Specifically, a venerable Canon LBP-4, still important because of its
inputs...
I've two cartridges, both old in years, both give similarly poor, but
not identical, results: a uniform slight grey behind the printed area,
with streaks, particularly at one end. Looking at the drums, you can
see that they are dusted with toner, with a heavier buildup to that
one end. Brushing it off doesn't give a lasting improvement.
So can drums age to give these symptoms, or is this pointing to
something else? I'm reluctant to buy a new cartridge just to find out
that its not the drums at fault...
Re: Lasers, is poor quality drum or something else?
While there are a number of potential causes for what you are
describing, probably the most common cause is the drum wiper blade
failing. They tend to wear and harden over time, and therefore do not
properly clean the drum of excess toner as they should. Laser printer
drums end up with excess toner on them (the full toner doesn't
completely transfer to the paper for fusing) and it needs to be cleaned
off. The wiper basically work like a squeegee. This excess toner must
be dealt with over time. Some printers dump the toner into a bottle
which is then emptied or replaced which it fills up. Some units actually
recycle the toner and add it back into the toner hopper and yet others
store the extra used toner in a storage area in the cartridge under the
drum. If you refill your cartridge several times, and don't remove that
toner, eventually it will start contaminating the drum, because it
overflows.
Another cause can be that the drum has become physically worn causing
the drum to have an uneven surface which picks up toner when it is not
required on that part of the drum.
You might also check if your printer or toner cartridge has any corona
wires. If so they may require cleaning. Printers with corona wires
usually have a tool of some sort which is designed for cleaning them.
Be careful in cleaning them, they are tightly stretched and can be
damaged if not attended to properly, and you can be injured as well.
Art
If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:
Mark wrote:
> Specifically, a venerable Canon LBP-4, still important because of its
> inputs...
>
> I've two cartridges, both old in years, both give similarly poor, but
> not identical, results: a uniform slight grey behind the printed area,
> with streaks, particularly at one end. Looking at the drums, you can
> see that they are dusted with toner, with a heavier buildup to that
> one end. Brushing it off doesn't give a lasting improvement.
>
> So can drums age to give these symptoms, or is this pointing to
> something else? I'm reluctant to buy a new cartridge just to find out
> that its not the drums at fault...
>
Re: Lasers, is poor quality drum or something else?
Mark <mark@poppyland.plu$.com.invalid> wrote:
>Specifically, a venerable Canon LBP-4, still important because of its
>inputs...
>
>I've two cartridges, both old in years, both give similarly poor, but
>not identical, results: a uniform slight grey behind the printed area,
>with streaks, particularly at one end. Looking at the drums, you can
>see that they are dusted with toner, with a heavier buildup to that
>one end. Brushing it off doesn't give a lasting improvement.
>
>So can drums age to give these symptoms, or is this pointing to
>something else? I'm reluctant to buy a new cartridge just to find out
>that its not the drums at fault...
>
>--
>Mark J
>Poppyland.plus.com, not invalid@fslife.co.uk, for private replies
Mark As Arthur has said this is most likely a wiper blade failure in the
cartridges due to old age (some of us can attest to that).
Most likely a new cartridge will fix the problem.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
Re: Lasers, is poor quality drum or something else?
In message <BV26k.35734$gc5.18268@pd7urf2no>
Arthur Entlich <e-printerhelp@mvps.org> wrote:
Encouraging :-)
Yes; I had thought corona wires, but I can see no way into the
cartridge,and there's no cleaning facility. I wasn't aware that there
was actually a physical wiper; rather, I had assumed a second wire as
in photocopiers. A shrivelled wiper would certainly fit the symptoms
nicely. As to whether this unit collects internally or recycles,
there's no hint, and neither cartridge has been refilled. The drum is
certainly as new, since it's "new old stock" as they say, with no
date.
Thanks very much for you fullsome reply; I'll away to buy a
remanufactured one (I'm sure you'd agree with that) pronto. The
printer's a nice old beast which doesn't deserve to die yet!
cheers
> While there are a number of potential causes for what you are
> describing, probably the most common cause is the drum wiper blade
> failing. They tend to wear and harden over time, and therefore do not
> properly clean the drum of excess toner as they should. Laser printer
> drums end up with excess toner on them (the full toner doesn't
> completely transfer to the paper for fusing) and it needs to be cleaned
> off. The wiper basically work like a squeegee. This excess toner must
> be dealt with over time. Some printers dump the toner into a bottle
> which is then emptied or replaced which it fills up. Some units actually
> recycle the toner and add it back into the toner hopper and yet others
> store the extra used toner in a storage area in the cartridge under the
> drum. If you refill your cartridge several times, and don't remove that
> toner, eventually it will start contaminating the drum, because it
> overflows.
>
> Another cause can be that the drum has become physically worn causing
> the drum to have an uneven surface which picks up toner when it is not
> required on that part of the drum.
>
> You might also check if your printer or toner cartridge has any corona
> wires. If so they may require cleaning. Printers with corona wires
> usually have a tool of some sort which is designed for cleaning them.
> Be careful in cleaning them, they are tightly stretched and can be
> damaged if not attended to properly, and you can be injured as well.
>
> Art
>
>
> If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
> I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:
>
> http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/
>
> Mark wrote:
> > Specifically, a venerable Canon LBP-4, still important because of its
> > inputs...
> >
> > I've two cartridges, both old in years, both give similarly poor, but
> > not identical, results: a uniform slight grey behind the printed area,
> > with streaks, particularly at one end. Looking at the drums, you can
> > see that they are dusted with toner, with a heavier buildup to that
> > one end. Brushing it off doesn't give a lasting improvement.
> >
> > So can drums age to give these symptoms, or is this pointing to
> > something else? I'm reluctant to buy a new cartridge just to find out
> > that its not the drums at fault...
> >
Re: Lasers, is poor quality drum or something else?
In message <part1of1.1.hcpe1ZM4kydx7A@ue.ph>
Tony <tonythebengaltiger@gmail.com> wrote:
> Mark <mark@poppyland.plu$.com.invalid> wrote:
> >Specifically, a venerable Canon LBP-4, still important because of its
> >inputs...
> >
> >I've two cartridges, both old in years, both give similarly poor, but
> >not identical, results: a uniform slight grey behind the printed area,
> >with streaks, particularly at one end. Looking at the drums, you can
> >see that they are dusted with toner, with a heavier buildup to that
> >one end. Brushing it off doesn't give a lasting improvement.
> >
> >So can drums age to give these symptoms, or is this pointing to
> >something else? I'm reluctant to buy a new cartridge just to find out
> >that its not the drums at fault...
> >
> >--
> >Mark J
> >Poppyland.plus.com, not invalid@fslife.co.uk, for private replies
>
> Mark As Arthur has said this is most likely a wiper blade failure in the
> cartridges due to old age (some of us can attest to that).
> Most likely a new cartridge will fix the problem.
> Tony
> MS MVP Printing/Imaging
Yes; thanks. I think he's hit the nail on the head
Lasers, is poor quality drum or something else? 
Linear Mode
