Ink Jet printer - Gold with Pics

[pilotdan]

Yesterday I disassembled a HP Office 7210. The control panel had some nice gold contacts and I also found some gold plating on the ribbon cable that controls the ink cartridges.

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u8/Snakemandan/SCRAP/IMG_3182.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u8/Snakemandan/SCRAP/IMG_3183.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u8/Snakemandan/SCRAP/IMG_3184.jpg

There were also some gold pins and a small PCB with a small amount of plating on it.

 

[Arcani]

strange board
thank u for pics, good to know :lol:

 

[jov13]

very informative in pinpointing exact location of gold in peripherals, thanks a lot

 

[61 silverman]

pilotdan, I have also taken apart a printer in the past, I think yours has more gold than mine did yet there was an item I found that you may have overlooked ,or may not have been in yours. It is a small metal piece approx. 1 1/2 inches long by close to 3/4 inch wide rather thin. On one side it is has 6 rows of gold line's 3/16 inch wide, I scanned the piece see if i posts.

 

[61 silverman]

I think If I remember right, This piece was under the printer cartridges themselves. They were full of ink that I used a good detergent too remove most of.

 

[cheapmanuals]

I have seen something similar on an old keyboard but cannot remember where?? ARRGG!!!!!!

 

[Rag and Bone]

Some of the guys in the neighborhood are happy to take printers. They won't pay for them, mind you. But I get the feeling they're getting something out of them. Anybody know what's at play here?

 

[allanwcoty]

I dismantle printers for the carriage rods mostly for making my own rod mill. There is some gold in the cartridges and where they connect. Have a great day. allan

 

[Oz]

Perhaps a stupid question, but what is a rod mill?

 

[yvonbug]

Rod mill, you mean for makeing a tumbler?

 

[allanwcoty]

Pretty much the same as a tumbler except it uses steel rods to grind down ore or black sands to release more pay.

 

[Oz]

I haven’t taken a printer apart lately but I would think the weight would be a bit on the light side. Would not ½ inch rebar work better? Do you have a pic?

 

[junkelly]

Is the 'carriage rod' the smooth steel rod that the printer cartridges slide back and forth on? If so, it is visible just by opening the front cover, as if you were changing ink. I see the same things in scanners.

I have taken apart numerous inkjet printers. As far as scrap, there is the main circuit board, a few ribbon cables, two or so stepper motors (can these be sold for more than scrap motor value?), the steel frame, and a lot of plastic. The gears are plastic and coated with goo, which makes dismantling unpleasant. As printers get cheaper, they seem to use more plastic. It's also difficult to see how to disassemble them until you pry them apart.

I used to completely dismantle them (like most of my scrap). Since I am only a hobbyist, I -know- that it's not worth my time, but I quit when I realized I wasn't having any fun either. Now I just take the ink cartridges and the circuit board if it's easily accessible.

One thing to not forget is that the adapter cables and printer cartridges may be the most valuable components. Some of the power cables have unique connections and people are willing to pay well for replacements. Cartridges, especially name brands such as Hewlett Packard or Lexmark, can be sold to companies that refill them.

-junkelly

 

[markqf1]

The cartridges are the way to go with printers.
On the other side of what the printer has to offer by way of connection is the cartridge. Why do you think they buy them at such a hefty price?
Cellphones and encased batterys as well.

Gold!

Mark

 

[OMG]

I always wonder why cartridges are so expensive. And that they'll gladly accept your used ones back. Even give you a postage paid envelope to send them in.
Must be worth more than the postage and effort on there part. Maybe there is something rare and recyclable in the print spray nozzle thing.