First time refilling opaque cartridges CLI-526/PGI-525

[MP640]

Websnail wrote:
.. Wonder if there's a good source for those scales? Worth considering I suppose..

When virgin empty windowed cartridge become scarce and expensive, filling the opaque cartridges by weight could very well be the way to go, so I think a good digital scale could be a best-seller.

When filling by weight, it is useful to know the density of the ink. I think most people assume it is 1 gram/millilitre, like that of water. But do you know the actual densities of the IS and KMP inks from product data sheets?

I use 1g/ml to have a rough indication of how much ink to add to limit the number of times I must disconnect the syringe and weigh the cartridge. My scale was 15 euros and it has an accuracy of d=0.01 g. Ofcourse manufactured in China...

 

[PeterBJ]

I found the densities (specific gravities) for IS inks in the MSDS sheets. Link here: http://www.image-specialists.com/trans_msds_step1.aspx To determine which inknumber to search you can use this product search: http://www.image-specialists.com/catalog_desktop_step1.aspx

Using the magenta ink WJ6121 for the for the CLI-8 and CLI-221 cartridges as an example you find this MSDS: http://www.image-specialists.com/Msds_PDF/127_WJ6121.pdf
Scrolling down to page 4 of 7 in this MSDS you find the density specified as 1.0 to 1.05. This means that density of the ink is 1 g/ml or very close. Setting 1ml = 1 gram is thus perfectly all right for our purpose. I haven't checked the densities for the other inks, but I assume the are similar.

If you bought your ink from Octoinkjet UK the number is 6121D. You get the IS number by removing the D and putting WJ in front of the number : WJ6121.

Edit: It took me some time to find the info using Google. When used with inks the word "density" normally means something like color strength. "Specific gravity" or MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) are better search terms.

 

[MP640]

Thanks for investing the time to sort this out!

I did a check on the pigment black (PGI525BK,WJ1128) and I can confirm it also has a density of 1.0 - 1.05.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

...filling the opaque cartridges by weight could very well be the way to go....

It is the way to go. OK, for your pleasure I'll review mine. I'm a chemist, and I calibrated it with a four-place Mettler balance and a set of calibrated fractional weights.

I got a 100 g balance for under $15 including shipping. It's virtually perfect, within 0.01 or at worst 0.02 g over the entire range. You should get a 100-g calibration weight with it. That will cost another $4, and those are also virtually perfect. I have three of them and they are all correct within 0.0025 g. Yes, you read that right. That's about 10 times better then the weight class requirement. The balance holds its calibration very well at least over a few weeks, but if you want accurate results, you should calibrate it at your location.

The balance has two quirks. First, it turns off after a brief time to save the battery, so you might need to tap it occasionally to keep from losing your tare if you have one. Second, it won't register anything under 0.03 g. That is, 0.02 g shows up as 0 (but if you add another 0.01 g, it will read correctly as 0.03 g).

All this means I can do studies on how much ink is used for various operations, with a high degree of precision, and I can take the balance right to the printer.

Unfortunately, the model isn't available any more, but I imagine that some others are just as good.


EDIT: I forgot to mention that the balance gives constant weight from corner to corner. That is, if you place the weight at any corner, you will read the same weight as in the center. I have another, 200-g balance that is not quite as good in this respect, but still excellent.

 

[PeterBJ]

Thank you very much for info. It seems these scales are excellent devices in spite of low price and far eastern origin. I bought my scale from a Swedish company. I could have found one for a lower price in Denmark, but the Danish site offering it was related to some illegal herb.

I'm really impressed with the specs of your scale. +/- 20 milligrams over the entire range is excellent accuracy and linearity.

 

[stratman]

the Danish site offering it was related to some illegal herb.

I remember Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. But it sounds more like PeterBJ and his marijuana stash.

Dude, only pot heads call it "herb".

Way too much info.

 

[dvdit]

Is there a particular brand that is regarded as best and reliable chip resetter for the 226? Can I refill the OEM opaque cartridges with IS ink using the German method without purging the cartridges? Where can I buy used opaque cartridges ? I guess that the only way to get the 226 chips to use on the 221 virgin OEM cartridges ?

 

[stratman]

Is there a particular brand that is regarded as best and reliable chip resetter for the 226?

The German company Sudhaus sold the RedSetter, the first mass sold resetter. Since then, knock-offs are plenty. It is always a crapshoot which one to buy. Both Precision Colors and Octoink sell a chip resetter and the website's owner/operators are trusted forum members. If you are not buying your IS inks from them, or prefer a different route for the chip resetter, forum member Mapsy sells them and has a good warranty available too. Consider one that can be easily taken apart to replace the battery.

I bought an inexpensive, no name, Chinese made CLI-8/PGI-5 resetter off eBay. It works.

Can I refill the OEM opaque cartridges with IS ink using the German method without purging the cartridges?

Yes. You should not get any harmful reaction between the two inks in the cartridge.

Where can I buy used opaque cartridges ? I guess that the only way to get the 226 chips to use on the 221 virgin OEM cartridges ?

Good question.

 

[dvdit]

stratman,

I rather give my business to and feel comfortable buying from trusted forum members. The only two vendor I am considering are Precision Colors for IS ink and possibly a resetter and inkjetreset.com for virgin Canon OEM cartridges and possibly the resetter. If the reliability and warranty for the resetters are the same, I should go with the one that does not require batteries and use USB then ?

 

[stratman]

Sounds like a good plan. Go for whichever model you want. I am satisfied with my button battery resetter and could not justify the steep additional cost at that time for the USB model. Seeing as my resetter is going strong after nearly 6 years, and the infrequency it is used, I would get another button battery model.

One other consideration for the future is to purchase plastic squeeze bottles to use instead of syringes. Octoinjet has nifty color-coded squeeze bottles, though the squeeze bottles from Howard Electronics work a treat as well. I've been using the 4 oz. Jenson Global Howard Electronic squeeze bottles for years. I see HE is/will be selling different colored squeeze bottle caps now as well. I printed labels for the different bottles using Avery envelope labels.

Remember you will need at least 50mm or 2 inch needles to refill using the Durchstich/German method.

Have you found a place that sells the 226 chips separately or empty 226 cartridges that have the chips still on them? I didn't see either of these two options on Mapsy's site.