Canon FC-2 photocopier - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Mike-repairman · 20th Apr 2013, 10:42 am

Bit of a long shot this but has anyone got a pdf file of the Service Manual for an FC-2 copier.

Picked one up at a table top sale; all complete and with toner cartridge.

Everything works, scanner, mechanism, etc. apart from it not producing a copy.
I can't believe that the cartridge is completely empty of toner (there's usually a faint image at least).

I have some knowledge of these beasts as I used to do a few repairs on them many years ago so know the principles.

Dates from around 1988 so quite old but looks useful if I can get it going.

Any one have a copy of the manual or any knowledge of this model?

Thanks in advance,

Mike.

Mike-repairman · 23rd Apr 2013, 8:51 am

Update. according to the green indicator the cartridge is full or nearly full so one thing less to diagnose.
The gearing all appears to work and the drum is revolving.
The Colotron wire is intact; however I do not get the Ozone smell when it's working so perhaps it's lost it's Colotron high volts?
Unfortunately without a workshop manual I'm not likely to get any further. Will keep looking.

julie_m · 23rd Apr 2013, 9:02 am

Loss of EHT would certainly explain no printing.

How it works: The drum gets charged to a high negative voltage. Light reflected from white parts of the original document strips the charge where it hits. Uncharged toner sticks to the drum where the negative charge remains (where the black parts of the original document were), and is transferred onto the copy paper. The drum is exposed to light again and scraped clean of any remaining toner; then charged, ready for the cycle to begin all over again.

Mike-repairman · 23rd Apr 2013, 9:20 am

Thanks AJS; I did know the process as I used to work on my own copiers a few decades ago, and even had a vintage 1970's Xerox one which used to need attention every 50 sheets, LOL.

I rather expect it is the Colotron supply as that would account for the lack of image. I'm not sure how many volts it would need; the old machines used to have several kV if I remember rightly.

I haven't had time to strip it down and see if there are any internal fuses or locate the PSU, but there's not a lot of electronics in the old ones (this is circa 1988) most of it being mechanical.

Will have to get friendly with the copier depot across the road to me, although I doubt they'll have knowledge of anything this old; the chaps are all youngsters who work there.

I don't need many copies these days so there's no rush; it was more of a project really to see if I could get it going, and at £5 for a nice clean machine it was too good to pass up.

Why do we do it, LOL!

Mike.

Radio Wrangler · 23rd Apr 2013, 9:38 am

The HP laser printers used the xerography cores from various Canon photocopiers, so you may find spares in the right one of those.

David

Nickthedentist · 23rd Apr 2013, 9:40 am

I would have thought that as a radio/TV man, you'd stand more chance of reverse-engineering and fixing an EHT supply than the young chaps in the copier depot.

I have a Canon fax machine of similar vintage which I bought for £1 fifteen years ago (new price allegedly almost £2K!) which is still in regular service. It's never gone wrong (apart from needing some new tact switches) but is a real Chinese puzzle in terms of disassembly. I hope your photocopier is kinder to you in this respect.

N.

Mike-repairman · 23rd Apr 2013, 2:02 pm

Thanks Wrangler and Nick; I've given away several lasers in the past, the older ones that are built like battleships but have a spare HP6L somewhere that doesn't feed; but perhaps the technology is a little young for the copier. Yes I guess the young chaps in the copier depot just change modules nowadays and don't even get issued with a soldering iron.

Yes I hope the copier will be a little easier to get apart. I rather think it will be a simple fault once I get it apart; the manual would make it a lot simpler but I'll have a go without if I can't get one.

I just need the time now.

Mike.

Dave Moll · 23rd Apr 2013, 3:05 pm

This site claims to offer a free download of a service manual, but clicking on the download link started by offering to install some software on my computer, so I stopped at that point.

Mike-repairman · 23rd Apr 2013, 3:23 pm

Several came up as a little dodgy on 'Web of Trust' Dave, and most of them were the German version; too long ago since the German lessons.

Will have a trawl through Google for any comments on that machine.

Mike.

Mike-repairman · 23rd Apr 2013, 4:47 pm

Found the manual safely at... http://servicerepairmanuals.net for $3 via Paypal.
Looks a safe site and comes compressed in .rar format which extracts as a pdf.

Now the fun begins!

Mike.

20th Apr 2013, 10:42 am	#1
Mike-repairman Heptode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 613	Canon FC-2 photocopier Bit of a long shot this but has anyone got a pdf file of the Service Manual for an FC-2 copier. Picked one up at a table top sale; all complete and with toner cartridge. Everything works, scanner, mechanism, etc. apart from it not producing a copy. I can't believe that the cartridge is completely empty of toner (there's usually a faint image at least). I have some knowledge of these beasts as I used to do a few repairs on them many years ago so know the principles. Dates from around 1988 so quite old but looks useful if I can get it going. Any one have a copy of the manual or any knowledge of this model? Thanks in advance, Mike.

23rd Apr 2013, 8:51 am	#2
Mike-repairman Heptode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 613	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier Update. according to the green indicator the cartridge is full or nearly full so one thing less to diagnose. The gearing all appears to work and the drum is revolving. The Colotron wire is intact; however I do not get the Ozone smell when it's working so perhaps it's lost it's Colotron high volts? Unfortunately without a workshop manual I'm not likely to get any further. Will keep looking.

23rd Apr 2013, 9:02 am	#3
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier Loss of EHT would certainly explain no printing. How it works: The drum gets charged to a high negative voltage. Light reflected from white parts of the original document strips the charge where it hits. Uncharged toner sticks to the drum where the negative charge remains (where the black parts of the original document were), and is transferred onto the copy paper. The drum is exposed to light again and scraped clean of any remaining toner; then charged, ready for the cycle to begin all over again. __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

23rd Apr 2013, 9:20 am	#4
Mike-repairman Heptode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 613	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier Thanks AJS; I did know the process as I used to work on my own copiers a few decades ago, and even had a vintage 1970's Xerox one which used to need attention every 50 sheets, LOL. I rather expect it is the Colotron supply as that would account for the lack of image. I'm not sure how many volts it would need; the old machines used to have several kV if I remember rightly. I haven't had time to strip it down and see if there are any internal fuses or locate the PSU, but there's not a lot of electronics in the old ones (this is circa 1988) most of it being mechanical. Will have to get friendly with the copier depot across the road to me, although I doubt they'll have knowledge of anything this old; the chaps are all youngsters who work there. I don't need many copies these days so there's no rush; it was more of a project really to see if I could get it going, and at £5 for a nice clean machine it was too good to pass up. Why do we do it, LOL! Mike.

23rd Apr 2013, 9:38 am	#5
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,896	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier The HP laser printers used the xerography cores from various Canon photocopiers, so you may find spares in the right one of those. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

23rd Apr 2013, 9:40 am	#6
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,856	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier I would have thought that as a radio/TV man, you'd stand more chance of reverse-engineering and fixing an EHT supply than the young chaps in the copier depot. I have a Canon fax machine of similar vintage which I bought for £1 fifteen years ago (new price allegedly almost £2K!) which is still in regular service. It's never gone wrong (apart from needing some new tact switches) but is a real Chinese puzzle in terms of disassembly. I hope your photocopier is kinder to you in this respect. N.

23rd Apr 2013, 2:02 pm	#7
Mike-repairman Heptode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 613	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier Thanks Wrangler and Nick; I've given away several lasers in the past, the older ones that are built like battleships but have a spare HP6L somewhere that doesn't feed; but perhaps the technology is a little young for the copier. Yes I guess the young chaps in the copier depot just change modules nowadays and don't even get issued with a soldering iron. Yes I hope the copier will be a little easier to get apart. I rather think it will be a simple fault once I get it apart; the manual would make it a lot simpler but I'll have a go without if I can't get one. I just need the time now. Mike.

23rd Apr 2013, 3:05 pm	#8
Dave Moll Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK Posts: 6,130	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier This site claims to offer a free download of a service manual, but clicking on the download link started by offering to install some software on my computer, so I stopped at that point. __________________ Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

23rd Apr 2013, 3:23 pm	#9
Mike-repairman Heptode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 613	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier Several came up as a little dodgy on 'Web of Trust' Dave, and most of them were the German version; too long ago since the German lessons. Will have a trawl through Google for any comments on that machine. Mike.

23rd Apr 2013, 4:47 pm	#10
Mike-repairman Heptode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 613	Re: Canon FC-2 photocopier Found the manual safely at... http://servicerepairmanuals.net for $3 via Paypal. Looks a safe site and comes compressed in .rar format which extracts as a pdf. Now the fun begins! Mike.