Printer ribbons

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Neffers
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Printer ribbons

Post by Neffers »

Hello peeps, I hope you are all doing well.

I have a Star LC-10 printer and as you can guess, the ribbon (black, not colour) is probably drier than blue touch paper. I'm considering getting the LC-10 out and making a few signs for the shed, purely because it's an option I have.

Is there a decent "refill" fluid and technique available, or am I best off just forgetting this avenue and using my PC for said signage?

Cheers.
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exxos
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by exxos »

I've reinked ribbons in the past. Though generally they don't seem to print much out, and can't put to much ink on them else it gets very messy :(
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jvas
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by jvas »

You can buy new ones in Hungary: https://www.webaruhaz.hu/star-lc10-20-g ... zXmjxf4mUk
Bet, it is available in your country too.
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DrF
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by DrF »

Weird I have been looking for a dot matrix printer the last few days, sold me Epson LX only a few years ago regret that now.
A company I did work for used to dump the dry ribbons in some kind of ink but it was not as fluid, i've never seen it since so I guess you can refurb the ribbons somehow, big huge printer that was Tally I think.
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Re: Printer ribbons

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DrF wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:02 pm Weird I have been looking for a dot matrix printer the last few days, sold me Epson LX only a few years ago regret that now.
A company I did work for used to dump the dry ribbons in some kind of ink but it was not as fluid, i've never seen it since so I guess you can refurb the ribbons somehow, big huge printer that was Tally I think.
I got a dot matrix mono in loft, spare ribbon as well, don't think its hardly been used, boxed, can't remember what it was LX or LC or something...
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DrF
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by DrF »

exxos wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:03 pm
DrF wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:02 pm Weird I have been looking for a dot matrix printer the last few days, sold me Epson LX only a few years ago regret that now.
A company I did work for used to dump the dry ribbons in some kind of ink but it was not as fluid, i've never seen it since so I guess you can refurb the ribbons somehow, big huge printer that was Tally I think.
I got a dot matrix mono in loft, spare ribbon as well, don't think its hardly been used, boxed, can't remember what it was LX or LC or something...
Still a bit torn over if this a good choice vs the cheapness of laser printers now I already have 3 lasers, 2 mono 1 colour.
1 in a box as a backup the other 2 get worked hard and quality has fallen a bit on images but on text which is 95% what they have to do there ok.

A HP mono laser toner is running about £6 to £11 that's just as low as ribbon, but would it out last a ribbon?
The Dell (really a Xerox phaser) is about £15-20 per 4 colour toners.
The Ricoh mono is about £15 per toner too.

Trying to drive down the cost per page is hard :lol:
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by exxos »

DrF wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:12 pm Trying to drive down the cost per page is hard :lol:
Buy a cheap inkjet and buy a 5L tub of black in from my store, last forever :P I print my leaflets that way, cost per page is pretty low, printed out thousands of pages mostly text, don't think i've gone past a 5L tub yet lol.. got loads of um, do you deal for 2 :P

Think refill ink (well jettec stuff which I only use) is like 30ml x 3 for £3 I think ? so like 30ml £1 is pretty crap.. in effect be £166 for 5L, mines like £68 for same stuff..

Or do what everyone else does, but dirt cheap ink form evilbay, and buy a new print head every 100 pages :P
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DrF
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by DrF »

exxos wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:27 pm
DrF wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:12 pm Trying to drive down the cost per page is hard :lol:
Or do what everyone else does, but dirt cheap ink form evilbay, and buy a new print head every 100 pages :P
Inkjets are banned in this house :lol:
The reason they eat the printheads is the cheap ink is missing the lubricants, that's what I was always told when I did work for HP printers.
You need the 2nd cheapest ink they would usually say :lol:

Most what I print is order forms pure text that gets cut up anyhow so a dot matrix would be perfect.
There quite expensive lately it seems from eBay, costing more than some mono lasers :o

Some info here on repairing print ribbons :

http://ibm-1401.info/TricksForReInkingP ... bbons.html

https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.co ... er-ribbons

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3881588

http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/eug/05/a-rein.html

http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.p ... er-ribbons

https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/how- ... n.2636792/

Some used this sewing machine oils:



Huge range of compatibles for printers no one's ever heard of might be start :

http://www.porelon.com/retail-part-find ... rId=227160

Seems alot of those links point to using stamp pads.
Neffers
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Re: Printer ribbons

Post by Neffers »

This are not a full reply, I gone and done me shoulder in, typing is hard. Thanks for the suggestion to actually google the carts, yes I can get them from a place in my county.

Interesting convo from a silly thread! Back in a bit... (swears at shoulder while going back to hibernating unless the painkillers work, what a waste of sunlight).
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Neffers
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Location: West Yorks.

Re: Printer ribbons

Post by Neffers »

exxos wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:12 am I've reinked ribbons in the past. Though generally they don't seem to print much out, and can't put to much ink on them else it gets very messy :(
I had a go with parker ink as a kid, can attest to messy, though it was a long stationary Epson cart. I kinda fumbled and had black ink pasta salad all over the place.
jvas wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:58 am You can buy new ones in Hungary
Bet, it is available in your country too.
You sir, are correct, thanks :)
DrF wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:12 pm Inkjets are banned in this house :lol:
I am not a fan of ink any longer.

I have a Brother Brother HL5340D (Mono Laser) For the PC (It does have parallel, hmm) Had it about 5 years ish, Ebay special. Great for text, shyte for graphics, but for its intentional purpose it's not bad.

Thanks for the links DrF :thumbup:
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