How to Take Apart a Printer

This is the first in a series of Instructables that will be about taking old, trashed electronics apart and salvaging the treasure inside!

Supplies depend on your printer, but include hand tools and sometimes a rotary tool.

What you will find depends on your printer but includes:

DC motors

Drive belts

Fan (or 2)

Gears

LCD

Lenses

Microswitches

Mirrors

Sometimes a CCD

Springs

Various other components

With your printer unplugged, take out the paper tray, the lid, and the glass (I shattered one - not too great) Then take off one side, using your rotary tool if needed.

Take off the other side in like manner and then, if there's anything left, from the top down.

These are just ideas, but the applications are limitless.

- Make this with the fan

- Use an Arduino sketch for the stepper motor

- Make a robot with the DC motors like this or this

- Use the mirrors for emergency signaling :-)

If you have any ideas or applications, please share!

If you have any more hack or take-apart requests, please comment below!

Ad majorem dei gloriam, and merry making!