Printer roller rejuvenator recommendation?

[DaveC]

Looking for roller rejuvenator that you can recommend (ie, have used). Not
Google results…


I’ve seen several brands, but it’s hard to judge from a distance.

One personal recommendation beats a hundred choices.

Thanks!

[dansabr...@yahoo.com]

I have used Rubber Renue with success. Be careful and use with plenty of ventilation.

Dan

[DaveC]

> I have used Rubber Renue with success. Be careful and use with plenty of
> ventilation.
> Dan

And available locally…

Thanks!

[John Robertson]

On 03/01/2016 9:47 AM, dansabr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have used Rubber Renue with success. Be careful and use with plenty of ventilation.
>
> Dan
>

Rubber Renue is simply Acetone (with something added to slow down the
evaporation rate) as I recall.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

[dansabr...@yahoo.com]

Nope.From the label:

dimethylbenzene
methyl salicylate

It is the Benzene that is very toxic and should be used with ventilation.

Dan

[John Robertson]

On 03/01/2016 11:45 AM, dansabr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 2:00:14 PM UTC-5, John Robertson wrote:
>> On 03/01/2016 9:47 AM, dansabr...@yahoo.com wrote:
>>> I have used Rubber Renue with success. Be careful and use with plenty of ventilation.
>>>
>>> Dan
>>>
>>
>> Rubber Renue is simply Acetone (with something added to slow down the
>> evaporation rate) as I recall.
>>
>> John :-#)#
>>
>

> Nope.From the label:
>
> dimethylbenzene
> methyl salicylate
>
> It is the Benzene that is very toxic and should be used with ventilation.
>
> Dan
>

Hi Dan,

Thanks! Appreciate the correction.

[Dave Platt]

>On 03/01/2016 9:47 AM, dansabr...@yahoo.com wrote:
>> I have used Rubber Renue with success. Be careful and use with plenty of ventilation.
>>
>> Dan
>>
>
>Rubber Renue is simply Acetone (with something added to slow down the
>evaporation rate) as I recall.

According to the MSDS, MG's Rubber Renue is about 60-70% of a xylene
mixture, 20-30% ethylbenzene, and 15-30% methyl salicylate ("oil of
wintergreen"). The latter accounts for its distinctive odor.

I've found Rubber Renue to be pretty effective at removing the
hardened varnish-like layer on rubber rollers, and restoring "grab" to
rollers that are in reasonably decent shape. Really old or oxidized
rubber may be too far gone and may not "renew" properly... I don't
think Rubber Renue can soften up a whole roller that has hardened up
with age.

Agree, be careful using this stuff... the ingredients are
significantly toxic... best to use it outdoors, and wear good
chemical-resistant gloves (not rubber for tolerably obvious reasons;
nitrile looks like a better choice).

[whit3rd]

On Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 9:02:42 AM UTC-8, DaveC wrote:
> Looking for roller rejuvenator that you can recommend (ie, have used).

From twenty years ago, fixing up impact printers...

I distrust brandnames... but start with a wipedown with isopropyl alcohol
(quick, removes ink) followed up with automotive brake fluid (which replaces
plasticizers and makes 'hard' rubber slightly more pliable). You
might want to leave the brake fluid on the roller for a few minutes.

Brake fluid is mainly heavy alcohol (glycerine), so it wipes off with
a damp cloth.

[Tim R]

A lot of years ago, too long to count, I was running a hazardous waste program.

We drummed up similar solvents for disposal.

But...........one of them ate my gloves. Turned out to be one of those roller restorers.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Tue, 01 Mar 2016 09:02:35 -0800, DaveC <n...@home.cow> wrote:

>Looking for roller rejuvenator that you can recommend (ie, have used).

Rubber Rejuvenator. My can is in the office so I'll post the brand
tomorrow. I think I bought it on eBay. MSDS:
<http://www.pressdown.net/email_brochures/msds/canada%20colours/Rubber%20Rejuvenator.pdf>

The stuff really stinks and attacks most everything it touches,
especially plastics. Use outdoors, downwind, with gloves, eye
protection, and breathing protection. I had a minor headache the last
time I used the stuff.

The problem with all these rubber resurrection compounds is that they
soften the outer surface of the roller. If you then run the roller in
a dirty machine, or with used paper, the dirt, crud, clay paper
coating, filth, etc will imbed itself into the rubber roller. The
effect is that the roller treatment works for about a week, and then
starts to slip again. Clean the paper path, clean the mating plastic
rollers, and clean the friction pads before using the stuff.

Also, the rubber resurrection compound won't do anything for a worn
roller. Eccentric rollers, such as the paper feed roller or those in
the paper tray, will wear on the leading edge. If worn, these rollers
are going to slip, no matter how well you clean the roller.

Rubber rollers also come in a variety of rubber harnesses. To measure
hardness, I bought a rubber hardness meter:
<http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=rubber+hardness+guage>
I measure the harness of a new roller, and compare it with whatever I
find in the printer. If the rubber has turned to mush or concrete, it
will be quite obvious. This hasn't been as useful as I originally
expected, but does help with Chinese clone rollers, which tend to have
random hardness (durometer) measurements. It's also quite useful for
buying automobile and bicycle tires. Harder rubber lasts longer.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_durometer>



--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[Kenny]

"DaveC" wrote in message
news:0001HW.1C8602AB0...@news.eternal-september.org...

I used to repair VCR's and always used Platenclens to revive the pinch
rollers. Also works well on audio tape deck rollers and printer rollers.

kenny

[Cydrome Leader]

DaveC <n...@home.cow> wrote:
> Looking for roller rejuvenator that you can recommend (ie, have used). Not

> Google results?
>
>
> I?ve seen several brands, but it?s hard to judge from a distance.

>
> One personal recommendation beats a hundred choices.

It depends on the rubber, but 303 aerospace protectant will soften and
swell some rubbers. They don't say it will, and it's not supposed to, but
it sure as heck does. The best part is my bottle of it has a cracked and
crazed label. Maybe the bottle should have been treated at the factory, or
it leaches though the bottle. Not really sure.

The beauty of it over solvents like turpentine is it has a very mild smell
and wipes up easily and isn't a hydrocarbon solvent.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Tue, 1 Mar 2016 11:44:44 -0800, dpl...@coop.radagast.org (Dave
Platt) wrote:

>>On 03/01/2016 9:47 AM, dansabr...@yahoo.com wrote:
>>> I have used Rubber Renue with success. Be careful and use with plenty of ventilation.
>>>
>>> Dan
>>>
>>
>>Rubber Renue is simply Acetone (with something added to slow down the
>>evaporation rate) as I recall.

>According to the MSDS, MG's Rubber Renue is about 60-70% of a xylene
>mixture, 20-30% ethylbenzene, and 15-30% methyl salicylate ("oil of
>wintergreen"). The latter accounts for its distinctive odor.

I use some cleaners that add a nasal desensitizer to "control" the
odor. It's something similar "lemon fresh" or some "air freshener"
that magically eliminates odors. What it really does is temporarily
take your sense of smell out of action. Try a blast of the stuff, and
then bite into some food full of aromatic ingredients. The food will
taste like cardboard.

>I've found Rubber Renue to be pretty effective at removing the
>hardened varnish-like layer on rubber rollers, and restoring "grab" to
>rollers that are in reasonably decent shape.

The surface "varnish" is a mixture of mostly toner (powdered plastic),
clay, and phosphors. The clay is the shiny coating found on most
better papers. The phosphor give the paper the bright white color.
You can see the phosphor with a UV flashlight. It's much like coating
the rubber roller with slippery polished plastic. Too bad that most
rubber rollers are not lighter color, or you would see the surface
crud on the rollers. I've often been tempted to add some powdered
phosphors to the toner cartridge so I can see with a UV lamp where the
stuff lands.

>Really old or oxidized
>rubber may be too far gone and may not "renew" properly... I don't
>think Rubber Renue can soften up a whole roller that has hardened up
>with age.

Oxidation, usually caused by ozone, causes surface cracking.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_cracking>
Early laser printers had rather high voltage corona wires which would
produce prodigious amounts of ozone and do an impressive job of
destroying rubber parts. HPII and III printers were quite good at
producing rubber rollers with surface cracking. Some of the clone
roller vendors hid the problem by pre-cracking the surface of their
rollers. Todays selenium drums use a lower voltage roller instead of
a corona wire to charge the drum, which produces no ozone. However,
the laser beam is also a source of ozone. It zaps oxygen (O2)
molecules along its path to produce ozone (O3). LED printers
eliminate the laser, so no ozone.

>Agree, be careful using this stuff... the ingredients are
>significantly toxic... best to use it outdoors, and wear good
>chemical-resistant gloves (not rubber for tolerably obvious reasons;
>nitrile looks like a better choice).

Nitrile (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber) is rubber.
<http://www.aps.anl.gov/Safety_and_Training/User_Safety/gloveselection.html>
<http://www.customadvanced.com/chemical-resistance-chart.html?chemical=Xylene&rubber=NBR>
<http://www.customadvanced.com/chemical-resistance-chart.html?chemical=Acetone&rubber=NBR>
Note that Nitrile is attacked by both acetone and xylene but is
slightly better than Latex (natural rubber) for xylene. The major
benefit is that Nitrile causes fewer allergic reactions. What you
want for solvent resistance is Viton or something with a silver foil
lining, such as Norfoil (used for Hazmat service) at $10/pair:
<https://www.b4brands.com/blog/latex-vs-nitrile-vs-vinyl-gloves-which-to-choose/>

[Tim R]

On Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 10:44:03 AM UTC-5, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Note that Nitrile is attacked by both acetone and xylene but is
> slightly better than Latex (natural rubber) for xylene. The major
> benefit is that Nitrile causes fewer allergic reactions. What you
> want for solvent resistance is Viton or something with a silver foil
> lining, such as Norfoil (used for Hazmat service) at $10/pair:

I have refreshed my memory on the time the rubber solvent ate the gloves.

(I found an old post where we discussed it.)

There were two of us dumping small containers into a drum. We thought it was all pretty much the same stuff, tiny bottles of solvents. The other guy was wearing latex gloves and I had on what we called triwall neoprene. Halfway through he let out a yell and ran for the emergency shower. His gloves had melted off and his hands were stinging. No real harm was done but it gave us a scare. When we checked that bottle it was the rubber rejuvenator. At any rate it didn't seem to bother my gloves but it destroyed his.

[Gareth Magennis]

"Kenny" wrote in message
news:Q7CdnfstNZK9_EvL...@brightview.com...

I'll second that, it works well on pinch rollers anyway, and isn't
particularly noxious.

It also isn't an aerosol despite being in a suspicious container, it's a
pump thing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Automation-Facilities-Platenclene-Cleaning-Spray/dp/B0012IKSHO


Gareth.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Fri, 4 Mar 2016 05:37:53 -0800 (PST), Tim R <timot...@aol.com>
wrote:

>I had on what we called triwall neoprene.

I couldn't find anything by that name, but did find these:
<http://www.mapa-pro.com/our-gloves/protections/disposable/p/g/trilites-994.html>
It's a mix of latex, neoprene, and nitrile. These might be the ones,
but the chemical chart at:
<http://www.mapa-pro.com/our-gloves/protections/disposable/p/g/trilites-983.html#chemical_chart>
doesn't show that it's resistant to any chlorinated hydrocarbon
solvents.

[hrho...@att.net]

I just rinse using soap and water for water-based rollers. For oil-based paint, I use some paint remover worked into the roller, and cleaned out with whatever solvent the paint remover said to use as a follow-up to using the remover on anything.

Frankly, it is a lot easier and not a lot more $$ to just get a new roller, when you consider the time and effort and $$ to buy the removal chemicals.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sat, 12 Mar 2016 19:28:10 -0800 (PST), hrho...@att.net wrote:

>I just rinse using soap and water for water-based rollers.

(...)

You missed the part where the OP mentioned that it's for rejuvenating
a PRINTER roller, not a paint roller.

[Brian Moore]

FWIW..... I needed to refurbish the printer rollers on a Dell P1500 this weekend. I read everything I could find about what products to use or not use. I have a chemistry background so that helped. At any rate, I settled on the following simple cocktail for restoring the rollers.... It worked fantastic:

1 teaspoon DOT brake fluid
1 teaspoon naphtha (old fashioned lighter fluid)
1cc acetone

First I scrubbed the rollers lightly with soapy water and a lint-free towel.
I mixed the above in a Dixie cup. Then I rubbed this cocktail on each roller with a Q-tip, and wiped it off with the lint-free towel within 30 seconds. Then I repeated the application, wiped clean again. I was amazed. The printer works again, it was throwing the "jam" sensor every time, because the paper wasn't advancing.

[John-Del]

I've used similar concoctions but they are all temporary. The rollers get hard and slick because the rubber is deteriorating with exposure to air (and sometimes light).

Back when phono idlers became tougher to get, I used to machine down the outer hardened layer of rubber with a cutting stone. This exposed "better" material to the friction surfaces but it was still not the perfect solution - although it lasted much longer than any liquid did.

Hopefully, your solution will outlast the printer.

[whit3rd]

On Saturday, July 18, 2020 at 9:12:35 AM UTC-7, Brian Moore wrote:
> FWIW..... I needed to refurbish the printer rollers on a Dell P1500 this weekend. I read everything I could find about what products to use or not use. I have a chemistry background so that helped. At any rate, I settled on the following simple cocktail for restoring the rollers.... It worked fantastic:
>
> 1 teaspoon DOT brake fluid
> 1 teaspoon naphtha (old fashioned lighter fluid)
> 1cc acetone

Largely, that replicates an old typewriter-platen-restore formula, adding acetone.
The naphtha was solvent for typewriter ribbon ink (and early dot-matrix printers)
and the DOT brake fluid was a bit of plasticizer and glycerine. I'm thinking
a lighter plasticizer might work as well (Armor-All vinyl finish?).

Most modern printer roller technologies are compatible with isopropanol, so
the acetone might be slightly more aggressive than required. Rollers that take a glaze
from paper, and a bit of dirt, take well to a scrub with green Scotchbrite with soap or
alcohol. Even typewriter ink was removed (slowly) with isopropyl.

A good roller cleaning should hold you for a few years. Congratulations on the
careful formulation; you didn't wast time OR material!