• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Paper tape residue

C

Christoffer

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2014
Messages
299
Location
Denmark
Hi! I just bought a nice Facit PE-1501 60's paper tape punch, along with a Siemens 5-hole tape reader (almost as new, and for about 20$!)
Everything looks in superb condition, but there's been left tape fed through the punch for many many years. Of course, there's plenty of oil everywhere, it being an electromechanical device, so a soaked up piece of tape has jammed the punch die area of the tape feed.

I've gotten all other bits of tape out in little pieces, but this is stuck. Now I could disassemble the punch die mechanics, and get it out, but frankly, it looks so much like new i'd rather not risk un-calibrating it. Any ideas on how to get it out? Maybe a thin steel feeler gauge to push it out?

Thanks in advance.
 
Looks nice, but in this case, I don't think it'd be enough. It's some very oily paper tape, and the machine was so oily itself it's almost resin-consistency.
Think I'll start with trying hooking it up to power and then feeding tape through, see if it lifts some brake or something.
 
could try adding some appropriate oil onto it to see if the fresh loosens up the old, no clue what oil would be used on something like that, probably something really light
 
Agreed; try kerosene (UK paraffin) or paint thinner applied with a paint brush or parts cleaning brush Won't hurt the parts and will cut the oily grease. Use plenty of newspaper underneath--the stuff the drips out is likely to be black and full of dirt. Re-lubricate if necessary.
 
That's a good idea! I think it uses something along the lines of sewing machine oil, actually. it has a really nice oiling system with a reservoir, connected to a VERY slow pump, that forces oil into thin capillary tubes feeding various parts.

I'll try a solvent, that's probably the way to go. There's literally nothing in it that isn't metal or bakelite, so I don't think I'll harm anything.
Thanks!
 
I think that in Demark, Stoddard solvent is known as "Mineral Turpentine". In the UK, "white spirit". Should do the trick nicely. Lately, in the US, a "green alternative" is being sold, which will also dissolve grease and oil, but which is essentially non-flammable MSDS here. Just don't drink it. :)
 
Ah yeah. "Mineralsk terpentin"/mineral turpentine. Kerosene is less commonly used today. both would probably do the trick, I suspect.

I just had it connected to the mains, and it spins up (it's not a quiet model) but the punch/die assembly does move up and down as it's supposed to, shifting between grabbing and freeing the paper feed. Maybe I should add some solvent, and then just let it churn for a minute or two, to loosen up any gunk.

Gotta say, if I had to choose a liquid to have had drenched it for 40 years, machine oil probably isn't the worst! it's almost entirely rust free.

Here's a photo of it, because I hate threads without visuals:
IMG_0674 - Copy.jpg
 
I snagged a tool kit for a card punch some time ago. It has a thin steel blade for cleaning the slot. Pretty sure we also had "card knives" for clearing jams in the Card Punch...
 
Okay, I fixed the issue.
I found a solvent in my local tool store, some store brand, but it was about 40% ethanol and 60% mineral turpentine. It took all the goop and gunk.
I bought a thin steel spatula, that I cut into a tool with the width of the paper tape (1 inch) and one narrower one. Each blade were ground very thin, and re-hardened with blow-torch and quenching in cold water. Then applied large amounts of the solvent to the blades and hacked away through the paper path.

Lastly, after I got some hole through, I cut a piece of paper tape in half, lengthwise and narrow enough to get through. Then added solvent to the tape and ran it through.
using the tape to distribute. Then gradually wider tape could be used, and at last, it was all clear!

Thanks for all the advice. I might do a follow up thread on the punch, as I endeavor into creating a driver box for it, modernizing the original all-transistor and diode logic circuits into actual chips.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I might do a follow up thread on the punch, as I endeavor into creating a driver box for it, modernizing the original all-transistor and diode logic circuits into actual chips.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't. You can still buy discrete components that were current in 1961. ICs are another matter entirely--try buying some DTL or RTL ICs today... Discretes also make things easier to reverse-engineer.
 
Oh I wouldn't modernize it more than 7400 TTL stuff - and then add high voltage solenoid drivers as last stage.
I might have to use the complete original circuit - but then I won't be sourcing OC83 transistors by the hundreds. Probably something a bit accessible-er.
Haven't made up my mind yet, but of course the original would be the neatest. I just hate working with discrete transistor stuff. Ah well, we'll see.
 
But then again, I might screw up the timing, and with a high speed punch, that could mess up a lot. And going original, all fault-finding is available with the manuals.
pros/cons...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top