Fill with squeeze bottles

[Ash]

I've started to use squeeze bottles a while back and the top fill method with my 521/520 carts. Is there a way to stop the air/ink bubbles when filling ?

 

[fotofreek]

Are you asking about the air/ink bubbles that come up next to the needle while doing top refilling? First, after you remove whatever you are using to seal the fill hole, wipe any ink off of the top of the cart around the fill hole. When you are injecting ink, if you remove the needle from the cart and then reinsert it to add more ink to the reservoir be sure to wipe both the needle and the area around the fill hole before reinserting the needle into the fill hole.

I usually fill several carts at a time. I keep a paper towel at hand for this as well as to wipe the needle after refilling. I also keep the squeeze bottle vertical with the paper towel around the tip of the needle and squeeze air in and out of the bottle to clear the inside of the needle of residual ink. That way you don't have to remove the needle and run water through it.

 

[pearlhouse]

Are you asking about the air/ink bubbles that come up next to the needle while doing top refilling? First, after you remove whatever you are using to seal the fill hole, wipe any ink off of the top of the cart around the fill hole. When you are injecting ink, if you remove the needle from the cart and then reinsert it to add more ink to the reservoir be sure to wipe both the needle and the area around the fill hole before reinserting the needle into the fill hole.

I usually fill several carts at a time. I keep a paper towel at hand for this as well as to wipe the needle after refilling. I also keep the squeeze bottle vertical with the paper towel around the tip of the needle and squeeze air in and out of the bottle to clear the inside of the needle of residual ink. That way you don't have to remove the needle and run water through it.

After reading this subject I have a question about filling with squeeze bottles. I have been using them for some time now. I cover the needles with a pc of heat shrink tubing that I shrink down so it is a nice slide fit onto the needle. I melt the top of the tubing with a match so as to seal the end of the tube. Now my question is this. Can the residual ink left in the needle become a gunky solid and the next time I use the bottle I am injecting this gunk into my cartridge??? Maybe these needles should be flushed after they are used??? So what do you guys think?

 

[PeterBJ]

If your home-made seals are airtight, then the ink will not dry, and cleaning the needle is not necessary. But if they are not, then ink could dry as described and possibly cause problems with the cartridge or worse the print head.

Octoinkjet UK have these seals for 18g and 22g blunt needles. If you want some, I think they could be sent in an envelope at only letter postage. Maybe precisioncolors have something similar for sale?

Edit: Precisioncolors also offer squeeze bottles, lids, needles and scabbards/seals, see this.

 

[Ash]

If your home-made seals are airtight, then the ink will not dry, and cleaning the needle is not necessary. But if they are not, then ink could dry as described and possibly cause problems with the cartridge or worse the print head.

Octoinkjet UK have these seals for 18g and 22g blunt needles. If you want some, I think they could be sent in an envelope at only letter postage. Maybe precisioncolors have something similar for sale?

Edit: Precisioncolors also offer squeeze bottles, lids, needles and scabbards/seals, see this.

I had the Octoinkjet UK seals from word go

 

[fotofreek]

After reading this subject I have a question about filling with squeeze bottles. I have been using them for some time now. I cover the needles with a pc of heat shrink tubing that I shrink down so it is a nice slide fit onto the needle. I melt the top of the tubing with a match so as to seal the end of the tube. Now my question is this. Can the residual ink left in the needle become a gunky solid and the next time I use the bottle I am injecting this gunk into my cartridge??? Maybe these needles should be flushed after they are used??? So what do you guys think?

Pearlhouse - you quoted the first paragraph of my post. The second paragraph dealt with clearing the ink out of the needle without rinsing.

"I also keep the squeeze bottle vertical with the paper towel around the tip of the needle and squeeze air in and out of the bottle to clear the inside of the needle of residual ink. That way you don't have to remove the needle and run water through it."

I also cap the needle for storage. I either use the sheath that comes with disposable medical needles or the caps that can be purchased from Howard Electronics when I buy a quantity of needles from them.

 

[websnail]

I also cap the needle for storage. I either use the sheath that comes with disposable medical needles or the caps that can be purchased from Howard Electronics when I buy a quantity of needles from them.

EDIT: Got myself mixed up in this one. Medical needles are indeed usually covered with a reasonably airtight cap. Blunt needle caps are a different beast and usually aren't air tight (unless they are the scabbard type mentioned below).

Just a quick note... Not sure if the needles sourced in the US are different from those produced here in the EU but sharp needles usually have a vent cover/cap/sheath that is not airtight and as such would not be suitable for storing an un-flushed needle or SquEasyFill (or similar) bottle arrangement.

The Howard Electronics scabbards are the same type as we supply and are made from neoprene so they are airtight.

T'is just to be sure nobody assumes a cap is a cap is a cap, if you get my drift..

 

[fotofreek]

The medical disposable needles I've are protected by a very tight fit between the hub and the base of the sheath. they are sterile and are most probably fully sealed without vents. I use the sheath as a cover, but I don't snap it into place - it just rests on the needle hub and luerlock bottle top. Even though there is not an air-tight seal I've never had a problem with changes in the ink in the squeeze bottle or any problem with ink drying in the needle lumen. I guess it is like the circuitous path of the air vent in the OEM bci-6 or cli-8 canon cart. No real air circulation that effects the ink in the cart. You will recall from my earlier post that I squeeze air in and out of the needle to clrea most of the ink out of the needle when I am finished refilling.

 

[websnail]

The medical disposable needles I've are protected by a very tight fit between the hub and the base of the sheath. they are sterile and are most probably fully sealed without vents

Ah, useful to know... Here the medical needles available all have vented covers/caps.

Thinking about it, I suspect this is down to a legal requirement in the UK (and possibly the EU) in the same way as pen caps here have to be vented due to numerous child deaths caused by choking on things like pen lids. Having the vents allows just enough air through that the blockage can be removed and while you'd have to question the sense of a small child having access to medical needle caps, it's still probably the root reason for the difference.

Lesson for the day then

 

[fotofreek]

Vents in the sheath covering medical disposable needles would risk contamination of the sterile needle. I can understand a vent required for a pen cap - it is not unusual to see a person put the end of a pen or pencil in his/her mouth and even bite on it. That would be a reasonable fear as children are prone to putting common items in their mouths. It would be most unusual, however, for them to have access to medical disposable needle sheaths. Most often I've seen the sheath as well as the used needle tossed into the "sharps" container for safe disposal immediately after use.