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Josh
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Roman Black wrote:
> I think this is in the right direction, what would
> be better still would be to move the printer along
> using a tractor feed type system and have all boards
> placed on a flatbed. The positively registered feed
> would save all dimensioning problems as there could
> be no slip.
>
> Since the paper feed is usually a stepper motor
> maybe you could make the printer movement as a
> leadscrew/threaded rod etc then just make sure that
> the steps/inch is the same so it would use the same
> printer drive hardware.

The only problem I see here is that this project suddenly starts to get
very hard to make for the average joe with no machining experience. If
it was just a simple modification of an existing printer that allowed
the thicker material, plus perhaps the cardboard carried, and of course
the ink modification, I think most people could handle it. Once you
start changing the printer too much, why not just take the controller
electronics and a couple mechanical subsystems from the printer, and
fashion a totally new machine. I know I don't have the skills/time to do
that (not that a machine like that wouldn't be useful).

> It's not actually "blueing" as that is a nasty
> chemical process. The "prussian blue" is simply
> an alchohol based INK used in metalwork to aid
> in marking out the metal with a scriber. It's a
> dark blue/purple and adheres well to the metal and
> is cheap in large tins. Viscosity should be fully
> modifyable by adding alcohol or drying it out a bit.

So this would be the stuff that flows into the scratches to increase
contrast? I was wondering about the gun blueing, IIRC it's actually an
acid of some sort.

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