Paul

I have reclaimed shafts and other parts of printers/faxes/photocopiers. Like you I dont know what grade of steel it is but it machines beautifully. I imagine some might have a hard chrome plating but mostly they are centreless ground to quite high tolerances of diameter, finish, and straightness.

I have come across shafts made od stainless steel but I cannot imagine why they would ever use Silver steel (ie hardenable) but maybe that is just my assumption. I have never tried to heat treat any of the parts I have made.

IanP

Salvaging from that printer is sacrilege! The LaserJet 4 was/is one of the best printers HP have made. A true workhorse, beautifully and ingeniously designed so it has no internal wiring looms, ultra reliable but easy to service and it can even print on cardboard.

I rescued one from a skip 10 years ago and put in a new genuine HP cartridge about every two or three years, last one cost me £9.99 incl postage. An acquaintance has bought several new inkjets and spent a small fortune on cartridges over the same period.

Ian P

resued one from a skip

Where I worked we used to say thy had a core of 'star matter' because they were so heavy.

Yes beautifully made, but for my needs a laserjet 1022 does the job just as well, if not a bit better.

It's odd how new technology is often very well made, and as it progresses it's hugely simplified. As a teenager I was given a modest Sharp 'ghetto blaster'. The speakers had plastic frames to hold them and avoid vibration. All the joints in the case had thin felt strips to stop rattles. All controls were over-engineered. I still quite a bit of it in my electronics recycling including the fully functional FM radio unit, speakers and (apparently) defunct power amp.

Neil