Best/cheapest refill sollution? Best ink? Best printer? IP5000 ?

[jackson]

Does the vacuum pump have to' store and release' the vacuum?
Would a simple hand pump (brake bleeder?) and a mason jar with a nipple soldered to the lid work for single carts?
I was thinking mason jar as they are subject to vacuum anyway, but I don't really know what constitutes a practical level.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'store and release'. I used a brake bleeder vacuum pump to make the videos. It has a release control on it but so does the vacuum chamber. You could make your own vacuum jar from a mason jar or even a pickle jar like Grandad35 did in this article:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/docs/inkrefill.php

Even if you did not have a way to release the vacuum you could simply pull the tubing off slowly and allow the air to leak back in.

 

[Inkdenata]

Thanks for all great inputs! I'm very happy for all your tip you have given me! Feels like I will go for the CIS or COLOURPRINT cartridges at first and then maybe advance to the vaccum chamber! You guys rules!!!!!

 

[Bertil]

Where in USA could I buy a vacuum pump from a firm which ships internationally?Perhaps a vacuum chamber as well?Many thanks in advance.
Bertil

 

[Inkdenata]

Are you from Sweden? I'm from Sweden and Bertil sounds really Swedish

Have you tried search at ebay ?

 

[ghwellsjr]

The link I provided in my article shows the electric vacuum pump I purchased at a local auto supply store. It was not one of the chain stores. You would think they were totally independent but they did have a catalog that listed a few other stores many miles apart. They do not sell online or have a mail order business. I would try visiting some local auto supply stores and ask if they sell an auto air conditioner purge vacuum pump or if they know who does. I actually located mine from my independent auto mechanic. Ask around at places that service auto air conditioners, especially ones that also repair engines. You will probably save money if you can buy it at a local store because these thing do weigh a few pounds and might cost a lot to ship internationally. You also have to make sure the unit you buy operates on the voltage in your country and has the correct power plug.

 

[Bertil]

Thanks a lot.With great effort I managed to find Tradervar where it seems possible to buy what I want.Refilling has become some strange sort of hobby for me especially with this fantastic Inkjet forum where so many nice people tell us about their experiences.Should also be good for the environment.Oh yes,I am from Sweden.By the way,I love my Canon 560- it is simple and easy to refill.As a matter of fact I doubt I will unpack my Canon Pixma 4200 I bought last year.Cant be much better or....?

 

[jackson]

I accept that the pump sucks out the air, but why/how does the returning air get ink into the cart?
I can't make that intuitive leap.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'store and release'. I used a brake bleeder vacuum pump to make the videos. It has a release control on it but so does the vacuum chamber. You could make your own vacuum jar from a mason jar or even a pickle jar like Grandad35 did in this article:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/docs/inkrefill.php

Even if you did not have a way to release the vacuum you could simply pull the tubing off slowly and allow the air to leak back in.

 

[ghwellsjr]

The ink is in the way.

If you look at the Initial Pump Down Video carefully, you will see that with each actuation of the manual vacuum pump (which you can hear), little bits of air are sucked out of the air vents, which are at the bottom of the up-side-down cartridges, and they bubble up through the pool of ink in the bottom of the vacuum chamber. This is happening simultaneously with all of the cartridges in the chamber. After about three minutes of pumping, most of the air is out of the cartridges (and out of the chamber). When the vacuum is released, the ambient air outside the chamber returns to fill the places where it was originally. Only problem is, there is ink in the way; the air can't get back into the cartridge without first pushing the ink into the cartridge. As long as the clips seal the outlet ports on the top of the up-side-down cartridges and as long as there is enough ink in the chamber, no new air will get into the cartridges. The air that you see in the reservoir at the end of the Initial Fill Video is the air that never got sucked out of the cartridge.

If you understand how you can take a syringe full of air, submerge the needle into a bottle of ink, push on the plunger so that the air bubbles out into the ink, then pull on the plunger to suck up ink, then you can understand how vacuum refilling works. The only difference is that instead of pushing on the plunger to get the air out, you're sucking it out with a vacuum pump. In either case, when you restore the syringe to its initial condition, the air cannot get back into the syringe without first pushing the ink into it.

 

[Inkdenata]

I'm really impressed by this technique! The boring thing is that I have thrown away over 20 original cartridges so I would cost me a lot of money to start over an collect them again, I'm a idiot

Well to go back to basic how are so called "virgin" cartridges and I have heard the PRO COLOR replacement cartridges should be the best to refill? Anyone tried it? Check this out

http://www.alotofthings.com/viartshop/article.php?category_id=8&article_id=198&page=

Or is it bullshit ?

But still I want the CIS system but does it works? I have not meet anyone trying the one I mentioned earlier and I have heard many people have problems with them. But if it would work it would be so easy for me..... If you don't remember this is what I mean

http://www.rihac.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=26_28_42&products_id=134

Damn I don't know what to get for as the vacum chamber would force me to buy original ink for a fortune before I can use it!