ComputingYou will see this often

Inkjet printer

Also called deskjet, all-in-one printer, ink printer.

The best mechanical donor in the house. Rods, belts, a real encoder, motors, and a supply that is often 24–32 V. The ink is the part you did not want.

A donor is the dead machine. The parts below are what is still worth removing from it. “Leave it” is a part that is physically in there and should stay in there: too dangerous, too worn, or only useful as part of a repair you are not doing.

What you are looking at

A scrapped machine is a box of parts that failed at different times. The reason it was thrown out is often one bad piece. The motor, the cord, the supply, and the screws are frequently still good. This index says which is which.

Why it is in the trash while the parts are not

A dried head, a counterfeit-cartridge argument with itself, or a jammed feed. The linear mechanics survive all of those.

Before you open it

Do this while it is still unplugged, cool, and not leaking. Unplug. Remove cartridges into a bag. Paper dust and ink are the mess, not a high-voltage problem, but the supply is still mains.

Where the dead machine usually is

Home office — In the house
Office cleanout — Commercial
Bulk trash day — Curb
Move-out week — Curb

Curbside on bulk-trash day is reliable. Pull the cartridges before you tip it, or you will wear the ink.

How it comes apart

Screws hide under rubber feet and labels. The carriage rod comes out through one side after the retainer is off. Do not crease the clear encoder strip; slide it into a tube.

Tools: Phillips, Flat blade, Isopropyl, A tray for clips.

Words on this page

mains: Ordinary household wall power. It can kill. Unplug before you open anything that used it, and do not experiment on live wiring.

What to take

The table is the short version. The notes under it describe that part inside this machine, not only the general description.

Parts in this donor
Part	Call	How many	How often	Where to look
Switch-mode wall supply	Prize	1	usually	A metal box inside, or an external brick.
Linear shaft	Prize	1–2	always	The carriage rods.
Linear encoder strip	Prize	1	usually	Parallel to the rod, clear plastic.
Timing belt	Worth pulling	1	always	On the carriage.
Brushed DC motor	Worth pulling	1–3	usually	Carriage and paper feed.
Stepper motor	Worth pulling	1	sometimes	Older and higher-end machines, paper feed.
Optical interrupter	Worth pulling	2–4	usually	Carriage home and paper path.
Small pump	Bonus	1	sometimes	Ink-system models.
Gears	Worth pulling	many	always	Paper path.
Spring	Bonus	several	always	Carriage and covers.
Flat flex cable	Bonus	1–2	always	To the carriage.
Enclosure	Bonus	1	always	The shell.

Prize

Prize — take this firstSwitch-mode wall supply1 · usually
Often a 32 V rail and a logic rail. Read the silk. Not always 24 V, not always isolated until you check.
A metal box inside, or an external brick.
Unplug the output and label the voltages you measure.
Often healthy, because the head died first.
Prize — take this firstLinear shaft1–2 · always
Ground steel, commonly 8–12 mm. Measure.
The carriage rods.
Slide out after the clips. Wipe the ink.
Usually still straight.
Prize — take this firstLinear encoder strip1 · usually
A linear scale. Pitch varies; count it.
Parallel to the rod, clear plastic.
Do not fingerprint. Store flat or in a tube.
Useless once creased.

Worth pulling

Worth pullingTiming belt1 · always
Toothed, clamped at the carriage.
On the carriage.
Measure pitch before you assume GT2.
Good if the teeth are not glazed.
Worth pullingBrushed DC motor1–3 · usually
Modern inkjets are mostly DC motors with encoders, not steppers.
Carriage and paper feed.
Cut the harness with the connector.
Good.
Worth pullingStepper motor1 · sometimes
A real hybrid stepper when it is present.
Older and higher-end machines, paper feed.
Keep the connector and count the wires.
Good.
Worth pullingOptical interrupter2–4 · usually
Flag sensors.
Carriage home and paper path.
Keep the little boards.
Dusty but fine.
Worth pullingGearsmany · always
A whole gearbox.
Paper path.
Keep the stack in order if you want the ratio.
One broken tooth is common.

Bonus

Bonus, if you are already in thereSmall pump1 · sometimes
A peristaltic pump for purging.
Ink-system models.
The tube is often flat. The motor is the part.
Tube is a consumable.
Bonus, if you are already in thereSpringseveral · always
Various.
Carriage and covers.
Bag them.
Good.
Bonus, if you are already in thereFlat flex cable1–2 · always
Wide flex. Model-specific.
To the carriage.
Only a spare for the same printer.
Hates creases.
Bonus, if you are already in thereEnclosure1 · always
Awkward plastic, sometimes useful as a bin.
The shell.
Not a pretty enclosure.
Brittle clips.