Dear list:
I am driven to correct several errors of interpretation that seem to be
going on....
1/ I have been going on about dot matrix printers, 9 and 24 pin, which
have ribbons in a cartridge. Yes, just the ribbon can actually be replaced
rather than the $10 cartridge,
and I have pinched the ribbon from an A4 (or am I using more confusing
language?) to a widebed printer (LQ 1050)(the one that fell donw the
cliff). The most remarkable thing about these cartridges is that rather
than winding onto spools, the ribbon lives in a sort of organised jumble which
shuffles along the package until time to magically get drawn all
straight and untwisted out the other end for use!
Some printers actually have ribbon on spools like a manual typewriter. I
have one sitting next to me which I have not worked out how to use - it
is a Heathkit H14 which shows every sign of working, but I dont know
what to feed into its serial cable or what looks like one. For the
curious I can also say that it has a dot matrix head, 8 pin I think, and
it is scanned with a piece of string - just like the old valve radio
tuner!
2/ The solvent used on the ribbon is still after all the postings about
parafin, a mystery! I knew that in USA parafin meant kerosene, but
wondered if the less volatile diesel fuel might have been the intended
solvent rather than kerosine (and mineral turpentine also - the paint thinner).
For the record we call non-mineral turpentine "gum terpentine" and it
can be readily identified by smell.
My old chemistry lecturer used to have the habit of passing little test
tubes of all sorts of things around the lecture hall. It was an
excellent idea, but I am sure now illegal. Another used to suspend
firarms on string and fire bullets accross the lecture hall to
demonstrate conservation of momentum - that focussed the mind also!
Buying solvents in the paint shop is such a vexed matter that I go
around smelling them all to work out which are the hydrocarbons, which
are the alcohols, which have the benzene rings and which are the *ones,
keytones and aldehydes...
The issue is really confused now as they can trick almost anything into
dissolving in water!
Further to a post a couple of weeks back, WD40 is a lot more than
kerosene (read parafin, jet fuel) as it leaves a sticky water repellent
scum. This is good on some things but hell on electrical connections
which can go hi-Z after time. I have been seriously advised always to
use INOX instead, and indeed have had great results on DC connections
prone to electrolysis. Any opinions list?
Kali
http://www.nimnet.asn.au/~kali
