Printer modding! Pics!

So, had some parts around with no apparent use.. Like a 30cm blue(ish) CC..

So, let's give it a house! In my printer!

Opened up my Canon i560 and looked around, only one possible location due to size. And I had to use the CC without the protective tube around it. So I added clear heatshrink tubing to keep the tiny wires around the CC tube in place. Some hotmelt glue and it's all in place:


Next, power to the people! (or to the inverter at least...) Checked around with my multimeter and found a +12V point! Good, done!
So I prepared the cables and got ready to solder. But I had forgotten which wire was the +12V one.. Ok, let's fire it up and test again: What!?! I only found +24V!?!

Hmm.. In my confusion I also shorted a point on the board, making the printer turn off. After a couple of minutes it started back up, guess it's got some sort of reseting fuse. Good..

Anyway, it turns out the the PSU delivers +12V when the printer is in standby mode, and goes up to 24 volts when it's doing something.. Not good news for my inverter..

Took a rummage in my parts box and found a LM317 regulator. Some soldering later I had a voltage regulator giving me about 11.5V when it's fed 24V and about 10V @ 12V. Sorted!

Here is where I found the power in MY printer:


So, then it's the money shots. First with the lid closed and then with an open lid. Printer still works fine, prints fine, voltage regulator cool to the touch, inverter cool as well and everything allright.

The point of the mod? Ehh... I can change the ink tanks without turning on the light! Or something like that.. Or just that it's a challenge to do and worked out fine!

nice mod man.

Very cool mod, makes a fella start to wonder what an acylic printer would look like all lit up.

Very cool mod.

Damn that's cool.

Thanks all!

And really quick to make as well, took me something like 4 hours total time, with most of the time spent trying different positions for the light and inverter. Once that was in place, the actuall cutting, gluing and soldering took less then an hour..

How does it look in the darK? Besides that sweet....

lol, thats awsome i have to try that
where did you get the regualator? i never know when i might need one of those

Here's a night shot as well:

As for the regulator, it's a standard LM317 circuit, based on this calculator

With 270 and 2200 in resistance, it gives me 11,44V as long as the input is 1,5V higher then that. At lower voltages I get the input minus 1,5V

It's always a good idea to have some basic components around, like 317's and some resistors..

Oh, and I built the regulator without any caps. Don't need the smoothing or filtering very much in this case..

Good, clean and simple mod. I like how that is done, and the reasons why.
I think I will have to test the Idea myself [goes to tear apart 24" printer]

i wonder how the heat from that light might affect the ink cartridges ? drying up or something?

it is a cool mood, make me wonder if anyone else has tried any printer mods i got an epson c82 not doing much

I have 14" CCFL's in my system, they've been on all day, like since 6am, and they still aren't even warm when I put my finger on the tube, I doubt heat will be a problem.

You should put a window in it, and paint some of the components UV.
Very cool and original mod, good work!

Wow very original. Sweet Mod. You are right why should computers get all the attention. Way to share the love.

LOL that is crazy cool!! Wish I woulda thought about it first

dude you gotta use some UV paint on that printer...think how COOL it would be if it glowed....

Original, Love it.