[GreenKeys] Reactivating ink in Teletype Ribbons

[Don Robert House]

On 2 Dec 2005, at 11:04 AM, David Weil wrote:

2) Can you walk me thru the WD-40** trick in case they want the  
printing to be darker than it is? I plan on bringing back-up ribbons,  
but I haven't done the WD-40(**) thing before.

The machine is safely in my living room and I plan on going up with  
Faye on Sunday afternoon, staying overnite in a nearby motor inn and  
then getting to the studio early Monday morning.

Thanks!!!
David

Method 1...
Take a roll of paper towels and unroll it about 20 feet long outside  
somewhere.  (Perhaps on a sidewalk in front of a home where you  
dislike the resident!!  ... just kidding.)    Perhaps Curious George  
will come along and ask what you are doing.  Tell him you are  
decorating for Christmas!

Once you have 20 feet of paper towels rolled out, rip off the rest of  
the roll and fold the paper towel that you just spread out over  
itself at least once.  That is width wise, you still want the towel  
to be 20 feet long.  Take the open end of the ribbon and place it at  
one end of the paper towel.  Put a rock or other heavy object on the  
end to keep the ribbon from blowing all over the area.

Place a long nail in the center of the ribbon spool and unroll the  
ribbon down the center of the folded paper towels.  Use the small red  
plastic tube that is supposed to come with the WD-40** and insert it  
into the nozzle.  Then spray once along the length of the ribbon with  
the nozzle about three inches from the ribbon.  When you are  
finished, put an empty spool on the free end of the ribbon and wind  
up the 20 feet you just sprayed.

Roll out the next 20 feet more or less and spray it.  Then wind up  
the ribbon a little on each spool and put the assemblage into a Zip  
lock bag until you are going to use it.

Pick up the paper towels and discard them in a closed container.   
Hopefully none of the WD-40** will get on the sidewalk as it will at  
first make it as slippery as owl droppings, and then after it dries  
it will be as sticky as labels on jelly jars.

**As an alternative to using WD-40 you can use Lube 1 (or is it 1  
Lube?) by the Slick 50 folks.  It does not dry sticky.  Also Avon  
Skin-So-Soft will also work and will not dry sticky.


Method 2...
This works better for machines that have a vertical ribbon mechanism  
like a typing reperforator...

Remove the ribbon and spools from the machine or package.   Cut out  
two felt circles slightly smaller than the diameter of the ribbon  
spools and make an 1/8 inch hole exactly in the center of each felt  
disk.   Place the felt disks over each ribbon spool holding pin on  
the machine.  The felt needs to be thin or the spools will not be  
retained by the nodules, levers,  or clips on the top of the holding  
pins.

On the bottom of the ribbon spools you should find one center hole  
and five or more holes that keep the spool together.  Plug all of the  
holes except the center one with some RTV silicone and let them dry  
overnight.  Replace the ribbon spools with the sealed holes down onto  
the ribbon mechanism and install the ribbon normally.

With the nozzle equipped with tube on the can of WD-40** spray into  
the top five or more holes at an angle directed at the inner windings  
of the ribbon.  Run the machine and continue to spray as the ribbon  
spools turn.  Enough of the WD-40** should be retained inside the  
ribbon spools to keep the ribbon ink reactivated until the WD-40**  
dries out.   The idea of the RTV silicone and the felt disks is to  
try to keep the WD-40** in the ribbon but not in the machine.

These methods should work well for temporary darkening of the print.   
When the WD-40** dries it becomes like a solvent based glue and  
therefor the ribbons need to be removed and thrown away rather than  
sticking up the printer mechanism.

**As an alternative to using WD-40 you can use Lube 1 (or is it 1  
Lube) by the Slick 50 folks.  It does not dry sticky.  Also Avon Skin- 
So-Soft will also work and will not dry sticky.

Be sure to wash your hands well before eating or putting on any light  
colored clothing!

Good luck,

Don