Problems: green skin tone/banding, metal ball, ink leaks from sponge

[l_d_allan]

You should notice that using the top refill method, one should always tape of the breathing hole above the sponge area very tightly when the ink level is about 50 % and continue to refill up to 100 % and then seal. This will ensure the cartridge will reach the necessary sub pressure level. If you just fill up to the top, the sponge will become oversaturated and this will cause dripping and even banding during printing. So too much ink will cause banding !!!

I wonder if I'm doing something different ... perhaps wrong/flawed? ... with the way I do top-filling.

I remove the #1916 plug from the inlet port, and use a blunt needle to refill the reservoir. There is no pressure involved, as the 18 gauge needle is smaller than the inlet hole. There is a #1813 cap on the outlet port to seal the bottom.

I put in enough ink to almost fill the reservoir, with the cart upright and tilted somewhat so the vent hole above the sponge area is a bit higher than the inlet port. The weight of the ink in the reservoir plus wicking causes about half of the ink to quickly migrate to the sponge side ... within seconds. I assume the displaced air is going out the vent hole. Then I put some more ink in the reservoir to nearly top it off, and seal the inlet port by reusing the #1916 plug, plus covering with fresh vinyl electrical tape.

The above seems to be working ... haven't had leaks, clogs, banding, cross contaimination, etc. It seems like I'm getting about 11 to 12 ml of ink into a cart with 13 ml capacity that reports empty. Perhaps I've had beginner's luck?

I think there is an alternative top filling method which involves piercing a plug like the #1916 with a needle, and then putting the ink in. I'm not clear just how this works, but intend to give it a try in the future. I think the cart may be upside down, and there may be some pressure within the cart. The outlet cap may or may not be on. The vent hole may or may not be sealed ... not clear. I think Irv Weiner uses this technique, and I believe R-Jet Tek recommends this technique, base on a brief sentence with the #1916 plug in their catalog. . I haven't tried it yet, so ...

 

[l_d_allan]

Someone said on a post that they punched-out the ball valve on a cart. I tried this and the result was not very good. The initial hole was 11/64 inch and after using the punch the hole was 13/64 inch.

Joseph,

I guess that would have been me, an acknowledged newbie, so "consider the source".

Some follow-up ... since this post, I've switched to removing the plastic ball rather than pushing it through into the reservoir. I was able to watch a tech refill several of my cartridges before I decided to try my own refilling, and thought that "pushing into the reservoir" was how it was done, since that is what they did.

Based on some forum suggestions, I use a diaper-like safety pin, heated with a match. This is pushed through the plastic ball. As the pin cools, sometimes there is enough grip on the plastic ball to remove it directly.

Otherwise, I have a 1/16" drill bit in the chuck of an electric drill. The chuck is removed from the drill so I can hand twist the 1/16" drill bit into the pilot hole formed by the heated needle. I don't actually use the drill, just the chuck holding the drill bit. Usually by this point, the plastic ball is turning around within the "tunnel" that hold its. Sometimes the drill bit has enough grip to remove the plastic ball.

Otherwise, I thread in a very small eyelet screw I got at Lowes (#216 x 11/16"), and pull out the plastic ball.

Note that you want to be careful not to touch the surrounding plastic with the heated pin, which could deform it and detract from ... if not ruin ... the top seal.