carriage rod lubrication

[akramjef]

HI , which oil or grease is good to lubricate Epson cartridges carriage rod?
thank you

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I wouldn't do much in that area - just keep the rod clean, any grease just would collect paper dust.

 

[akramjef]

@ Ink stained fingers , thank you for reply .yesterday i bought used Epson R290 . it is a little bit noisy during print head carriage movement ,even when i move it by hand it is a little bit rough.i thought lubrication may improve movement.
so do think wipe it with dry soft tissue is enough? with or with out alcohol?

 

[PeterBJ]

I checked some Epson service manuals and the recommended lubricants and lubrication points and procedures for lubrication varies from model to model, so the service manual should be checked before lubrication. The service manual for Epson Stylus Photo R280/R285/R290 is found here.

See page 117 in the service manual for lubricating the carriage shaft using the Epson lubricant G-71.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

first try to clean it, alcohol will evaporate, the bearings are typically plastic - PE - on polished steel which would not need lubrication, but it's the inevitable dust from the paper moving through together with the ink mist settling down on the inner plastics, the timing strip and the steel rod. If at all lubing it should be pretty minimal , I would assume that the Epson lube is silicon based. A look to the service manual should help in this case.

 

[akramjef]

@PeterBJ my appreciation and thank you for the service manual .
@Ink stained Fingers thank you for your recommendation ,i will clean it with a piece of tissue wet with alcohol.if not successful i will put very thin layer of silicon based lubricant.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Just keep an eye on that area, and in a year or whenever wipe off the rod - dry - alcohol would most likely not remove grease, and apply a small amount of fresh grease again.

 

[PeterBJ]

I think that using lubricants or other products containing silicone should be avoided inside electronics. It seems silicone can migrate and can ruin contact surfaces. See this. this and this.

On the other hand, here is an older thread in which A silicone "Sleek" grease for paint ball guns was used successfully.

If you cannot obtain the original Epson G-71 grease or find it way too expensive, I think that this Molykote grease that I have used successfully in Canon printers is a better alternative to the Epson grease than silicone products.

 

[W. Fisher]

There was some sort of clear grease on my 3880 rod. Not having whatever it was, I just wipe it with a piece of felt and some Pfaff brand sewing machine oil. The oil may be silicon based as it is super thin, but it is safe for the plastic parts like the thread's bobbin shuttle and nylon bearings and needle bar rods in the sewing machine. Haven't had to replace a needle bar yet (Part that hold the needle.), and that up-and-down piece takes a beating with maybe some 10,000+ movements per day.

 

[akramjef]

Update to rod lubrication.
Alcohol didn't help, i have multipurpose silicon spray, i sprayed small amount in a small cup, i dip cotton swab in this fluid and painted the rod with it , the gritty sound and roughness disappear and the carriage move smoothly . by using light and looking on both ends of the rod i found a small lump of white grease on the plastic wheel i took piece of it and wipe it on the rod for extra lubrication . now every thing is fine.
@W. Fisher
sewing machine oil is usually fine grade petroleum oil.may be harmful to plastic parts.