Don't forget or ignore cartridge flushing.

[Smile]

Smile,
I can see how this is true for cartridges in use, but I just got a bunch of used dried out OEM carts.
Seems like they need to be purged, regardless of how they are going to be filled, no?
But I am still thinking about getting a hand vacuum pump to have on hand.
I saw a hand vacuum pump kit in auto parts listings that is used for brake bleeding, that came with a 16 oz container and hoses. http://www.mityvac.com/pages/products_hvpk.asp Where did you get yours?

Pebe,
Hmmm... what you say makes sense; makes me think that maybe we should consider not completely filling the sponges right to the top? But how do we know how far up the sponge to get saturated?
Wondering if others have been filling your sponge right up to the top when you refill.

Well I made my own mod here http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2193

I could not find any hand pumps where I live, either I was offered 1000$ calibration automotive pumps or the one on bottom of the thread but it was 2x more expensive.

I should update my thread that I changed all normal oil in my pump to vacuum oil. The pump works great - it now sucks air even better and changed oil provides protection against oil (lubricant) evaporation. As Grandad35 pointed out - designing things to run in a vacuum is tricky, as lubricants boil off and electrical arcs (e.g. from the brushes in a universal motor) can become larger without air pressure to help quench them.

But it serves me well, I filled over 40 times now. And brushes can be changed for 1$

BTW I was wondering would this machine work "http://www.thane.com/products/housewares/9minute/9mm.php"

If you want to ask if the machine works like it is advertised I think it does but I don't know how strong vacuum it can pull.
I say it does because I was able to marinate some nice meat stake in 5 minutes with my machine Taste is wonderful, everyone who had vacuum pump should try that.

 

[Grandad35]

The problem is whenever one of my cartridge is empty I simply have no time to go the long route to flush, dry then refill. I kept on promising myself to do it next time but never really get to do it.

With a number of carts for every color, I don't purge at the first sign of high pressure because that would mean purging a number of carts that are still full. On the next "refill cycle", only enough carts are refilled to match the existing full carts of the other colors. If it then happens that a color runs out of ink and there are no more full carts of that color AND the timing to be without the printer for a few days isn't convenient, just refill an empty cart of that color and delay purging for a few days.

That's why I ask if I have been lucky or is there really a need to flush.

There are definitely differences in how fast the pressure builds up for the various ink colors with the same number of refills, so the ink has an effect. Because I use carts from at least 4 sources, it is very possible (maybe even likely) that some carts clog more slowly than others, but I have no data on this. It doesn't take much imagination to postulate that some sponges shed more filter clogging debris than others, and that they therefore require more frequent purging. If this is the case, it is likely that OEM carts will be made of the best sponge material and require the least purging.

I saw a hand vacuum pump kit in auto parts listings that is used for brake bleeding, that came with a 16 oz container and hoses. http://www.mityvac.com/pages/products_hvpk.asp

I have the metal version of the pump shown in the link, and it can generate a vacuum up to about 28 inches of mercury. They also make a plastic version of the same pump, but it is not designed for hard use. I started with one of those (purchased at Sears), and the handle broke after a short time. Avoid the (less expensive) plastic version if it will see much use.

 

[ghwellsjr]

See my article called "Vacuum Fill Canon Cartridges" for the electric vacuum pump I use. It only cost me $130 at a local auto supply store. It is for purging auto air conditioners. You can find the article by going to the Nifty-Stuff.com main page and clicking on Printers on the right side.

 

[jru]

Thanks for all your suggestions, everyone.

 

[dantheman]

You can see my first refill after flushing here (starts at ~3:00).

Hi Defcon2k,

I saw your video of how to flush the CLI-8 cartridges and refill it for the first time. I have a few questions for you.

1. One thing I was not clear is did you drill any hole above the sponge chamber? It seemed that inks are coming out on this side, but I don't think I see any hole was drilled here.
2. The refill hole on the ink chamber, did you drill the hole next to the ball location?
3. One last question, the black thing that you use to suck the water out, can you tell me what that is and where can I buy it. And please post that picture?

That is a great video. Thank you for your help.

Dan

 

[Defcon2k]

Hi Dan!

1. One thing I was not clear is did you drill any hole above the sponge chamber? It seemed that inks are coming out on this side, but I don't think I see any hole was drilled here.

No, I did not drill a hole there, but there is already one: the normal vent hole which every cart has.

2. The refill hole on the ink chamber, did you drill the hole next to the ball location?

Yes... there is a small "pit" where I drilled the hole. But I think it does not matter where exactly you drill the hole, as long as you can make it air tight afterwards.

3. One last question, the black thing that you use to suck the water out, can you tell me what that is and where can I buy it.

Well, that was essentially just a tube, which I used to blow most of the water out with my mouth. I guess any tube will do, or you can use a vacuum cleaner to suck it out or something.

 

[dantheman]

Thanh you so much Defcon2K!!! I will get busy this weekend.

 

[dantheman]

I finally got all the tools I need to purge three CLI-8 and one PGI-5 cartridges. I use my mouth to blow out as much water as I can and let them sit next to the fan for the last 24 hours. The ink chamber seemed very dry, but, I can not tell if the sponge has dried or not. I intend to let them sit next to the fan for 5 more days before I fill them up with ink? Would that be too dry? Please let me know what you think.

I noticed that the sponge in the magenta and yellow carts are very white after I purged them. However, the cyan cart still has a little blue on the cart and the PGI-5 is still very dark. Is it normal?

One last question, I have about 15 more empty cartridges. Should I clean them out and refill with ink as soon as possible? Or I should wait until I need it them? I dont print a lot and probably wont need another set of cartridge for at least another 3 months.

Again, thank you for all your help

 

[Tin Ho]

If you purge them and refill them now they will be ready to use any time when you need them. I would do it now and seal them in an air tight bag. But if you don't want to refill them now they will be fine as long as they are properly stored in air tight bags.

 

[pharmacist]

If you want the sponge to dry faster: put them in a Vacuvin container and draw as much air out of it. The vacuum will force the water to evoporate very fast. Repeat the action several times, until the sponge is dry enough for you.