Disassembling an HP Color laserjet 4550

So, as some of you may have seen in one of my earlier posts this week, I picked up quite a bit of electronics over the weekend. Among the items I picked up was an HP Color laserjet 4550. Now, I've already made the mistake once this week of taking apart something I probably should have just attempted to sell online for more money. However, I broke a large part of the printer's plastic frame in transport, and to be honest, I just want to take this thing apart for the hell of it. This thing weighs somewhere between 50-70 pounds, so I'm thinking that there will be a good bit of metal scrap in it. I'll be posting pictures as I go along, if any of you guys are interested in following.

Ok, here's what I have so far:

Before disassembly
001_zpsce96df2b.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

With plastic casing removed
002_zps396409ec.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Cartridges:
003_zps76475361.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

I believe that one of the cartridges in the last photo is the toner cartridge. I've already removed the ink cartridges as well, but was smart enough to put them straight into a trash bag to keep the ink from staining everything it touches. It is interesting to note that the cartridges in the picture all have some substantial weight to them, indicating the presence of tin and/or other metals. However, I'm not sure if it is a good idea to disassemble any of them until I can identify which one is the toner cartridge. Any suggestions?

cool! did you try it first ? it might of still printed a couple books

Originally Posted by Bear

cool! did you try it first ? it might of still printed a couple books

No, I didn't. To be honest, I didn't want to spend two hours searching the internet for software to install on my laptop to make the thing work.... Well, that, and I was just itching to take it apart.

So far, I've managed to remove about a hundred or so screws, and several large components, but I've barely made a dent in this thing....

Progress:
006_zps8b0ab17e.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Laser still in housing, two small boards, and a nifty little brush that was attached to the frame:
004_zps65f0d62f.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Copper leads, wire, and some intact small plastic components:
005_zps39220355.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Originally Posted by Bamcis

No, I didn't. To be honest, I didn't want to spend two hours searching the internet for software to install on my laptop to make the thing work.... Well, that, and I was just itching to take it apart.

So far, I've managed to remove about a hundred or so screws, and several large components, but I've barely made a dent in this thing....

Progress:
006_zps8b0ab17e.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Laser still in housing, two small boards, and a nifty little brush that was attached to the frame:
004_zps65f0d62f.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Copper leads, wire, and some intact small plastic components:
005_zps39220355.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

that's ashame tha tyou didn't try it out.... windows xp and above have the drivers built in, all you had to do was plug it into your network or locally into your laptop / desktop and if it was working it would have printed without any issues at all as far as drivers go.... those printers are also *tons* cheaper than inkjets to print....

Now put all the plastic weight back on and sell it for shred! Lol

Originally Posted by CGsEnterprises

Now put all the plastic weight back on and sell it for shred! Lol

If y'all don't mind me asking, what exactly is shred??? I've assumed so far that it refers to tin and plastic containing components that just aren't worth breaking down. Is this correct?

Originally Posted by CGsEnterprises

Now put all the plastic weight back on and sell it for shred! Lol

By the way, CGsEnterprises, I noticed that you're in Columbia. I grew up in that neck of the woods. Are you affiliated with one of the local scrap businesses?

Originally Posted by Bamcis

By the way, CGsEnterprises, I noticed that you're in Columbia. I grew up in that neck of the woods. Are you affiliated with one of the local scrap businesses?

My family owned USA Recycling out in West Columbia, but we closed it after my dad passed- worked for a few years as the NFE Manager @ Carolina's Recycling Group (Now part of Omnisource). Couldn't stand it anymore working in the industry where my dad raised me and we worked side by side everyday...didn't figure on coming back to open a recycling company again 5 years later, but here I am.

And Happy- I guess it all boils down to what kind of time you have and what you are willing to settle for /hour. I enjoy breaking things down, but usually yank as much wire and the mobo grade board(s) and chunk the rest. Luckily, my yard could care less what goes in the shred pile... :-)

Originally Posted by CGsEnterprises

My family owned USA Recycling out in West Columbia, but we closed it after my dad passed- worked for a few years as the NFE Manager @ Carolina's Recycling Group (Now part of Omnisource). Couldn't stand it anymore working in the industry where my dad raised me and we worked side by side everyday...didn't figure on coming back to open a recycling company again 5 years later, but here I am.

And Happy- I guess it all boils down to what kind of time you have and what you are willing to settle for /hour. I enjoy breaking things down, but usually yank as much wire and the mobo grade board(s) and chunk the rest. Luckily, my yard could care less what goes in the shred pile... :-)

Ah, I see. To be honest, I'm not familiar with many of the scrap businesses in the Columbia area. The only one I do remember is the one in Cayce near the train yard. My daddy used to take scrap out there from time to time.

Yeah, there were actually two yards out that way...one is still there- CMC. The other started as K&W Recycling then moved through different names (Carolinas Recycling Group, Omnisource, etc...) now they just use the yard as a truck depot for their actual scrap yard in Columbia.

Originally Posted by KZBell

Yes that is correct...and many here smash them in the shred pile and grab the board or two and memory if it has in it and move on. It's good that your learning what's in what tho.

Ok.. But wouldn't a yard pay you a little better, even for the tin, if you went ahead and removed all of the plastic components?

Originally Posted by happyscraper

I don't understand why someone would throw a printer like that in the shred pile. First of all the yards by me won't take them as shred. Second you would be wasting money by not taking it apart, wires,mid grade boards, electric motors toner cartreges and steel. Just my .02

I agree, primarily for the reason that it's just fun to take things apart. I've already noticed several motors and boards that I have yet to reach on the carcass of this thing. Also, there are numerous large copper leads connected to several of the metal components.

Originally Posted by happyscraper

I don't understand why someone would throw a printer like that in the shred pile. First of all the yards by me won't take them as shred. Second you would be wasting money by not taking it apart, wires,mid grade boards, electric motors toner cartridges and steel. Just my .02 Pitcher#4 the thing on the bottom next to your foot is the toner cartridges.

Ok, but what about the other two cartridge looking things? Are they just part of the roller assembly or are they something more?

My yard would subtract so much weight for the plastic it wouldn't be worth it to bring it in whole.

The one with the yellow stripe looks like it would be the thing that draws the paper threw the copyer and I'm not sure what the other thing is. It's hard to tell from the pic.