Make ink thicker?

[pharmacist]

Hi Tin Ho, if you read the post #6 and see the pictures of the sponge of those refilled canon cartridges, you can tell if the sponge was filled with too much ink. A refilled canon cartridge that not only does not leaks and the top sponge is not saturated only the bottom sponge is saturated with ink, does that look like the sponge was filled with too much ink?

The problem using the traditional method of refilling in the ink compartment is the high chance of oversaturating the sponge. Only a few people know it, but after refilling half of the ink compartment you MUST close the breathing hole tighly (a piece of tape will do the job) and then refill up to the top. Seal the opening and than remove the piece of tape. Now only the lower part of the sponge is saturated, this is the ideal saturation degree. Dave of Hobbicolors recommends you to milk (squeeze out) 5-10 drops of inks out of the cartridge after refilling. This will have the same effect.

If you use the german durchstich method this optimal equilibrium is automatically obtained, thus making this method the preferred one if you don't want oversaturated sponges: not tape and no milking is needed !

 

[Smile]

If you use the german durchstich method this optimal equilibrium is automatically obtained, thus making this method the preferred one if you don't want oversaturated sponges: not tape and no milking is needed !

Same goes to vaccum refill.

 

[lin]

My point is, my refilled canon cartridges are not leaking and the sponges inside these cartridges are not overfilled with ink (which explained why the top sponge on these refilled Canon Cartridge is not over-saturated, only the bottom does). I hope my pictures at post #6 & #8 'speak a thousand words', because if not, I don't know what else will convince everyone that my cartridges is not leaking & sponge not overly saturated.

pharmacist, actually the blue (cyan) cartridge at post #6 is using top refill method (i cropped way the top so the picture didn't display the sealing), the black and the magenta in the picture both are using the german refill method. I have 2 complete sets, one german refill, another one top refill method.

Smile, I will try the vacuum method the next time and experience what is the difference.

 

[pharmacist]

If you use the german durchstich method this optimal equilibrium is automatically obtained, thus making this method the preferred one if you don't want oversaturated sponges: not tape and no milking is needed !

Same goes to vaccum refill.

Smile, could you tell me how to vaccum refill one cartridge with a particular colour, without the need to spill alot of ink ??? If you can tell how to do this, I will certainly give it a try. I presume this method is only viable for at least 10 cartridges at a time, but not for most of us refilling only a few cartridges at a time and also with several colours.

 

[Tin Ho]

Hi Tin Ho, if you read the post #6 and see the pictures of the sponge of those refilled canon cartridges, you can tell if the sponge was filled with too much ink. A refilled canon cartridge that not only does not leaks and the top sponge is not saturated only the bottom sponge is saturated with ink, does that look like the sponge was filled with too much ink?

Lin: I did read your #6 post before asking the question. You did say you did not overfill the sponges. But 2 out of 3 cartridges in the photo looked overfilled to me. Ink normally will drip out of the outlet hole only if sealing is not air tight. There will be no dripping if the sponge is overfilled. This is likely overlooked. The result is ink will leak out from the nozzles. If you are certain that the sponges were not overfilled you can rule out this possibility too. That would leave only another possibility, which is what you suspected, ink too diluted.

I should emphasize it one more time: there will be no ink dripping from the outlet hole if the sponge is overfilled. But ink will leak out of nozzles when the cartridge is plugged in. I think the ink at the bottom in the nozzles takes the pressure above it. Being so tine the pressure is hign enough to cause the ink to leak out from there. I actually experimented by blowing air into the vent of a overfilled cartridge. THe leaking immediately stops when it was plugged back in. Give it a try. It takes only a moment.

I have not experienced any ink that is too diluted. So I naturally doubt this being the case. Bottom line is if you see ink on the bottom of the print head ink is leaking (out of the nozzles). That has to be problems originated from the cartridges. I think we all agree that 1 sealing, 2 overfilled sponge and 3 ink too diluted are the causes. If the first 2 are ruled out that makes the 3rd the one to look into.

Try a different refill ink. Or go back and look at the first 2 possibilities. To me I have found them most likely. Remember it made me give it up after struggling for a whole week without any clue. I only went back and got it to work after getting some hint from this forum. I never had any leaking problems since then.

I think the German refill method can overfill the sponge although less likely. It's entirely up to whoever is doing the refill. I agree that the German method gives you better control to not overfill. But this method has a potential problem. If after refilling the needle leaves an open air chamber at the bottom of the sponge it can cause ink to seep out of the reserve tank and over saturate the sponge. The sponge needs to be pressed against the bottom of the cartridge. The only air chamber allowed should be at near the bottom of the wall between the two tanks. That air chamber is responsible for how ink is allowed to come out to replenish the sponge. If an air chamber is created by the needle using the German refill method at the bottom of the sponge it can mess up the functionality of the sponge. I think you may want to look into it. It seems no one has this problem reported in this forum so it is unlikely. But it is a possibility anyway.

 

[Tin Ho]

The problem using the traditional method of refilling in the ink compartment is the high chance of oversaturating the sponge. Only a few people know it, but after refilling half of the ink compartment you MUST close the breathing hole tighly (a piece of tape will do the job) and then refill up to the top.
Seal the opening and than remove the piece of tape. Now only the lower part of the sponge is saturated, this is the ideal saturation degree. Dave of Hobbicolors recommends you to milk (squeeze out) 5-10 drops of inks out of the cartridge after refilling. This will have the same effect.

Excellent! What I do is to blow air into the vent to "milk" the ink out. It's not the right word but I need to borrow it to describe it. It should have the same effect to keep the sponge from overfilled. Believe it or not this was told in this forum a long time ago if I remember it correctly.

 

[lin]

But 2 out of 3 cartridges in the photo looked overfilled to me.

Which 2 cartridges are the one that looked overfilled to you?


Everyone, pls help me to see too, based on your experience & opinion, do any one of the sponge from these 3 cartridge in the picture looks overfilled? And which one? This will help me to have a better idea and next time, I will further reduce the amount of ink being absorb into the sponge area than the current situation in the picture.

 

[Tin Ho]

The two on the top of the photo look overfilled. Just try to blow air into the vent to get some ink out of the sponge. You can rule it out instantly. If it is the problem you can fix it instantly too. It is hard to visually determine if the sponge is overfilled. The bottom one is obvious.

 

[Smile]

If you use the german durchstich method this optimal equilibrium is automatically obtained, thus making this method the preferred one if you don't want oversaturated sponges: not tape and no milking is needed !

Same goes to vaccum refill.

Smile, could you tell me how to vaccum refill one cartridge with a particular colour, without the need to spill alot of ink ??? If you can tell how to do this, I will certainly give it a try. I presume this method is only viable for at least 10 cartridges at a time, but not for most of us refilling only a few cartridges at a time and also with several colours.

I don't have any photos but I can try to describe it in words, sorry my English is not perfect you know

I refill using small jar that is enough to insert two CLI-8 cartridges. I do not pour ink like some people I seem into the jar wasting allot of ink because of hi liquid contact area with the jar. I insert smaller round container to fit the cartridge exactly. To save ink and to make sure the refill goes easy and I can still save more ink and change refill colors easier I use single use small food bags that I insert into the small container.

The procedure is like this (1 CLI-8 cartridge refill):

1. Insert the food bag into small container
2. Insert the cartridge to be refilled
3. Elevate the container so breath hole is fully enclosed in ink
4. Pour Ink into container about 25ml for CLI-8 up to 30ml if it's very dry
5. Pull vacuum and watch how bubbles come from cartridge.
6. Release vacuum 1 or 2 times depending on how many bubbles you get.

After the refill is done you take and suck remaining ink in the food bag with a syringe with blunt, rounded ended needle that protects the bag so you will not be able to puncture it and ink will be spilled. As much as 1-1.5ml is wasted on the bag sides in my calculations. That is a very good level of waste management for me

I skipped the parts where you seal unseal the cartridges or squeeze them.

The procedure is fast and easy, can sound hard but is not so. I manage to refill every cartridge in 3-4 minutes max.
I definitely spilled more ink by traditional refill in cartridges that you can't see how much ink is left inside than my vacuum fill method.

I even managed to refill CL-41 (Standard Colour) with some tubing special clip to seal nozzles and breathe hole and several syringes as storage for ink inside vacuum jar.
When you think how much professional refill equipment costs and all it does is pulls vacuum then that’s very good value.

 

[lin]

The two on the top of the photo look overfilled. Just try to blow air into the vent to get some ink out of the sponge. You can rule it out instantly. If it is the problem you can fix it instantly too. It is hard to visually determine if the sponge is overfilled. The bottom one is obvious.

I captured picture of the other side of the 2 cartridges which you said the sponge looked overfilled. Hope this picture capture more clearly for you to determine if they are really this 2 cartridges are really overfilled.



And Smile, thanks for describing the vacuum method.