Stainless steel

[colin hawesParticipant @colinhawes85982]

Worn out windscreen wiper rubbers contain two inserted springy stainless steel strips ~ 2.5 x 0.8mm x blade length and easily removed .More free metal for the model making supply!

[colin hawesParticipant @colinhawes85982]

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

Hi Colin,

A man after my own heart. I salvage nuts, screws and washers from most things destined for the scrap bin. Sad isn't it? However, any other suggestions for free stuff are gladly welcomed.

[J HancockParticipant @jhancock95746]

Disposable lighters for miniature O rings /springs /ball.

Printers , where new printers are cheaper than ink replacement !

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

The little wheel from lighters make small knurling tools.

David

[Jouke van der VeenParticipant @joukevanderveen72935]

Hi Collin,

I also keep some steel strips from windscreen wipers available. Just this afternoon I found such a strip that had fallen down from the top of the tool cupboard on my workbench. Until now no application for these strips.

Regards,

Jouke

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Something wrong when it,s cheaper to replace the printer than the ink !!

Must be one Hell of a rip-off somewhere along the line.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/08/2020 16:48:13:

Something wrong when it,s cheaper to replace the printer than the ink !!

Must be one Hell of a rip-off somewhere along the line.

Yes it's like when you buy a new printer it comes with ink cartridges with just a bit of ink in them.

I only use HP printers now , as the cartridges for some are stupendous.

Steve.

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

I think the "nearly empty cartridge" is just an urban myth.

The money is made out of the repeat buying of ink, much like a lot of consumer products.

Jim

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/08/2020 16:48:13:

Something wrong when it,s cheaper to replace the printer than the ink !!

Must be one Hell of a rip-off somewhere along the line.

They're doing it on purpose. Cars, computers and electronics get better year on year, but domestic printers get worse and worse. Unreliable expensive ink gobblers because the profit is in the consumables and regular replacement. Chipped half empty ink cartridges that can't be refilled; ink wasted by constant 'cleaning', paper jams, and pipes and nozzles that gum up. Office printers are much better and ink is cheap, but they're expensive to buy, not worth it unless you do lots of printing.

I've switched to a black and white laser printer for letters etc and have photos done on the internet.

Dave

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

At least on Canon printers you can reset the chips.

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

After getting completely fed-up with endlessly buying HP ink cartridges at no small cost, I moved to an Epson Ecotank based printer. Still using the original bottles of ink a year later with plenty still available

[Brian HParticipant @brianh50089]

I did a cost analysis (very roughly) and concluded that HP Instant Ink was the way to go. The printer tells HP when ink is getting low and sends a new cartridge and a bag for sending the old cartridge back to France (postage paid).

The cost for 50 pages a month is less than buying cartridges for my other printer, but I keep it because it does A3 printing.

Brian

[S.D.L.Participant @s-d-l]

Posted by Stuart Bridger on 27/08/2020 17:39:03:

After getting completely fed-up with endlessly buying HP ink cartridges at no small cost, I moved to an Epson Ecotank based printer. Still using the original bottles of ink a year later with plenty still available

+1 Done the same been using it 2 or 3 years of fairly heavy B&W use and only on second bottle of ink.

Steve

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

The pump-type hand wash bottles seem (when rinsed properly) to be ideal for oil in the workshop. And within the pump is a stainless spring – very handy.

Cheers, Tim

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

The almost empty ink cartridge included with a new printer is no urban myth here, buying commercially refilled cartridges is also worthless as 2 of them have been empty, 2 out of 2 for a loss. One store made it right, another did not. Switching to a laser printer when these cartridges are spent.

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

+1 for the Ecotank. I've had one for about 18 months and still using original ink bottles.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

A new inkjet printer with separate ink tanks and head will need to fill the head from empty but will indicate that the cartridge needs replacing when the cartridge is itself empty. The replacement cartridge will not need to do this so appears to print more pages that the original ones supplied.

Regarding colour laser printers sometimes a part filled set of cartridges has been supplied with the machine amongst the 6 I look after, but I really can't give a reason why as surely to produce the lower capacity cartridges in smaller quantities must cost the manufacturer more per item.

The other piece of advice learnt the hard way is to use an inkjet printer. If left standing heads clog up and replacing them is not economic. The printer is junk. If it is a printer where the head is part of the cartridge you do not have this problem, but the cartridges are then very expensive – a genuine HP colour cartridge with integral head for one of my printers is now £70 and the black £50. And remember if buying genuine HP it may still be recycled – hence the HP Instant ink system.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by mark costello 1 on 27/08/2020 20:13:13:

The almost empty ink cartridge included with a new printer is no urban myth here, buying commercially refilled cartridges is also worthless as 2 of them have been empty, 2 out of 2 for a loss. One store made it right, another did not. Switching to a laser printer when these cartridges are spent.

While colour laser technology is good remember that it is not photo quality and photo paper is not compatible with a colour laser printer. If you wish to print photos (the only job I still use an inkjet for) ink jet is the only domestic solution available.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 27/08/2020 17:17:53:

They're doing it on purpose. Cars, computers and electronics get better year on year, but domestic printers get worse and worse. Unreliable expensive ink gobblers because the profit is in the consumables and regular replacement.

A business model that goes back to 1903, and the Gillette safety razor……

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

If you ask nicely the bottles containing hair colouring with nozzles make excellent dispensing bottles for oil, water , coolant etc Smell at bit odd at first but after a couple of rinses…

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