You're absolutely right that benzene, etc, are rubber solvents, but they're
not as aggressive toward synthetic rubbers (Styrene-Butadiene which is
Neoprene) as toward Latex-based rubber. What's more, MEK, and some of the
other compounds you name will abosolutely and permanently alter the
character of any of the high-tech plastics used in printers, so one has to
be really careful. Even having it on the fingers will leave a print you
have to sand out.
If the rubber parts can be treated externally to the printer, it would be
best to do so, and let the solvent clear out of the rubber before
reinstalling it.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pete Turnbull" <pete_at_dunnington.u-net.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2000 1:30 AM
Subject: Re: Rubber rejuvinent?
> On Dec 22, 0:03, Neil Cherry wrote:
> > Mike Ford wrote:
> > >
> > > Any opinions on "rubber rejuvinent"? I want to give all my printers a
> once
> > > over during the holidays, and I've heard this stuff is just the ticket
> for
> > > lazy pickup rollers etc. Web searchs have shown a couple different
> aerosol
> > > products, but I think it also comes in bottles. Tomorrow I do some
> local
> > > hunting at a couple big electronics parts stores. Anybody have
> experience,
> > > or preferences?
> >
> > If you find something that works let me know my 550C has the same
> problem.
>
> In the printing industry, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) is used to deep-clean
> ink rollers and "blankets" on offset litho machines. It's a powerful ink
> solvent, and also causes rubber to swell very slightly, so it removes the
> glaze you sometimes get, and lifts the dents you get in the blanket as a
> result of a paper smash[1]. MEK works well on pickup rollers, and it
> doesn't harm the ozone layer. However, like many solvents, it does
> dissolve some common plastics (polystyrene, ABS, PVC, etc) and paint; it
> also leaches the oils and fats from your skin, so don't wash in it :-)
Not
> for too long, anyway. It's also flammable. However, it's much safer than
> benzene, xylol, etc. It's a relative of acetone (nail varnish remover)
and
> you can get it from print suppliers (they may call it something like
> blanket rejuvenator, and charge extra), lab suppliers, etc. Put some on a
> cloth and wipe the roller with it. I've used it on lots of printer
> rollers, and the carriages of daisywheel and dotmatrix printers.
>
> You don't really want to use anything that is a good solvent for rubber or
> rubber cement as that will end up distorting the roller or making it gummy
> and ultimately leave you worse off.
>
> [1] In an offset litho press, the image is transferred from an image
> "plate" -- a very thin sheet of metal or plastic wrapped round a large
drum
> -- to a rubber "blanket", also wrapped round a large drum. From there,
the
> image is transferred to the paper. If a sheet of paper gets crumpled in
> the press, it makes dents in the blanket, which then fails to pick up ink
> from the plate in the low spots. This is called a "paper smash" or a
> "blanket smash".
>
> --
>
> Pete Peter Turnbull
> Network Manager
> Dept. of Computer Science
> University of York
>
>
Received on Fri Dec 22 2000 - 03:21:32 GMT