Printers Sometimes @#@%*&#@!!

**Bear** · 06-25-2013, 04:18 PM

Breaking down a few printers, had one all apart and realized it wasn't going back together so I knew there'd be more plastic in the pile of things to dispose of elsewhere(my only plastic option here is the yearly spring clean-up free dump) and I was wondering if they was even worth messing with for one small mid-grade board and a couple small motors.
I was working top an impromptu bench, an old wash tub turned upside down top the mower motor. Grabbed the next one and turned it over to look for screws, it unleashed a torrent of black ink all over the "bench" running everywhere. I turned and tossed it whole into an old fridge in the trailer.
A while later headed back out there, grabbed a straight claw Estwing framing hammer and bashed it to bits. Got the board and motors (and another layer of ink all over), I guess it'll wear off eventually ; )

**TheRecycler** · 06-25-2013, 04:30 PM

I never mess with printers, they are a pain in the know what. They are a ton of little screws that lead to very little reward that does not match the effort it takes to break them down.

**Scrap man** · 06-25-2013, 04:47 PM

I pull the ink cartridges and usually toss it in the shred pile. It isn't usually worth the time in my opinion. Sometimes I'll pry the board out if there's a separate plastic piece covering it and I can get to it easily. Sometimes, on a few larger printers, the entire assembly where the cords plug in can be removed by taking out a few screws and sliding the whole thing out

**Gravitar** · 06-25-2013, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by TheRecycler

I never mess with printers, they are a pain in the know what. They are a ton of little screws that lead to very little reward that does not match the effort it takes to break them down.

Thats what a rip claw hammer is for. I never take out screws except to take the boards out.

**Sirscrapalot** · 06-25-2013, 07:22 PM

Ya know Bear..I don't think thats what they mean when they ask if you've been inked before....

Printrers that don't come apart quickly via normal method get the hammer taken to them. Could say it's a smashing good time. haha!

Sirscrapalot - here all week, don't forget to tip your waitresses.

**Bear** · 06-25-2013, 07:30 PM

I actually try to take them apart in a way that the covers will go back on it, so I can then toss em in with shred basically whole, less the board, wires, and motors. At least they'll still have some amount of steel in em. If it's shattered or won't go together I throw the plastic in a separate plastic pile which I really can't do a whole lot with

**scrappy888** · 06-26-2013, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by Bear

I actually try to take them apart in a way that the covers will go back on it, so I can then toss em in with shred basically whole, less the board, wires, and motors. At least they'll still have some amount of steel in em. If it's shattered or won't go together I throw the plastic in a separate plastic pile which I really can't do a whole lot with

Just throw it all ina dryer... if ur yard would take it whole, then I dont see the problem..

I usually throw stuff with plastic into a steel drum..keep em to 200lbs or so n take 2 or 3 in at a time..I dont throw extra plastic in, but if it came off that printer then its going with it into the drum..

**auminer** · 06-26-2013, 07:08 AM

I keep common printer cords at my workstation. If I can't easily slide the ink over to pull it out, I plug it in & see it the tray will move to where I can access it under power. If not, I don't go any further.

I've found a place that says they'll take printers off my hands for 5cents#. The payout alone isn't worth that trip, but once I get them I still have to dispose of them, and I'm getting about 15 every week. We'll see how it goes.

**41haikuwarriors** · 06-26-2013, 10:00 AM

That's not very encouraging Bear. I've got a pick up scheduled on Saturday for about 30 printers, along with monitors, keyboards, etc. It's free so at least I'll get all my frustrations out.

**TheHoss** · 06-26-2013, 07:00 PM

I used to love printers. I paid .15 c/pnd for them. I sold the plastic at a high rate, salvaged the boards, motors, wire, tin, and cartridges. All get sold.

I've tried too figure out "How much am i getting paid to do this?" for each printer. But, if you've scrapped enough of them, you'll know that you cannot really put a number on it. Simply because they vary so much. Some have SS rods in them (most do not), some are heavier for no apparent reason, extra boards due to blue tooth capability, etc. My best estimate would be i made anywhere from $1-$6 a piece. I didn't hit the $6 amount very often. They usually had to have blue tooth capability (extra mid grade boards) and SS rods.

Either way, they were always fun for me. Even had my own drill strictly for printers with a torx bit (or whatever the hell they're called).

**Bear** · 06-26-2013, 08:11 PM

Hey Hoss! Good seein ya man : )

**TheHoss** · 06-26-2013, 09:17 PM

Good seein' you too amigo.

**happyscraper** · 06-27-2013, 12:08 AM

I do a lot of printers/copiers. I have never broke down a printer that didn't have at least two mid grade boards. The print heads have a mid grade board that has a piece of mylar that has gold on it. Some of the printer/copier combination have a large mid grade board and 1 or 2 sticks of memory. Yes the ink can be a pain, you just have to be careful.

**Barta4** · 06-29-2013, 10:59 AM

Broke down an HP desk top laser printer;
137 screws
1 mid grade board
5gal bucket full of plastic
4lbs steel
1 toner cartridge (most profitable, $2 at Staples)

**wolverine300** · 07-07-2013, 01:40 PM

Just got done breaking down a really large, old, Canon laser printer. Thing was at least 12 inches tall by 20 inches wide! Just on boards alone I pulled out over 5 pounds! But because I'm new at E-scrapping, I don't really know exactly what I have here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's the printer shortly after I started tearing it apart.

And here's all the boards I pulled out. Over 5 lbs. worth. Well, that one with the metal cylinder attached towards the top left weighed over 1 lb. on it's own.

Thanks,
Matt

**Mudlucky** · 07-07-2013, 01:50 PM

I tore down a printer last night. It had a DVDRW in it. Thankfully, it had a separate cover for the board too. It was still a PITA. I did find a printer with lots of gold on the mylar. Took the time to cut that out as well. I only pick up for free. I will not pay for one. They are the things I get into when I don't have much else to get into...even after breaking down the DVD/CD roms.

**Mechanic688** · 07-07-2013, 02:58 PM

And here's all the boards I pulled out. Over 5 lbs. worth. Well, that one with the metal cylinder attached towards the top left weighed over 1 lb. on it's own.

The silver thingie might be a motor, so the whole thing would go as that.
The brown boards are power boards and usually go as low grade, (.10-.30 lb)
and the green boards will go as mid to hi grade depending on your buyer.

**auminer** · 07-07-2013, 04:32 PM

My two cents:

First off, cut off any & all wires still clinging to these boards & put them in your lgc wire bin.

1. nice board put it with your high grade

2. Pull the 2 circled transformers & try to get mid-grade for this one (I would put it one step above a brown TV board)

3. These 2 are motors with boards on them put them in your motor bin

4. pull all the circled transformers off with your trusty channellocks & throw these with your TV boards.

5. pull the circled transformers, and if the two heatsinks (marked with lines) are aluminum, yank them, clean them of everything that isn't Al, and throw them in sheet Al.

6. Looks like it might be midgrade.

I call this 'my two cents', but it's probably worth about what you paid for it.

**Bear** · 07-07-2013, 04:42 PM

The really large printers and copiers, I mean like similar to washing machine size, in the future I'll charge for. If you'll do some googlin you'll see it isn't gonna be real cheap either ; )

**unknownk** · 07-07-2013, 06:00 PM

I would think the old HP LaserJet 1,2,3,4 series (heavy built like tanks) would have a few motors and a decent CPU board (with RAM slots). Newer printers are mostly plastic.

Printers Sometimes @#@%*&#@!!

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