Freedom Refill Method for Canon BCI 3, 5, 6 & CLI 8 & PGI 5 and others

[ghwellsjr]

gwhelljrs new picture

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/5268_vacuum_tests_001.jpg

another picture

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/5268_vacuum_tests_004.jpg

barfl2

Thanks for the pix, they really help understanding what's going on here.

Could we have one more of the bottom of the clip showing the connection to the syringe but without the syringe?

Is the insert made of a soft, pliable rubber-like material so that it will provide an adequate seal as well as provide the guide and correct spacing for the different cartridges?

My only concern with this gadget is the small hole that the ink and air have to flow through.

I still may order some of these and thanks for all your help on this.

 

[ghwellsjr]

My third attempt to "Freedom Method"

Although I intended to do it by the book, it was not possible as I have not found 60 cc with long tip syringe (btw, it is called catheter tip syringe or in my area Guyon syringe).

I just took a look at the small and very faint printing on the plastic bag the syringe came in. It's called AMSure PISTON ENTERAL IRRIGATION SYRINGE and its made by Amsino:

http://www.amsino.com/find.do?method=showProduct&type=5&typeid=114

Also on the packaging there is a CAUTION which says Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. So it may be hard to locate in some places. I found it at the first place I looked so I assumed it would be readily available everywhere.

Also I have not found suitable rubber hose.

Where do you live that there are not automotive and hardware stores?

Maybe some enterprising person will have to put together some kits for sale around the world.

To overcome these I build a holder as in picture below, to secure fit the orange cap on outlet port and the adhesive tape on air maze.

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/8054_holder.jpg

Before I came up with my final configuration, I retrofitted a similar orange cap but I had to hold it on with rubber bands (you have been quite ingenious in your fixture) but I found it too fragile and prone to leak. The rubber hose solves all the problems.

Also I used a 30 cc syringe from a refill kit.

And it worked like a charm.

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/8054_cartridges.jpg

I'm a little concerned that you have really saturated your upper sponge. It's easy to do but when you can watch the process, you can control how much ink goes into the sponge area by slowing down the process when the ink starts to saturate the upper sponge. I think maybe you had a better seal on the air vent than I do which in my case might help prevent getting ink in the white part of the sponge. Most of the time when I do it, the refill cartridge looks just like an OEM. I showed pictures of both sides of the cartridge I refilled in the video in post #44.

Some observations:
- it is mandatory to have everything airtight, the plunger in syringe, the connection to outlet port, the air maze.
- at least 30 cc syringe. Tried with 20 cc syringe with mixed results.
- regarding foam, maybe my ink is "foamy", or has a volatile component that boils at low pressure.
- it is easy to overfill (ink in space above sponge, up to air maze, happened to cyan cartridge) so I suppose the method cannot be used for opaque cartridges.

IMHO this method is very good for persons who refill other people cartridges, as there is no need to do anything to cartridge (holes, plugs) and the refilled cartridge is in original state, but not so good for people who refill again and again the same cartridges.

ghwellsjr, congratulations!

Well, you have described my situation quite well but now that I have figured out how to do it, it will be the only way I refill, even for personal use.

I don't see why this method wouldn't be perfect for opaque cartridges. Even if you do get ink in the air space or in the air maze, it is very easy to clean it out. I described this process in post #15 and others but to re-iterate, when you're done refilling, you need to remove the tape over the air vent, turn the apparatus so the cartridge is upside down, pull back on the plunger to remove any ink in the serpentine path, turn the apparatus right side up, pull on the plunger some more to remove any ink in the air space and to remove any oversaturation of the upper sponge.

Unlike the injection refill methods, this method will never get so much ink in the cartridge that it starts spilling out and you can remove the excess ink with the simple method I described above.

 

[panos]

gigigogu, do your refilled cartridges print correctly ?

I fear that your foaming ink prevents the sponge area from being refilled correctly. In my case the cartridges would often not work and this was the problem which made me reject my version of syringe vacuum refilling.

 

[gigigogu]

ghwellsjr

Regarding 60 cc syringe with long tip, none of 5 human drug stores I checked had it.
There ale plenty on-line, if one is eager to buy 40-50 pieces.

Regarding rubber hose, I have a lot of automotive and hardware stores in my area, but none to sell only 10 cm / 4 inch fragments and I was not in mood to buy 10 times what I needed and discard the remnants.

Regarding the oversaturated upper sponge, well, I am learning. I just refilled a yellow cartridge and this time I was able to preserve a bit of upper sponge white.

panos

I am starting a 300+ pages print job and I will see how my Freedom Method refilled cartridges behave.

 

[ghwellsjr]

ghwellsjr

Regarding 60 cc syringe with long tip, none of 5 human drug stores I checked had it.
There ale plenty on-line, if one is eager to buy 40-50 pieces.

Regarding rubber hose, I have a lot of automotive and hardware stores in my area, but none to sell only 10 cm / 4 inch fragments and I was not in mood to buy 10 times what I needed and discard the remnants.

Regarding the oversaturated upper sponge, well, I am learning. I just refilled a yellow cartridge and this time I was able to preserve a bit of upper sponge white.

panos

I am starting a 300+ pages print job and I will see how my Freedom Method refilled cartridges behave.

I can understand not wanting to pay for 40 or 50 syringes to get just one but buying a meter of hose when you only need a short piece isn't going to cost very much is it? If that is really a problem for you, why don't you go to an automotive repair place and see if they can give you some pieces that they throw away? My mechanic has given me several pieces of rubber hose for other purposes.

As far as the 60cc syringe goes, I wouldn't expect to find it at a drug store, check a surgical supply place that sells wheelchairs and commodes and that sort of thing. If you don't know where one is, ask someone who is confined to a wheelchair and especially if they use a catheter.

 

[rodbam]

Even if you do get ink in the air space or in the air maze, it is very easy to clean it out.

When I got ink in the air maze I found it a real pain, I emptied the ink out & had to purge the cartridge to make sure there was no ink left in the air maze.
How do you clean out the air maze gw?

 

[gigigogu]

ghwellsjr

Thank you for advices. A nice lady from a drugstore already pointed me to a medical devices store in my town.

panos

Just finished 300 pages print job, without any problem (mostly black text on solid color backgrounds, plain paper, standard quality, Pixma 5000, CMY cartridges refilled with Freedom Method).

 

[ghwellsjr]

Even if you do get ink in the air space or in the air maze, it is very easy to clean it out.

When I got ink in the air maze I found it a real pain, I emptied the ink out & had to purge the cartridge to make sure there was no ink left in the air maze.
How do you clean out the air maze gw?

I described the process right after where you just quoted me in post #63:

I described this process in post #15 and others but to re-iterate, when you're done refilling, you need to remove the tape over the air vent, turn the apparatus so the cartridge is upside down, pull back on the plunger to remove any ink in the serpentine path, turn the apparatus right side up, pull on the plunger some more to remove any ink in the air space and to remove any oversaturation of the upper sponge.

Unlike the injection refill methods, this method will never get so much ink in the cartridge that it starts spilling out and you can remove the excess ink with the simple method I described above.

 

[barfl2]

ghwellsjr Inktec clips confirm rubber inserts are fairly soft AND ARE SIZED TO FIT THE RELEVANT CART. Hole size in the insert is approx.0.078" and may be the restricting factor to using this system for your refilling method

another view

I have had similar problems locating supplies in the UK my budget does not extend too far and its pointless buying large quantities of materials. But the tip about medical supply stores is useful. Gigigogu adaptor was very interesting and probably used materials he had to hand. I like Engineering solutions. I machined a adaptor to fit compatible BCI-3bk (with nibs removed) later found that the Canon OEM is a slightly different size. Should have measured several before starting.

Its good that other Forum Members are achieving sucess.

barfl2

 

[ghwellsjr]

ghwellsjr Inktec clips confirm rubber inserts are fairly soft AND ARE SIZED TO FIT THE RELEVANT CART. Hole size in the insert is approx.0.078" and may be the restricting factor to using this system for your refilling method

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/5268_hp364-inktec-clip_005.jpg

another view

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/5268_hp364-inktec-clip_006.jpg

I have had similar problems locating supplies in the UK my budget does not extend too far and its pointless buying large quantities of materials. But the tip about medical supply stores is useful. Gigigogu adaptor was very interesting and probably used materials he had to hand. I like Engineering solutions. I machined a adaptor to fit compatible BCI-3bk (with nibs removed) later found that the Canon OEM is a slightly different size. Should have measured several before starting.

Its good that other Forum Members are achieving sucess.

barfl2

Many thanks once more for the excellent pictures. The hole in your top picture looks very big but that's probably because it's a closeup. Doesn't the hole fit a normal sized syringe? It's not Luer Lok, correct? Just a smooth round hole? I could not stick my large syringe in it unless I used the blue adapter as shown in the last picture in my first post, correct?

I'm concerned about your comment that the compatible BCI-3bk was a slightly different size than the Canon OEM and that apparently affected your machined adaptor. This will have no bearing on your previous statement that the Inktec clip will correctly hold Canon OEM carts with the appropriate insert, correct?