Homebrew PCBs

I modded a C88 without hacking the frame. I made new bushings for the 
drive shaft which lowered it by .100". I trimmed off the outfeed 
rollers to give a flat carrier path and moved the paper sensor to the 
front. This allows a carrier with no cutout notch for the timing. I put 
a smaller gear on the end of the drive shaft for the vacuum pump 
because there was no room for the original gear. This causes the pump 
to run slower but does not seem to affect the operation. I hope this 
will help with the clogging problem as the cleaning station has not 
been modified. I added a little tubing to the pressure rollers to give 
it a little extra pressure as the carrier is too far away for the 
regular roller. So far it is working great. I am trying some generic 
ink which is only $4 a cart and is supposed to be just like the 
original (well see). PCB trials to follow. Pictures are posted under 
C88 lowering mod.

When I look in the album its empty.
helge

2007/3/26, wnnelson0 <wnnelson@...>:
>
> I modded a C88 without hacking the frame. I made new bushings for the
> drive shaft which lowered it by .100". I trimmed off the outfeed
> rollers to give a flat carrier path and moved the paper sensor to the
> front. This allows a carrier with no cutout notch for the timing. I put
> a smaller gear on the end of the drive shaft for the vacuum pump
> because there was no room for the original gear. This causes the pump
> to run slower but does not seem to affect the operation. I hope this
> will help with the clogging problem as the cleaning station has not
> been modified. I added a little tubing to the pressure rollers to give
> it a little extra pressure as the carrier is too far away for the
> regular roller. So far it is working great. I am trying some generic
> ink which is only $4 a cart and is supposed to be just like the
> original (well see). PCB trials to follow. Pictures are posted under
> C88 lowering mod.
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and
> Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
>
> If Files or Photos are running short of space, post them here:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs_Archives/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I think the moderator has to approve the pictures first.

2007/3/26, wnnelson0 <wnnelson@...>:
>
> I modded a C88 without hacking the frame. I made new bushings for 
the
> drive shaft which lowered it by .100".

I'm trying to understand what I see in those pictures. Are the new 
bushings to the far left and right of the picture with the originals 
in the center?

How did you make those? Did you mill or turn them from plastic stock?

> I trimmed off the outfeed
> rollers to give a flat carrier path and moved the paper sensor to 
the
> front. This allows a carrier with no cutout notch for the timing. 

I'm confused by "trimmed off" and don't understand what you mean. Did 
you remove them?

> I put
> > a smaller gear on the end of the drive shaft for the vacuum pump
> > because there was no room for the original gear. 

Where did you get the gear? Junk box? Did you measure it? Any chance 
we could know what sort of gear to order?

I modded a C88 without hacking the frame. I made new bushings for 
the drive shaft which lowered it by .100".

I'm trying to understand what I see in those pictures. Are the new 
bushings to the far left and right of the picture with the originals 
in the center?

Yes, these were new bushings made with the same deminsions but with the shaft hole lowered by.100\ufffd
How did you make those? Did you mill or turn them from plastic stock?
Turned them on the lathe out of Derlin. Very easy to do with a four jaw chuck to do the offset.

I trimmed off the outfeed rollers to give a flat carrier path and moved the paper sensor to 
the front. This allows a carrier with no cutout notch for the timing.


I'm confused by "trimmed off" and don't understand what you mean. Did 
you remove them?

There are rubber rollers on the outfeed bar which I turned down to a smaller diameter to achive a
flat feed path. The ratio is not the same and it will not pull the pcb out at the same rate as the
feed bar but there is no pressure on the PCB so it feeds out nicely.

I put a smaller gear on the end of the drive shaft for the vacuum pump because there was no room
for the original gear. 

Where did you get the gear? Junk box? Did you measure it? Any chance 
we could know what sort of gear to order?

I figured out what size I needed to make it work and ordered it on line. I do remember it was
metric but I don't remember the pitch or number of teeth. I just threw away the order sheet but I
will try to look up the size and post it later. If you have a lathe this is a easy mod but without
??? I hope you have a friend with one. I will try to get the cad drawings posted soon of the
parts.

Hello William (and others that have worked with this printer), 

I am trying to mod this printer (in fact a c63 wich I was told it is the same printer), like you did. At first, I am trying to make it print on very thin PCBs. I know it is not the ideal situation, but I have no ideia so far on how to make nomal PCBs to fit - I am still trying to totaly understand your photos. 

Anyway, when I removed the part of the printer that feeds the paper - located at the back part of the printer - in order to creat a straight path to feed the PCB, I have exposed the printer sensor, and could not  print no more. Then I assembled this part again, and I could print. 

Is this the only sensor of the printer? I am prety sure the sensor expects for the paper feeder to activate it somehow. WIth the paper feed removed, it just passes the paper very quickly withour printing. 

Have you experienced a similar problem? Have you simulated the expect sensor behaivor? As I understand it, you just moved the sensor with no problens, but just want to be sure and get tips on how to solve my problem. 

Thank you for any info on this subject!

[]'s
- Uderman
http://www.temadigital.com.br/

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, William Nelson <wnnelson@...> wrote:

>
> 
> I modded a C88 without hacking the frame. I made new bushings for 
> the drive shaft which lowered it by .100".
> 
> I'm trying to understand what I see in those pictures. Are the new 
> bushings to the far left and right of the picture with the originals 
> in the center?
> 
> Yes, these were new bushings made with the same deminsions but with the shaft hole lowered by.100"
> How did you make those? Did you mill or turn them from plastic stock?
> Turned them on the lathe out of Derlin. Very easy to do with a four jaw chuck to do the offset.
> 
> I trimmed off the outfeed rollers to give a flat carrier path and moved the paper sensor to 
> the front. This allows a carrier with no cutout notch for the timing.
> 
> 
> I'm confused by "trimmed off" and don't understand what you mean. Did 
> you remove them?
> 
> There are rubber rollers on the outfeed bar which I turned down to a smaller diameter to achive a
> flat feed path. The ratio is not the same and it will not pull the pcb out at the same rate as the
> feed bar but there is no pressure on the PCB so it feeds out nicely.
> 
> I put a smaller gear on the end of the drive shaft for the vacuum pump because there was no room
> for the original gear. 
> 
> Where did you get the gear? Junk box? Did you measure it? Any chance 
> we could know what sort of gear to order?
> 
> I figured out what size I needed to make it work and ordered it on line. I do remember it was
> metric but I don't remember the pitch or number of teeth. I just threw away the order sheet but I
> will try to look up the size and post it later. If you have a lathe this is a easy mod but without
> ??? I hope you have a friend with one. I will try to get the cad drawings posted soon of the
> parts.
>

The sensor was just moved to the front of the printer. This allows for the paper sensing without the notch cutout in the carrier. In the position I show in the photo the timing was within range of the Epsons normal paper sensor and printed without any problems. If you have made new bushings you should be able to get a normal PCB thru without difficulty. My bushings lowered by .100" plus the normal printer gap gave me plenty of room for .625" PCB and the carrier.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "wnnelson0" <wnnelson@...> wrote:
>
> The sensor was just moved to the front of the printer. This allows for the paper sensing without the notch cutout in the carrier. In the position I show in the photo the timing was within range of the Epsons normal paper sensor and printed without any problems. If you have made new bushings you should be able to get a normal PCB thru without difficulty. My bushings lowered by .100" plus the normal printer gap gave me plenty of room for .625" PCB and the carrier.
>

Hello Willian, thank you for the answer.

As I understand it, you have managed to place the sensor on a position that it will be activated by the pcb at the same time that it would be activated by the paper and feed mechanism on normal operation, is this it? It sounds easyer then logging and simulation the sensor behaivor, I will try this aproach. 

I will try first to print on very thin PCBs (0.005"), wich I believe will need only a straith feed path - think it will not be necessary to move the print head up. Need to solve this sensor issue first tought. 

Then, I plain to cut the body of the printer to raise all the head structure. I plain to build in wood a "base" to fit the PCBs that I plain to draw - dunno if I made myself clear here. I plain to make this base to fit exactly the feed mechanism, to make the printer more accurate. I plain to make the PCBS be at the same position on the base allways, to try to make double sided PCBs. 

As I don't have much knowleadge on mechanics and a limited toolset, I can only hope to have success. Any input or tip is appreciated, apart from all the information on this group message history. 

[]'s
- Uderman
http://www.temadigital.com.br/