German Durchstich refill method for Canon carts with pictures

[ghwellsjr]

I have also just learned of the necessity of sealing the refill hole, thanks to a warning from Trigger 37, who does not endorse the German method.

The problem is that air can easily flow in from the refill hole and down the outlet port causing ink flow problems. This issue is still being tested so we don't know yet whether sealing the refill hole will cure the ink flow problem but even if doesn't, I believe it is wise to seal the hole just to prevent drying out of the ink in the cartridge. It can't hurt even if there is no benefit, so why not recommend it? It restores the cartridge back to its original state.

 

[Nifty]

Regarding aftermarket / 3rd party cartridges (non OEM) and the German Refill Method:

I just had a very interesting first experience with this method! I was simply going to test the process of using a sharp awl / needle to pierce the cartridge wall (I usually use a paper clip and a hot torch to melt the hole).

Well, I had a purged 3rd party cartridge so I decided to test my sharp awl on this. The awl process went very well. Not as "easy" as the hot paperclip, but the hole seemed much more uniform and clean.

I decided I might as well test the needle insertion process and this is where I made my VERY interesting discovery: The cylindrical sponge material that is in the exit port extended (at least in these carts) a good 1/4 inch into the secondary "holding / reservoir" sponge material. Instantly I knew that if I attempted to push the needle through it I'd have a problem. This exit port sponge material is VERY dense. I decided to have a go at it anyway and as expected the needle instantly pried the exit port sponge out of position and into the main sponge section. (the wife has the camera, so I'll need to post a pic later).

Since I had already destroyed any chance of this cart working again I drilled a hole into the top of the cart (through the air maze and above the main sponge) and inserted my needle and pushed the exit port sponge back into place.

With the cart sponges mostly in the correct positions I tried a second test: I created a new hole about 1/2 an inch from the bottom of the cart (about 3/8 above the previous hole). I then pushed the needle at an angle through the primary sponge and above the exit port sponge and reached the passthrough and got the end of my syringe needle to the prism.

I'm left with a few thoughts:

1) Definitely be careful about using this method (at least the standard process) on 3rd party carts.
2) The primary sponge in the carts I tested this on are very flimsy. This primary sponge material in these is very different from that in the Canon carts I've taken apart. In fact, the primary sponge in an OEM Canon cart seems more like the exit port sponge in this aftermarket cartridge.
3) The above being the case, I'm not sure how the German method would work in this cart even if the exit port sponge size wasn't an issue.

A question: Do you think that starting at a higher position and going through the primary sponge, as I mentioned in my second test, would be a problem if the other items above were not an issue?

 

[yupkime]

I would definitely agree.
3rd party sponges are harder to pierce and have alot more "movement" inside the cartridge which is not good.

I would recommend that this method be used only on original Canon OEM cartridges which has worked 100% of the time for me.

Also, to make the refill hole, I am just using a common bulletin board thumb tack which is the perfect size and works well.
Just poke the cartridge, make the hole and move it up and down a little to enlarge the hole so that it actually helps "point" the needle in the right downwards direction. Did that make sense? When you take the thumb tack out, it should be pointing a little bit downwards, not straight ahead assuming your hole is a little bit above from the bottom.

 

[Nifty]

Here are the pics. The first shows very clearly that the exit port sponge is extending into the primary sponge:

And here I am going in at an angle. I've pierced through the sponge, over the exit port sponge, through the narrow gap, and into the reservoir (to the prism):

NOTE: I have NOT refilled any 3rd Party carts with this method. I'm just posting this as a warning to anybody who may attempt this method on non-Canon carts.

 

[Defcon2k]

The problem is that air can easily flow in from the refill hole and down the outlet port causing ink flow problems. This issue is still being tested so we don't know yet whether sealing the refill hole will cure the ink flow problem but even if doesn't, I believe it is wise to seal the hole just to prevent drying out of the ink in the cartridge. It can't hurt even if there is no benefit, so why not recommend it? It restores the cartridge back to its original state.

I never sealed the refill hole, and I'm still using my first set of carts which came with the printer 3 years ago without problems.
But as you said: it also won't hurt, I think.

 

[SpideRMaN]

I am facing a problem with one of the carts (non OEM) when I try to refill it with this method.

A lot of ink goes out of the exit hole even though it's in the upward position when refilling. I am 100% sure the needle is in the ink chamber (cos I can see it) this happens even if I apply very very little ammount of pressure on the syringe. When I refill it and clean the mess it works fine in the printer.

Any idea on what is happining please ?

Thanks

 

[jackson]

I did this with a genuine chipped Canon cart recently.
The ink bubbled out the the vent and the exit hole.
I'm sure it was because I sucked in air with the last of the ink at the bottom of the bottle - thus I was pumping air into the reservoir.
I had to suck the ink out and purge the cart, then filled it with water to test - no problem injecting the water - so I refilled with ink (after drying out overnight) and it was fine.

I gave up using the G.M. on non-oem carts because the material in the sponge tended to tear and carry into the reservoir.
If the least amount was still in contact with the main sponge, the ink would immediately fill up the sponge and started out the exit hole.

 

[jimbo123]

had a similar problem, solved by drawing ink out of the sponge compartment using the "reverse german method", see

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4589

J

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Printers: Canon Pixma MP830, IP4500, MP830(new spare in box)
Method: German Durchstich Method using Canon Cartridges
Ink: Hobbicolors, great guy to deal with
Misc: Squeeze bottles, needles, scabbards from Howard Electronics

 

[SpideRMaN]

Thanks.

I did what pharmacist suggested to you.

I emptied the ink chamber
blocked the ink filling hole

but when I tried to blow from the vent hole I couldn't. not a single drop went out of the exit hole (it was blocked with same plastick of the cart) so I used a sharp needle and cleared the passage (without removing the white sticker) and it worked so I emptied the sponge. no more ink flows out of the exit hole when I refill using the german method now.

Q: how come it was working fine in the printer with the vent hole blocked ? I block the german refill hole with insulation tape so air was not getting in from it. (I think)

Thank you all !!

 

[ghwellsjr]

If you refill with the German method and don't seal the refill hole when you're done, then the cartridge can get its necessary air through your refill hole instead of the normal path on the top of the cartridge. I'm surprised that this would work but apparently it did.