Canon Mp500 - What Are These Tubes? - Cleaning Problem Printing Black Pigment

[Robert the Bruce]

Thanks for all that information stratman (BTW how do you link to a poster's name here, as Nifty did in his first post on this thread? is there an easy way or do you have to use a link/code?)
Once I am sure that I don't need to do anything with those other two tubes I will reassemble the printer, run a nozzle check and upload the results.
The absorbent pads that form part of the waste ink system are now nearly dry - after washing thoroughly with warm water, and five days outside the machine!
I have resisted using any heat source and just let them dry naturally. Is that the best way to go?

 

[stratman]

Thanks for all that information stratman (BTW how do you link to a poster's name here, as Nifty did in his first post on this thread? is there an easy way or do you have to use a link/code?)

Type "@" and then begin typing the name of the forum member. When you get to three first letters of the name a pop up window of names appears to choose from.

The absorbent pads that form part of the waste ink system are now nearly dry - after washing thoroughly with warm water, and five days outside the machine!
I have resisted using any heat source and just let them dry naturally. Is that the best way to go?

This is not my area. I probably would have tried to source a new diaper/waste ink pads first. If reusing, then I might place them near a radiator in the home but not on top for gentle heating.

 

[Robert the Bruce]

Thanks @stratman
I was considering playing a blow heater gently over them; we don't have a hair dryer in the house.
I did look around for new waste ink pads, but the few sources I could find seemed to be out of stock, such as here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CANON-QY5-0146-000-Absorber-Kit-Consumables/dp/B000U1G53K
BTW I think this is the original kit, as it's the same part no. as listed in the service manual. Apparently Canon later changed it to include a Mylar sheet to fit underneath the central area of the roller to prevent excess ink spraying up and blotting the paper, as this was a common fault. I have not found any of these adapted kits for sale, nor do I know the part no.
My printer has a small piece of white plastic just above where the waste ink tube (carrying the black ink) passes through the tube holder into the central pads. I doubt this would be effective if ink started spraying up there, but fortunately that problem has not occurred on my printer.

 

[PeterBJ]

Type "@" and then begin typing the name of the forum member. When you get to three first letters of the name a pop up window of names appears to choose from.

Excuse me for being off-topic, but thank you for the instruction for using the tagging function. I didn't know about the pop-up window. I guess the function will work for me now.

 

[The Hat]

I found it easier not to dry the absorbent pads completely because they fit back in place far better, when totally dry they tend to shrink and are extremely tight to refit into their allotted space.

A handy drying tip for the pads is to put them between half a dozen old newspapers and just sit on them for 10 minutes and if need be replace the wet newspapers with fresh ones, then refit the pads back into your printer slightly damp.

 

[Robert the Bruce]

Thanks @The Hat I will try that if I need to do it again!
I did use a (fairly cool) blow heater on them last night and they are more or less dry now.

 

[Robert the Bruce]

Does anyone have any advice on my outstanding problem - what to do with those two tubes that may lead to the wipers?

 

[stratman]

Excuse me for being off-topic, but thank you for the instruction for using the tagging function. I didn't know about the pop-up window. I guess the function will work for me now.

@PeterBJ you are welcome!

 

[The Hat]

I am unclear as to which two pipes you are referring to, there is always at least one pipe sticking out of the bottom of the purge unit for drainage purposes but on your particular unit there may well be two.

If they were not connect to something when you first dismantled the printer then that’s what they are (outflow), normally when a pipe has been blown off a purge unit it would be in a vertical position (sticking up) and completely bunged up with gunk also.

You can always crank up your printer and do a test purge before reinstalling it back into the case just to be sure, but remember to put something under the purge unit to catch the waste ink !

 

[PeterBJ]

I am unclear as to which two pipes you are referring to, there is always at least one pipe sticking out of the bottom of the purge unit for drainage purposes but on your particular unit there may well be two.

Here are two photos of the purge unit in a Canon i965. This printer has only one purge pad as it has no pigment black, being a dedicated photo printer. The first picture shows the hole leading to the the hose connected to the wiper. This hose had come loose. The second picture shows the wiper and the disconnected hose.