How NOT to fail with the German Refilling method

[marceltho]

ghwellsjr wrote

As I pointed out, pharmacist has stated that "The best way is to go under the sponge." Maybe in his first set of instructions, he actually used a sharp needle and went through the sponge and then later was convinced that going under the sponge was better because you could use a blunt needle.

I used the " rounded " depth probe of a cheap caliper to go UNDER the sponge, because you can actually see and guide the depth probe exactly to the middle of the wall of the ink chamber. This depth probe makes a rather " big hole ". the probe is 1,75mm or 0.07 inch thick, that was because I used a rather thick syringe to refill, but had never leaking problems, except for once, but that was because I did not hot-glue the purge-hole on top of the cartridge very well. BTW, I never use tape.

It wasn't ink drying out on the exit port that I'm concerned about--it's a reduction in the level of the ink in the reservoir that I'm concerned about. If you had noted the level of the ink in the reservoirs of your four cartridges before you turned your printer off and then noted the levels 9 months later, you would have seen that they all went down but the two that had uncovered refill holes would have gone down even more, probably three times as much. That's what happens when you don't cover your refill holes.

This is a VERY valid point, after I started with the Durchstich methode, I put ( full ) spare carts aside and left the refill hole open, and it is true, that in time ( moths ) almost all ink is gone.
So I emptied those carts, purged them and keep them like that, and I just refill the cart in the printer when the printer tells me it is running low, after all, it takes only 2 minutes. But when I refill, I look at other carts, and if there are carts almost empty ( no signal from the printer yet ) I refill them at the same time, reset them, and never had any problems with doing that.

panos, I appreciate your post. You didn't put up any rules...you just said out of your experience the DO'S and DON'Ts and for me, they were spot on.

 

[ghwellsjr]

panos, I appreciate your post. You didn't put up any rules...you just said out of your experience the DO'S and DON'Ts and for me, they were spot on.

Ah, but he did put up rules and he even called them that:

6. Do not overfill. This is the golden rule

I appreciate his post, too, and I'm trying to help him perfect it. I'm even trying to get him to take ownership of his rules instead of claiming that these rules existed somewhere else and he was just following them and everybody else who has had problems did so because they broke the rules.

 

[marceltho]

I think you have a problem

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

...after I started with the Durchstich methode, I put ( full ) spare carts aside and left the refill hole open, and it is true, that in time ( months ) almost all ink is gone.

Thanks for posting that observation. I think it needs to be remembered.

 

[panos]

If you had noted the level of the ink in the reservoirs of your four cartridges before you turned your printer off and then noted the levels 9 months later, you would have seen that they all went down but the two that had uncovered refill holes would have gone down even more, probably three times as much.

I've examined them now. They are all in about the same level, about 1/3 of the ink compartment. I remember last time I did print a large book on this printer but I can't remember the details of color. I am interested in your test and your results and I can understand why one who doesn't make frequent use of the printer but does require color accuracy might prefer to use another method such as your Freedom refilling.

(I believe Pharmacist's points have put the questions on the integrity of his presentation of the German method to rest. And thanks, marceltho)

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

OK, time for a cartoon. These guys know where to drill:


A cartridge works just like a hummingbird feeder. Drill above the water line, not below:


Some of you are drilling awfully low, and once in a while something goes wrong. Ordinarily the sponge is pressed against the wall by the refill hole, and capillary action at the surface of the sponge prevents leaking. However, if there is any path for leakage around the sponge and there's ink standing around the hole, as there is in the diagram, a leak is possible. Leakage is not possible, however, if the hole is open and above the water line. But you could, of course, draw ink out from either hole with a wick.

Don't forget to tell people about that plastic sill that blocks the needle, so they're not left in tears trying to hit that tiny window.

 

[marceltho]

I drill ALL my holes exactly at the bottom ( where you say " not here " ) and no problems. And I find your drawing mis-leading, as if there is a pool of ink for a few milimeters. There is only ink in the sponge, and that stays in the sponge after drilling a hole at the bottom.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Do what you want, marceltho. You're probably good enough to get away with it.

I'm just trying to make it easy for panos, and show the reason for his rule #5. This actually is the way most of the original German references show it, and I happen to agree with it. Occasionally leaks or disasters are reported by some people, and this shows why. If you push the sponge even a little bit away from the wall, you will have a pool of ink. Most of the time (you hope) this won't happen, and the sponge will hold it.

There are advantages and disadvantages to either way, but this way at least should reduce the possibility of leaks.

EDIT 7/14/11: I've also edited the language of the post to make it clearer.

 

[Redbrickman]

TM,

I can't agree with your drawing. It will work but in my mind you have even more chance to push the sponge away by going in at the angle instead of flat and under the sponge.

You can go under the sponge all the way without bending the needle significantly or puncturing the sponge, by keeping the hole as low down as possible.

In a normal functioning cart the ink will not flow out of the refill hole as you have drawn, because the ink is not like in the reservoir, it is held in the sponge, damp, but not flowing liquid.

 

[marceltho]

I try to help as well, I only state that I drill at the bottom, and that I have no problems, as many others. But I never said drilling higher is not good, or worse.

I have completed your drawing, see below. I added the ink outlet, and if there was a POOL of ink, it would come out of the outlet as well, but it is prevented of doing so by the lack of air above the ink in the ink chamber.
Just ask one of the many people in the forum who top-fill what happens if you remove the plug on top while there is ink in the ink chamber.