Over the weekend I took apart two old DVD players for parts. I found some interesting small motors, magnets, tiny precision rods, and some other assorted odds and ends.
Today at work our office manager mentioned that some e-waste recyclers were coming out to pick up some old printers and other stuff. I suggested we pull out any left over paper, toner cartridges, etc from the assemblies. I would have liked to have scrapped these machines for parts too, but:
- There’s only so much time in the day.
- I don’t have any screwdrivers and other assorted tools at work.
- Hanging out in the middle of the office taking things apart might raise eyebrows. 1
As I did so I realized that the toner cartridges contain thin precision rods. Those could actually be kinda useful. I think the next time we have old printer cartridges at home (or work) I might take one apart to see what kind of magic it hides.
- “Um, did he forget his meds again?” [↩]