Cleaning Laser Printer Drum

I have a Brother HL-1440 laser printer, and I've noticed three thin
vertical bands of toner on the drum. Can I safely wipe down the drum
with a dust free cloth to remove the toner and any other containments?
Thanks.

Hi!

> I have a Brother HL-1440 laser printer, and I've noticed three thin
> vertical bands of toner on the drum. Can I safely wipe down the drum
> with a dust free cloth to remove the toner and any other containments?
> Thanks.

I would tend to say "yes", as I had to do this on an HP LaserJet III toner
cartridge. I used a very soft rag to clean the excess toner away from the
drum and the cartridge was fine from that point onward. Try not to touch the
drum with your skin...if you have to, wash your hands first. Don't expose
the drum to bright light or leave it out of the printer for more than a few
minutes.

Most of the time the toner cartridge or toner carrying assembly has some
means by which to pick unused toner off the drum...there is either a rubber
wiper or possibly a magnet inside the cartridge that should clean the toner
off. It is also worth nothing that if you found an image on the drum after a
paper jam, that should clear itself after the next normal print run.

If the banding comes back, you've got an internal problem on the toner
cartridge. Either the magnet has fallen away or the rubber cleaning roller
is not making contact. Both problems could be fixable, although taking apart
the toner cartridge to do it is likely to be messy or downright impossible
without destroying the cartridge.

If you should decide to take the cartridge apart, don't inhale any toner,
clean spills up with cold water and wear clothes you don't really care
about. Having an area where you can make a mess is a good idea. Be extremely
cautious of using a vacuum cleaner to collect spilled toner. I've heard that
if you pick up enough of it, you might cause a dust explosion due to the
rushing toner causing a static electricity discharge in the vacuum.

William

William R. Walsh wrote:
> I would tend to say "yes", as I had to do this on an HP LaserJet III toner
> cartridge. I used a very soft rag to clean the excess toner away from the
> drum and the cartridge was fine from that point onward. Try not to touch the
> drum with your skin...if you have to, wash your hands first. Don't expose
> the drum to bright light or leave it out of the printer for more than a few
> minutes.
>
> Most of the time the toner cartridge or toner carrying assembly has some
> means by which to pick unused toner off the drum...there is either a rubber
> wiper or possibly a magnet inside the cartridge that should clean the toner
> off. It is also worth nothing that if you found an image on the drum after a
> paper jam, that should clear itself after the next normal print run.
>
> If the banding comes back, you've got an internal problem on the toner
> cartridge. Either the magnet has fallen away or the rubber cleaning roller
> is not making contact. Both problems could be fixable, although taking apart
> the toner cartridge to do it is likely to be messy or downright impossible
> without destroying the cartridge.
>
> If you should decide to take the cartridge apart, don't inhale any toner,
> clean spills up with cold water and wear clothes you don't really care
> about. Having an area where you can make a mess is a good idea. Be extremely
> cautious of using a vacuum cleaner to collect spilled toner. I've heard that
> if you pick up enough of it, you might cause a dust explosion due to the
> rushing toner causing a static electricity discharge in the vacuum.
>
> William

I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's not
used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant smudgy bands
of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are still there.

"M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>William R. Walsh wrote:
>> I would tend to say "yes", as I had to do this on an HP LaserJet III toner
>> cartridge. I used a very soft rag to clean the excess toner away from the
>> drum and the cartridge was fine from that point onward. Try not to touch the
>> drum with your skin...if you have to, wash your hands first. Don't expose
>> the drum to bright light or leave it out of the printer for more than a few
>> minutes.
>>
>> Most of the time the toner cartridge or toner carrying assembly has some
>> means by which to pick unused toner off the drum...there is either a rubber
>> wiper or possibly a magnet inside the cartridge that should clean the toner
>> off. It is also worth nothing that if you found an image on the drum after a
>> paper jam, that should clear itself after the next normal print run.
>>
>> If the banding comes back, you've got an internal problem on the toner
>> cartridge. Either the magnet has fallen away or the rubber cleaning roller
>> is not making contact. Both problems could be fixable, although taking apart
>> the toner cartridge to do it is likely to be messy or downright impossible
>> without destroying the cartridge.
>>
>> If you should decide to take the cartridge apart, don't inhale any toner,
>> clean spills up with cold water and wear clothes you don't really care
>> about. Having an area where you can make a mess is a good idea. Be extremely
>> cautious of using a vacuum cleaner to collect spilled toner. I've heard that
>> if you pick up enough of it, you might cause a dust explosion due to the
>> rushing toner causing a static electricity discharge in the vacuum.
>>
>> William
>
>I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's not
>used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant smudgy bands
>of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are still there.

If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum cannot be
restored, although I have heard that there is some drum rejuvenator available
but have no idea whether it is any good. Are the bands the same distance apart
as the circumference of the drum, if so a new drum will fix those also?
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

Tony wrote:
> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> William R. Walsh wrote:
>> I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's not
>> used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant smudgy
>> bands of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are still there.
>
> If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum
> cannot be restored, although I have heard that there is some drum
> rejuvenator available but have no idea whether it is any good. Are
> the bands the same distance apart as the circumference of the drum,
> if so a new drum will fix those also?

When you cleaning the drum, in what direction did you turn it? Turning it
the wrong way can ruin the doctor blades. If you replace the drum, you
should replace the doctor blades.

jasee wrote:
> Tony wrote:
>> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> William R. Walsh wrote:
>>> I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's not
>>> used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant smudgy
>>> bands of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are still there.
>> If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum
>> cannot be restored, although I have heard that there is some drum
>> rejuvenator available but have no idea whether it is any good. Are
>> the bands the same distance apart as the circumference of the drum,
>> if so a new drum will fix those also?
>
> When you cleaning the drum, in what direction did you turn it? Turning it
> the wrong way can ruin the doctor blades. If you replace the drum, you
> should replace the doctor blades.
>
>
How do I know which direction to turn it in? Where are the doctor blades?

"jasee" <jasee@btinternet.com> wrote:
>Tony wrote:
>> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> William R. Walsh wrote:
>>> I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's not
>>> used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant smudgy
>>> bands of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are still there.
>>
>> If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum
>> cannot be restored, although I have heard that there is some drum
>> rejuvenator available but have no idea whether it is any good. Are
>> the bands the same distance apart as the circumference of the drum,
>> if so a new drum will fix those also?
>
>When you cleaning the drum, in what direction did you turn it? Turning it
>the wrong way can ruin the doctor blades. If you replace the drum, you
>should replace the doctor blades.

This drum unit does not have a doctor blade or a cleaner blade as such. It is a
Brother unit with separate drum unit and toner cartridge. If anybody wishes to
replace the drum rather than the complete drum unit the only other thing they
may have to replace is the drum gear and the small gear at the end of the
roller that is in the drum unit and only then if the existing gears do not
match the gear on the new drum (some are helical and some are not).
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

"M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>jasee wrote:
>> Tony wrote:
>>> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>> William R. Walsh wrote:
>>>> I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's not
>>>> used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant smudgy
>>>> bands of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are still there.
>>> If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum
>>> cannot be restored, although I have heard that there is some drum
>>> rejuvenator available but have no idea whether it is any good. Are
>>> the bands the same distance apart as the circumference of the drum,
>>> if so a new drum will fix those also?
>>
>> When you cleaning the drum, in what direction did you turn it? Turning it
>> the wrong way can ruin the doctor blades. If you replace the drum, you
>> should replace the doctor blades.
>>
>>
>How do I know which direction to turn it in? Where are the doctor blades?

See my reply to Jasee, there are no blades in this drum unit.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

Tony wrote:
> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> jasee wrote:
>>> Tony wrote:
>>>> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>>> William R. Walsh wrote:
>>>>> I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's
>>>>> not used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant
>>>>> smudgy bands of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are
>>>>> still there.
>>>> If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum
>>>> cannot be restored, although I have heard that there is some drum
>>>> rejuvenator available but have no idea whether it is any good. Are
>>>> the bands the same distance apart as the circumference of the drum,
>>>> if so a new drum will fix those also?
>>>
>>> When you cleaning the drum, in what direction did you turn it?
>>> Turning it the wrong way can ruin the doctor blades. If you replace
>>> the drum, you should replace the doctor blades.

>> How do I know which direction to turn it in? Where are the doctor
>> blades?
>
> See my reply to Jasee, there are no blades in this drum unit.

Sorry, I may well be wrong, I've been looking for a view of the drum unit,
is there one anywhere?

"jasee" <jasee@btinternet.com> wrote:
>Tony wrote:
>> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> jasee wrote:
>>>> Tony wrote:
>>>>> "M.H." <REMOVEmstTHIScrowTO5429SEND@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>>>> William R. Walsh wrote:
>>>>>> I've wiped down the drum, and noticed some scratches in it. It's
>>>>>> not used that much, so go figure. I'm now getting equidistant
>>>>>> smudgy bands of toner on printouts, and the vertical bands are
>>>>>> still there.
>>>>> If the scratches correspond to the vertical bands then the drum
>>>>> cannot be restored, although I have heard that there is some drum
>>>>> rejuvenator available but have no idea whether it is any good. Are
>>>>> the bands the same distance apart as the circumference of the drum,
>>>>> if so a new drum will fix those also?
>>>>
>>>> When you cleaning the drum, in what direction did you turn it?
>>>> Turning it the wrong way can ruin the doctor blades. If you replace
>>>> the drum, you should replace the doctor blades.
>
>>> How do I know which direction to turn it in? Where are the doctor
>>> blades?
>>
>> See my reply to Jasee, there are no blades in this drum unit.
>
>Sorry, I may well be wrong, I've been looking for a view of the drum unit,
>is there one anywhere?

Not a very good one but see http://www.vitaleks.lv/images/Brother/dr6000.jpg
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging