[GreenKeys] AN/UGC-74B Ribbon Revival

[KC0NNC at aol.com]

Marvel Mystery oil seems not to dry up but I have experienced the opposite 
effect using WD-40.    
 
What I have seen over the past 30 years (using WD-40) is the ribbon sludging 
up over time, but providing good performance during the period while the WD-40 
solvents are mobile.
 
I had a working stock of say 6 TTY corp. ribbons, which I stored in a vapor 
tight double plastic zip lock bag, and basically keep them moist with a drop or 
two of WD-40, and more lately marvel mystery oil.  The double plastic 
zippered bag (a bag within a bag), has allowed me to run for 20 years on 6 ribbons.
 
I have misplaced these 6 ribbons, as well as the 18 other fresh but dry 
ribbons I thought I had as a lifetime supply.
 
i recently was able to locate a few replacement ribbons from this green key 
reflector.  (thanks to the hams that have assisted me)
 
Pertaining to your problem Larry:
 
I suggest you take the dry ribbon cartridge you have now, and if possible 
open up the cartridge and with an eye dropper moisten the ink pad contained 
within, as well as dripping a few drops on the bottom of the cartridge, where the 
earth side of the ribbon tracks and floats upon.  (the ink pad I mention is 
many times near a leaf spring that provides some tension to the ribbon passing 
underneath, and in some instances there is a roller that provides compression to 
keep the ribbon in intimate contact with the ink pad)
 
Via capillary action all of the oil will be eventually transported through 
the ribbon and moistened up.  I have found it takes a week of so for this 
capillary action to guarantee complete even saturation of the ribbon.
 
Avoid taking the ribbon out of the magazine as it is quite a messy moment to 
hand dial the ribbon back into the cartridge some cartridges contain as much 
as 66 feet of ribbon.  Gloves will not work to keep you clean; you have to use 
your hands to get you out of this mess.
 
This information comes from my years of repairing computer dot matrix 
printers similar to the OKI and Epson series which used cartridge style ribbons, it 
is based on general observations and is not specific to your cartridge. 
 
on the spool style TTY ribbons, you apply a few drops of MMO (Marvel Mystery 
Oil) to the outer layers of the would ribbon, place it in a zip lock sandwich 
bag for a week or so, and bang, you have a renewed ribbon.  yes, eventually 
you have to re-ink the ribbon with genuine oil base ink pad stamp glue, but it 
seems like the ribbons last for a long while, and yes, they eventually will 
wear through from hammer impact, and then you peel off the old ribbon, and reload 
with an okidata 80, 81, or 82 ribbon tape (do not try and re-use the plastic 
spools as they fail quite soon) never throw away a steel WE TTY model 15 style 
ribbon spool. instead Save it for that rainy day.  This information is a 
result of my use of this metal spool style ribbon in TTY and okidata printers 
continuously over the past 30 years.
 
Hope this info is  helpful.... If your cartridge does not open up, placing a 
few drops of the MMO on the exposed ribbon surfaces, while hand winding 
several feet of the ribbon will also work, it simply means that you will need to 
"store" the ribbon longer in the bag to achieve total saturation with all the 
ribbon footage.  I have been told sunlight type of heat helps distribute the MMO 
solvents, but possible warpage of the black cartridge always kept me from 
doing this to the ribbons I restored.
 
 
 
73's 

Harvey E. Smith
2020 Baculite Mesa Road
Pueblo, CO., 81001-2456
719 406 9735

fka WA0BBG
nka KC0NNC

HarveyEsmith at aol.com

KC0NNC at aol.com


73's



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