ip4300

[FERNOX]

hi all, i have alot of questions regarding this printer (ip4300) , i have read alot of reviews and they all seem to be positive (always a good sign) my r340 has just stopped printing completely so im guessing the head is blocked forever, i used to use a ciss system on it and it was a bit of a pain to say the least.

okay back to the ip4300

1. can i refill the cartridges with the bulk ink i have left from my epson ?

2.the cartridge which uses pigment black, i have read that pigment ink is still unavailable here in the uk, so can normal ink substitute it ?

3. ive never had a canon, and there seems to be loads of different ways of refilling the cartridges, which is the best for the ip4300 ?

ok that will do for now look forward to your replies....thanks all

 

[Tin Ho]

I like so much my ip4300. This is a thread I am more than happy to present my 2 cents. No, you can not refill ip4300 with your refill ink for Epson. Ink for Canon and for Epson are very different and you should not try to interchange with each other. Yes to your 2nd question. But if you use black dye ink in the PGI5 cartridge your text quality will not be at optimal, especially for smaller texts. I will leave the 3rd question to others to answer because it is rather very subjective.

 

[fotofreek]

Fernox - The three methods I've seen on this forum are 1) make a fill hole on top of the reservoir area, fill with a syringe or Howard electronics squeeze bottle, and seal the fill hole in one of a variety of ways, 2) vacuum refilling - a technique best suited to refilling several carts of the same color at the same time, and 3) a European technique that requires making a very small hole just large enough for the needle to be inserted in the side of the sponge chamber near the bottom and injecting into the lower area of the sponge. No sealing is necessary from what I've read.

Most of the forum participants use the first method, and the ink vendors' instructions for refilling teach this method as well.

 

[Bertil]

My answer to question 3 would be:Use the European method!I have tried both methods and I find it much more comfortable to use .You can find good instructions in Druckerchannel,a German forum(Instructions also in English).I use Jettec ink for my Canon and like it.It doesnt clog which my MIS-ink I used earlier did.As a matter of fact I buy it from England!Kenbourne Ltd.Good luck!
Bertil N.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Actually, the European method does not inject ink into the lower area of the sponge. The needle goes all the way through the lower area of the sponge, right into the hole separating the sponge chamber from the reservoir. As the ink goes into the reservoir air comes out. It's a very ingenious method but I would still recommend covering the drilled hole with a piece of tape, not to keep the ink from leaking out but to keep air from leaking in and drying out the ink. The vent on the top of the cartridge with its serpentine grove and three wells are designed to prevent the ink from drying out due to the daily ambient air pressure cycles.

Here is a link to where this method was first introduced to us by Defcon2k:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=9279#p9279

 

[pharmacist]

Actually, the European method does not inject ink into the lower area of the sponge. The needle goes all the way through the lower area of the sponge, right into the hole separating the sponge chamber from the reservoir. As the ink goes into the reservoir air comes out. It's a very ingenious method but I would still recommend covering the drilled hole with a piece of tape, not to keep the ink from leaking out but to keep air from leaking in and drying out the ink. The vent on the top of the cartridge with its serpentine grove and three wells are designed to prevent the ink from drying out due to the daily ambient air pressure cycles.

Here is a link to where this method was first introduced to us by Defcon2k:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=9279#p9279

I used this method already a few months and I can not find any accelerated evaporisation whatsoever with the drill hole left open. However I have found emperically that the best way is to make a small hole, just as small that the needle can enter the hole smoothly. Do not make it larger and don't use a electric driller at high speed: there is a chance the sponge might be twisted around the metal making the cartridge useless. I use a sharp but relatively very thick needle and make little twists to gently create a small and smooth hole just enough for the needle to easily penetrate trough that hole almost at the bottom of the cartridge. The syringe needle just fits trough that hole, so it's very tiny and really smooth. No ink will drip out this hole.

The cartridge's inkflow is superb and without problems even after several refills. The traditional methods I tried in the past were very messy: I used a lot of chlorox and special dye ink remover pastes (like Reduran: an excellent product to remove stains from your hands in minutes completely without a trace !!!) to remove the ink stains from my fingers and hands. I find it very difficult to close the exit ink hole with the orange cap and tapes/elastics, causing several messy refill attempts in the past as small gaps cause the ink to drip out on your hands and table. You could use a special refill adapter to overcome this problem, but than there is the problem with appropriate plugs and glues to close the drilled hole above for 100 %: you know all the threads in this forum concerning this problem to be solved....... Why be so difficult if there is an excellent alternative method to do this ?

Thanks to druckerchannel.de I'm very happy with this refill method. It's called the Durchstich method.

But if you live in a very dry area you could place a piece of tape to close the hole. Scotch tape will do the job.

 

[jru]

Defcon2k was kind enough to put some videos on youtube of the
refilling:

A. "GERMAN METHOD":

Pixma-Refill: Durchstichmethode
Drilling Hole:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN03kUERQhU


Refill all carts in 7 minutes w German method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySAsn7jlV6Q


B. STANDARD METHOD:

Standard method: Fill hole over reservoir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyBxa0R2yik&mode=related&search=


Purging Carts & Refilling via fill hole over reservoir:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPZugv4Wu3w


C. FULL LIST OF DEFCON2K'S VIDEOS:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Defcon2000


SOME PHOTOS:
Where to drill hole:




Long Needle with Sharp Tip:
"The needle used was 0,9 x 70 mm, but other dimensions probably also work..."




Needle in Cart:



--------------------------------
German Refill Instructions from
http://druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=1724 (in german)

Translated into English:
http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools

--------------------------------
I found this source for individual needles & syringes:
Syringes, Needles, Cartridge Storage Clips, Luers, Vacuum Chamber
http://www.inkjetsaver.com/tools.html


I have not tried this method yet, but thought these may be helpful to others considering this method.

 

[Beetlenut]

Being a new owner of a Canon ip6700D and choosing to refill the CLI-8 cartridges, I read MANY...(if not all), of the detailed threads here. I also viewed many great and helpful videos. This forum is SUPER helpful and educational!

I chose to refill with the "German Method" and really glad I did! IMO, I find it very simple, faster, much less hassle...(no plugs, screws or glue). I've refilled my original OEM carts a total of 3-times each so far & plan on many more. I have 2-sets of OEM carts & switch when one empties. I don't let the tanks get totally empty. I made the fill holes with a push pin & use 22mm blunt tip needles 2" long.

After I fill, I tap the bottom of the cart to make sure the sponge is tight to the bottom as it can lift a tiny bit while pushing the needle through sometimes. Although I've never had a cart drip or leak after a refill, I do cover the fill hole with a small pc of electrical tape, if not for any other reason than these carts were never meant to have an extra hole in them...Right?

I've been filling my old HP Deskjet 940c and 820Cxi for years and was very glad in finding this forum when choosing to refill the ip6700D.

Thank's to all whom I've learned from here! Love the "German Method"

 

[jru]

Beetlenut,

So you had no problem pushing a blunt tip needle through? (Defcon2k had used a sharp tip needle)

Did you have any trouble finding the hole in the reservoir wall as the needle inserted, or does it just go straight in (if you follow a straight line)?

Thanks for your report.

Has anyone else used this method significantly more than 3 times without having problems?

 

[Smile]

Vacuum filling is so much easier compared to this but I guess everyone must follow his own path.