Printer's mystery metal

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whateg0
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: Wichita, KS

Re: Printer's mystery metal

Post by whateg0 »

Back to the original topic for a moment, I watched a video last night of somebody making some whatchamacallit and he had saved a bunch of guide rods from printers. It was kind of amusing to hear him keep calling it drill rod.

Dave
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Printer's mystery metal

Post by pete »

If I had to guess logic says the printer manufacturers have to anticipate the printers being used anywhere in the world with varying local weather and interior environmental conditions. Or even close to or on the ocean with a higher salt content? Any rust could be a real issue so stainless with a low nickel content probably. That ups the magnetic properties. Still only guesses. But any of the printers I've taken apart had hardened shafts. That makes 400 series stainless likely. Cold rolling is supposed to increase the magnetisum of stainless as well. Another guess is the shafts are hardened simply to allow a better ground and polished surface finish for the paper to move across since wear before the whole printer gets replaced is doubtful. I've checked a few of the shafts and there hard enough you can't cut them with a hacksaw and are surprisingly straight and very round with no lobeing. They seem to be a step well above your average drill rod.
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