csg@pyramid.UUCP (02/22/87)
Larry Lippman writes: >These sprays are absurdly overpriced. All one needs is some 95% isopropyl >alcohol, which can readily be obtained from drugstores, hardware stores, etc. Scott Dorsey writes: >I always had great luck with WD-40 from the local hardware store. This is a >lubricant which contains lots of unidentified, light petroleum distillates, For dot-matrix printers, WD-40 would also be better for the printer. Besides ink, depleted ribbons are short on the oils that lubricate the print wires. It does need to be a *very* light oil; WD-40 should be about right. It also helps to simply turn the ribbon over, since worn cloth can be as much of a problem as the uneven distribution of ink. Obviously this isn't always possible, and many cartridge ribbons don't need it since they wind the ribbon in a mobius strip. <csg>