- phxxer
- New Member
Offline - From: Phoenix, az
- Registered: 25-11-2013
- Posts: 14
Re: Re-Inking Typewriter Ribbons
If the typewriter is a daisy wheel (print wheel), the print wheels are made of plastic, so should be able to use either water or oil based ink. My guess is the letterpress ink is oil based (smell it and see if it has a solvent smell). It is probably a paste and will need to be diluted. I think the ribbon has to use oil based ink, or it would dry out. If it is cheap enough, buy a tube and experiment.
- iMe
- Novice Typer
Offline
- Registered: 09-2-2014
- Posts: 26
Re: Re-Inking Typewriter Ribbons
Uwe wrote:
I only have two electric machines, and both are old enough that they use regular ribbon spools (one of the reasons I bought them) so I don't have any concerns with them. However, my mother still has a Smith-Corona that uses a cartridge. They're still available, but very pricey, so my plan is to see if I can take one of the old cartridges apart and replace the ribbon inside if it's the same size - or at the very least re-ink it.
On another thread, I think we got the reply to the mystery of re-inking cartridges, I you haven't read it :
So, to sum up if somebody is interested in re-inking electronic typewriter ribbons :
- It's not possible to do it with a carbon ribbons, since the letter is "cut" in the ribbon
- However, at one point, multi-layers carbon ribbons existed for some typewriters, and allowed several uses, but were discontinued
- BUT there also exists nylon ribbons, which seem to be re-inkable
Voilà !
Last edited by iMe (27-2-2014 10:48:41)
