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Thread

Printer cleaning ...

2011-08-31 by arvidj01

I am just getting started with home PCB fabrication and am accumulating tools for the toner transfer method.

I have an HP 4250 laser printer and have printed an all black 8.5 x 11 page to test the printer. There are several very narrow but well defined white lines that go vertically down the page. The first line is very fine ... barely perceptable ... and starts about 1 inch from the left edge. The second is a little wider and 1.75 inches in, then a little wider at 2.25, the widest one at 3.75, then getting smaller at 5.25.

The widest one is ... best as I can measure ... about .01 of an inch wide.

I suspect this will be an issue so I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what I might need to clean or repair to make them go away?

Or maybe the application of the green foil from Pulsar will resolve the issue?

Thanks,
Arvid

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Printer cleaning ...

2011-08-31 by Derek

You can also draw in using a permanent marker, but the green foil does help.

Derek Koonce
DDK Interactive Consulting Services

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On 8/31/2011 7:15 AM, arvidj01 wrote:
>
> I am just getting started with home PCB fabrication and am
> accumulating tools for the toner transfer method.
>
> I have an HP 4250 laser printer and have printed an all black 8.5 x 11
> page to test the printer. There are several very narrow but well
> defined white lines that go vertically down the page. The first line
> is very fine ... barely perceptable ... and starts about 1 inch from
> the left edge. The second is a little wider and 1.75 inches in, then a
> little wider at 2.25, the widest one at 3.75, then getting smaller at
> 5.25.
>
> The widest one is ... best as I can measure ... about .01 of an inch wide.
>
> I suspect this will be an issue so I am wondering if anyone has any
> suggestions on what I might need to clean or repair to make them go away?
>
> Or maybe the application of the green foil from Pulsar will resolve
> the issue?
>
> Thanks,
> Arvid
>
>

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Printer cleaning ...

2011-08-31 by William Laakkonen

Line that are vertical to the paper path are often caused by imperfection of
the drum unit (such as a scratch or wear point), or more commonly by dirt on
the corona charge wires, or any other dirt in the transfer path. If you can
remove the corona wire holders (I'm not familiar with your model's
mechanics), you can often just whisk a light brush over the wire to clear
the debris and restore the copy path. A quick check of the drum may reveal a
scoring so that would be looked at first, as it's easier to get to.

Best regards,

Bill Laakkonen

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On Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 10:15 AM, arvidj01 <arvidj@...> wrote:

> **
>
>
> I am just getting started with home PCB fabrication and am accumulating
> tools for the toner transfer method.
>
I have an HP 4250 laser printer and have printed an all black 8.5 x 11 page
> to test the printer. There are several very narrow but well defined white
> lines that go vertically down the page. The first line is very fine ...
> barely perceptable ... and starts about 1 inch from the left edge. The
> second is a little wider and 1.75 inches in, then a little wider at 2.25,
> the widest one at 3.75, then getting smaller at 5.25.
>
> The widest one is ... best as I can measure ... about .01 of an inch wide.
>
> I suspect this will be an issue so I am wondering if anyone has any
> suggestions on what I might need to clean or repair to make them go away?
>
> Or maybe the application of the green foil from Pulsar will resolve the
> issue?
>
> Thanks,
> Arvid
>
>
>

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

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Printer cleaning ...

2011-08-31 by Piers Goodhew

I also find that all manner of smaller imperfections do not affect traces - the clumpy electrostatic nature of toner seems to help there.

Large pours and pads I find unavoidably have the dreaded "pitting" - which is of no real electrical consquence.

In between that, imperfections on the roller/corona wires don't really bother me!

PG

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On 01/09/2011, at 6:30 AM, William Laakkonen wrote:

> Line that are vertical to the paper path are often caused by imperfection of
> the drum unit (such as a scratch or wear point), or more commonly by dirt on
> the corona charge wires, or any other dirt in the transfer path. If you can
> remove the corona wire holders (I'm not familiar with your model's
> mechanics), you can often just whisk a light brush over the wire to clear
> the debris and restore the copy path. A quick check of the drum may reveal a
> scoring so that would be looked at first, as it's easier to get to.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Bill Laakkonen
>
> On Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 10:15 AM, arvidj01 <arvidj@...> wrote:
>
>> **
>>
>>
>> I am just getting started with home PCB fabrication and am accumulating
>> tools for the toner transfer method.
>>
> I have an HP 4250 laser printer and have printed an all black 8.5 x 11 page
>> to test the printer. There are several very narrow but well defined white
>> lines that go vertically down the page. The first line is very fine ...
>> barely perceptable ... and starts about 1 inch from the left edge. The
>> second is a little wider and 1.75 inches in, then a little wider at 2.25,
>> the widest one at 3.75, then getting smaller at 5.25.
>>
>> The widest one is ... best as I can measure ... about .01 of an inch wide.
>>
>> I suspect this will be an issue so I am wondering if anyone has any
>> suggestions on what I might need to clean or repair to make them go away?
>>
>> Or maybe the application of the green foil from Pulsar will resolve the
>> issue?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Arvid
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Printer cleaning ...

2011-08-31 by Simao Cardoso

arvidj01 wrote:

>
> There are several very narrow but well defined white lines that go
> vertically down the page.

Some years ago my old trusty printer had some 'non printable vertical
lines' and some glue or melted plastic from duct tape on the drum that
made some spots unprintable. It got to the point which i didn't had any
place on the paper with enough good printing area to do my pcb's. It
became like this since i really stupidly place the printer at the same
room i made the pcb's and just next to the dusty driller. I had to treat
it like trash and decide to buy another. Unfortunately i didn't know
this group by then and bought a crap bad one, and didn't even tried in
time to return it. Meanwhile, my interior kid, disassembled the old one,
deciding if anything useful from the parts, after a lot of ideas i just
clean the dust inside (like in the mirrors and lenses) with compressed
air, used i-don't-remember-what to clean the drum, and gave it a last
try, and is still my old trusty printer :)

I can't recommend to clean it the same way, when i did it i wasn't
caring at all if i break it completely. The vertical blank lines in my
case were from dust in the mirrors or lenses, the repeated horizontal
problems were from the drum. From the few things i had at the time i
possibly used for drum cleaning a pcb cleaning fluid from 'kontakt
chemie' that came in a spray can which you spray trough a brush. It was
the less abrasive thinner thing i had at the time and 100% volatile. The
drum is an expensive and sensitive part of the printer, if choose to
clean the drum be careful of what you use to clean it.

Re: Printer cleaning ...

2011-09-01 by arvidj01

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I may try to perform HP surgery over the Labor Day weekend.

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--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "arvidj01" <arvidj@...> wrote:
>
> I am just getting started with home PCB fabrication and am accumulating tools for the toner transfer method.
>
> I have an HP 4250 laser printer and have printed an all black 8.5 x 11 page to test the printer. There are several very narrow but well defined white lines that go vertically down the page. The first line is very fine ... barely perceptable ... and starts about 1 inch from the left edge. The second is a little wider and 1.75 inches in, then a little wider at 2.25, the widest one at 3.75, then getting smaller at 5.25.
>
> The widest one is ... best as I can measure ... about .01 of an inch wide.
>
> I suspect this will be an issue so I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what I might need to clean or repair to make them go away?
>
> Or maybe the application of the green foil from Pulsar will resolve the issue?
>
> Thanks,
> Arvid
>