
Next, we'll take stock of what we have reclaimed.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 7: The SpoilsWhat has been recovered from the printer?
17 BarsLots of CablesA heating element10 Motors10 Opto Switches9 Micro Switches2 Solenoids2 Electric Clutches8 as yet unidentified partsAn orgy of gearsAn entanglement of springsA gathering of wire clipsA congregation of rollersA circuit of bearingsA splash of random bitsAnd a revolution in screws
In the next step we'll take a closer look at the motors, and the other electro-mechanical parts. Hopefully we can find their accompanying datasheets.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 8: In detailLets see what some of these parts are;
127E83711 | 17PM-J203-G5VS - Stepper motor (link).
127K45271 - There isn't many details about this, but it appears it's a Dell/Xerox general purpose motor.
127K38602 | 127K45891 - Its a similar story with this motor, and the clutch.
127K38560 | KH42JM2B176 - Stepper motor (pdf), the pdf isn't an exact match to the B176 model but I expect there will be some obvious similarities.
127K38581 - No details again beyond a mention of Dell, but it is fitted with a gearbox.
127K45770 | BH60AT10-02 - A huge motor & gearbox assembly. Once more details are low on the ground.
121k32723 | TDS-KN07A-44 - Solenoid (link).
121E92700 | TDS-F09A-12 - Solenoid (link).
121K32310 | MCA-26E - Magnetic Clutch.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 9: QuestionablesMost of these parts I know little about. If anyone has any information relating to these parts please let me know in the comments.
Thanks!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Step 10: What now?The final tally is both numerous and varied. The big question now is; What should I do with them all?
Suggestions in the comments please. The best idea wins 3 months Free Pro Membership on Instructables!
Judging ends midnight (GMT) on the 31st of January 2013. I am the judge, and my decision is final.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 121 comments
AJMansfield says: Jan 20, 2013. 6:07 PM REPLYMake a CNC paper folding machine.
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:54 PM REPLYlol, interresting....
AJMansfield says: Jan 22, 2013. 6:16 AM REPLYI'm actually quite serious, too. You have loads of parts meant for handling paper, so all you need is something to actually make the folds. It would bevery difficult to make it actually work, though...
kuhldad says: Jan 22, 2013. 4:42 AM REPLYI've done this project! I use the rubber rollers for vibration absorber on my Rock tumblers and bench grinder. Their was a small fan on the one I took apartand I've used it as a soldering station smoke extractor. The ABS plastic I softened in Acetone and used on my homemade NERF gun. The thin strip of mirror(very flat high quality reflector) from the scanner/ copier part is going into my laser beam-break early warning system. Several LEDs from the control panelhave been dedicated to Joule Thief projects. Great posting earns a Favorite from me.
uncle frogy says: Jan 22, 2013. 12:09 AM REPLYI have some rods from old printers and They maybe an alloy but not high stainless as they will corrode and are highly attracted to magnets could be highcarbon stainless . in thinking about what they could be used for I think they might be shaped with a forge and anvil into useful wood carving tools.
uncle frogy
Jimmeh30 says: Jan 21, 2013. 4:40 PM REPLYtop to bottom.... 1: NFI, 2: Dew sensor, 3:inductors/electro magnets, for what purpose again... NFI, 4: looks like a plug and a plug to me, 5: an interface,probably drives something, look up the chip number at national semiconductor or motorola or somewhere, 6: photo diode for detecting the end of scan pointand probably laser intensity and 7: look like thermal fuses to me (self resetting)
GO nutbag on printers, they have a varittable treasure trove of free bitz, better yet, go down to your local photocopier repair shop, chances are they've gotDOZENS of unit's under the building that they don't want to pay to dump. Heavier steppers, clutches and PSU's, steel and cast gears, some have smallgauge chains and sprockets plus a shite load of sensors, hall switches, and more mircro switches than one can point a sick at.
But rather than throw out the toner, mix it with some light oil like "singer oil" and hey presto... ferro fluid :)
Nice to see other's salvaging perfectly good parts and using them for things rather than dumping them in a big fk off hole because a new one is cheaper thanthe toner cartridge. ;)
al_packer says: Jan 21, 2013. 10:24 PM REPLYI thought toner was a mix of carbon black and "wee, tiny" styrene particles . . . ?
paultkamp says: Jan 20, 2013. 1:27 PM REPLYI'd make a generator with a handcrank. I actually took an old laserjet apart 2 days ago. The parts are still all over the floor.
Jimmeh30 says: Jan 21, 2013. 5:07 PM REPLYjust a pity that 5.5 inch floppy drives are no longer common place... the steppers in them made for awesome fixed magnet generators, especially whenyou hook 10-20 of em on one shaft
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Junker123 says: Jan 20, 2013. 3:25 PM REPLYI have been scrapping for years. Some suggestions I can add are as follows.I use more bins and separate: (comma denotes separate bin) gears sprokets rollers and spools, gear train assemblies, bushings and bearings,smallhardware as screws, nuts, bolts, studs, spacers, washers etc.(because most are Metric), A/C-D/C motors and brushless motors, small steppers, largesteppers, levers and mounting plates and structual parts as right angle supports etc., springs, belts and chains, wiring harnesses, sensors LEDs displaysetc., Circuit boards (lots of electronic parts), rods bearing shafts etc. You get the idea.A great source of printers are Salvation Army, check with local Boys and Girls Clubs, any place that takes donated stuff, they always have a bunch of junkand want to get rid of unusables. Do them a favor and take it all, usually for free just to keep them from having to throw in trash.Bins for storage: I like empty plastic coffee and creamer cans and others that have a lid, just watch what you are throwing away. For larger pieces, I like therubber totes with snap-on lids that can be bought for around $5, buy the small ones, because they can get heavy fast with a lot of salvaging. They can alsobe used to store the smaller containers, just label them.What do you do with this bonanza of parts? Electronic experiments, robotics, any machine you can dream up. I scrap them back down also when I getthrough playing with them.
Jimmeh30 says: Jan 21, 2013. 5:05 PM REPLYsame same junker... fortunately I distribute stuff for a living at the wholesale level, and boxes are far from hard to come by, eventually tho, you have tobite the bullet and cash in a couple of cubic meters of aluminium heatsinks in order to pay for your xmas slabs ;)~
pedistrarian says: Jan 20, 2013. 4:03 AM REPLYMake an invisible planetarium with the laser.
Junker123 says: Jan 20, 2013. 3:36 PM REPLYReally, like Silver Jimmy said, they are dangerous and can blind you or someone else. I keep them carefully stored away for future use as (undisclosed).there are several reasons invisible LASERs are outlawed, Google it. What most people and apparently lawmakers are that they are available in laserprinters. Just be careful if you experiment with these, research it first. RED laser goggles wont help you with these to my knowledge.
Jimmeh30 says: Jan 21, 2013. 5:02 PM REPLYred laser goggles won't help at all, BUT, clear acrylic plastic absorbs IR light, especially at such low powers as found in laser printers and cd roms.For that matter, most CO2 laser cutters have acrylic shrouds for the same purposes. (side from the big bugger off industrial cutters)
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 4:08 AM REPLYlol
al_packer says: Jan 20, 2013. 5:01 PM REPLYI see a lot of parts there that could be used in creating a modelmaker's lathe (or mill). The round bar (shafting) May be suitable for the lathe's ways, gears forreducing the motor speed, gears for faceplate, etc. I was given such a lathe some 55+ years ago, and had great fun with it until I was able to buy my firstUnimat.
As an aside on dismantling things, I scarfed a reflex lens/mirror assembly out of a photocopier that has been good for seeing lashes and grit that get in myeyes. The HV power supply was a good start for a Tesla coil. I imagine the supply for a laser printer would do just as well.
Jimmeh30 says: Jan 21, 2013. 4:57 PM REPLYThe HV drum supply (i Assume) was a good start for a TC? maybe a really tiny TC?
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:53 PM REPLYSomeone else mentioned a lathe too, I'll look into it!
OrIsIt says: Jan 21, 2013. 9:43 AM REPLYSteam punk'!
Eh Lie Us! says: Jan 21, 2013. 8:33 AM REPLYGreat post! I'm there with you. If it's free it's for me! Just the mere mention of it evokes a flood of building ideas. I love the details and pictures. It's like sparepart porn!
durango421 says: Jan 21, 2013. 7:41 AM REPLYYou can also use those salvaged parts for "Petropunk"...same as steampunk but with easier to find and cheaper parts,lol.
Schmidty16 says: Jan 21, 2013. 7:19 AM REPLYo and I almost forgot a power plant a hand cranked one
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
Schmidty16 says: Jan 21, 2013. 7:18 AM REPLYu could use them for a motorized tractor or a series of contraptions that turn off your something like your alarm clock, make a helicopter ,a robot, rc car ,fansystem, mini fridge, a generator, humidifier, motorized boat ,homemade motor, a propeller, a crane, a flashlight
Rich. says: Jan 21, 2013. 6:16 AM REPLYYou could use the motors, rods, bearings, some of the screws, some of the wiring, maybe some of the gears and build a 3 axis table top CNC millingmachine. Something like this http://www.solsylva.com/.
lcarraro1 says: Jan 21, 2013. 12:35 AM REPLY3rd pic, from top on the right: cartridge and/or drum unit wireless chips. without them cartridges and drum don't work
BrenBren says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:02 PM REPLYI definitely see a time lapse camera slider complete with motorized pan, and tilt, and maybe zoom and focus!
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:58 PM REPLYNice idea.
AlanTheRobot says: Jan 20, 2013. 10:38 AM REPLYI don't really need a membership but I'll comment anyways.
I've been tearing apart old broken electronics I think since I could walk. I got my hands on my first printer a few years back. It was a regular printer though,not laser. I've also broken apart lcd screens, and printer/scanner combos (these are super fun). I kept all the parts and over the years found the strangestuses for them. I made an earing from the lcd screen (the metal holding everything). I used the weird reflective sheets inside along with the top part of thescanner/printer to make spread the light and make a light box for tracing. I have a little bag full of motors that I plan to use someday. I've used them for littleexperiment on and off but nothing big.
Some ideas:- Make a few cardboard gears rotate, stick a clock face between them, and you get a cool clock.- Use a motor and one of the rods to make a tiny Ferris wheel.- Use the motors to add moving parts to replicas. I really want to try this to make some little houses, and stuff.- Make a little moving car.- or robot?- A conveyor belt? although I don't know what you'd use it for.
But mostly they're going to come in handy over time, and you'll learn about them over time. There's still some parts I have no idea what to do with (littledisplays, cables, etc) but eventually they'll get used. Sometimes just as something decorative (as a kid I didn't know how to make anything actually run so Istuck calculator monitors to a hollow wooden book and pretended it was a sort of ebook, lol).
I'd really like more ideas as to what to do with the rods. I have a bunch, and I rarely find any uses for them. They're often different sizes and just notconsistent. They also don't bend so... that reduces their usability.
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:58 PM REPLYI#m stuck on what to do with the shafts too, they are solid metal and I expect they will need machining properly which a mill or a lathe, neither of which Ihave.
robotmaker says: Jan 20, 2013. 8:15 PM REPLYthere are a lot of ideas for rods,they make great motor shafts,pins and lot more on robots
AlanTheRobot says: Jan 20, 2013. 9:52 PM REPLYI mentioned robots but I'm not really interested in them. For what I like to do I haven't found a use for them yet.
AJMansfield says: Jan 20, 2013. 6:00 PM REPLYThe little white thing on the PCB might be a humidity sensor (since none of the other things I have seen were the humidity sensor, and there certainly is onesomewhere)
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:54 PM REPLYSomeone I was talking to a few days ago thought it might be a humidity sensor. I'll have a closer look at the IC on its back.
play4work says: Jan 20, 2013. 4:18 PM REPLYNice instructable.In addition to the free stuff, one gets to learn a lot.Seeing how things are put together is a great way to build-up design skills.My suggestion is to build a solar tracking system.Using the shafts one could control more than 1 panel.I also believe some of those shafts are stainless...Anyone can confirm this ?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:52 PM REPLYThere are a few stainless rods, and some aluminum.
BrenBren says: Jan 20, 2013. 10:51 PM REPLY2nd one from the top on the left looks like the device to transfer a charge to the roller that picks up the toner (sorry don't know any of the actual terms).
hitmanAUS says: Jan 20, 2013. 10:19 PM REPLYthis is great!!! I have so many printers ready for the dumpster at work, might bring a few home and get some free parts!!
Now with all the stuff you "reclaimed" you should do an instructable for how to put together a bespoke Epsom C1100 Coulour laser printer and use an oldmicrowave or something for the casing! hahaaa!!
robotmaker says: Jan 20, 2013. 8:13 PM REPLYi been tearing down lasers printers and inkjet printers for yearsso many parts for my robots i build ,shafts,motors,gears springs
,sensors and some circuit parts like h-bridge or stepper driversmostly find in the trash and i save a lot of money
Hepkess says: Jan 20, 2013. 7:23 PM REPLYOK Mr. Smartypants, now let's put it all back together before dinner!
dsandds2003 says: Jan 20, 2013. 6:54 PM REPLYWell i see alot of stainless steel, aluminum and not seen but their is copper wire. Some of the motore can be used a small wind generators by reconfiguringthe wires comming out of it. Some of the circuit board barts can be refferenced by using the online NTE cross refference parts book. Also possible resistorsand caps.I use the stainless steel rods as punches. These are usually from old printers or scanners. I have so many motors i take them apart for the steel, copper andaluminum. Some have small brass bushings. I also save the harnesses as sometimes i can use them for either a repair job or a custom project. Theis is alsoa cross reference online for the japan/china parts with spec sheets. These work good for digital displays on some printers.I have been saving parts from old electronics for years. I have accumelated alot of parts for projects and repair work.
PtrkLnk says: Jan 20, 2013. 6:14 PM REPLYAlso I have a lot of inkjet printers around that are all dead (those things break so quickly) that I am going to take apart and try to make something out of. I amnot going to donate my hp laserjet iii to the cause though. That thing is built like a tank.
PtrkLnk says: Jan 20, 2013. 5:39 PM REPLYyou have a good start on a 3d printer or a cnc mill.
lsymms says: Jan 20, 2013. 5:33 PM REPLYMissing a donor? Craigslist is your friend. Ink jets cough up a lot of the same parts (less bars for sure) but great belt driven sliding mechanisms. All in onesare a trove of items, tiny CF bulb for the scanner, really thick smooth edged glass, etc.
greypoet says: Jan 20, 2013. 5:06 PM REPLYPick up an Arduino kit and maybe a Rasberry Pi kit (adafruit.com or google Arduino) and have a blast with all the parts you already have.
Peter.Steele says: Jan 20, 2013. 11:49 AM REPLYOpto-electronic bug zapper.
You'll have to supply a small microphone, but use one of the motors to do a conical-scan to search for high-frequency wings. Use the laser to center-punchthe insects. Use the remaining motors, gears, etc., to drive the whole assembly. Cut and fold parts for housings out of the sheet metal. Actually, cut wheelsout of the metal as well and have the whole thing drive around and hunt the insects down...
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 12:02 PM REPLYFrickin' laser beams indeed. I like it.
Junker123 says: Jan 20, 2013. 3:47 PM REPLYLOL. BTW, Great instructable Jimmy. But not just laser printers, all printers and computer or other electronic/mechanical equipment. Even tho thelaser asseblies are low power, they should be used with caution. "Warning Avoid exposure to beam", where is the beam at any given time, whoknows for sre, it is invisible.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvesting-parts-from-a-Laser-Printer/
BillybobT says: Jan 20, 2013. 3:38 PM REPLYI figured with all the motors, there has to be some Arduino project lurking out there. I'm just getting started with Arduino, but I'll now be on the lookout forscrapped printers from the hospital my brother works at.
paliaspip says: Jan 20, 2013. 2:37 PM REPLYMyself, I would use the motors, gears and spare parts to gear down a motor for a ball mill. Simple enough, and I will try find an old printer to do so.
SilverJimny says: Jan 20, 2013. 3:28 PM REPLYinteresting idea.
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