Replacing ball for seal after top filling 225 &226 carts

[PeterBJ]

I think The Hat tried to explain that the sponges must not get too dry. So don't overdo the drying. I agree with this.

If the sponges become too dry they have difficulty in absorbing the ink when refilled. Compare a rag: A rag that is completely dry is difficult to wet. A rag that is slightly moist absorbs water readily.

A slight amount of water left in the sponges will not dilute the ink enough to cause a noticeable colour shift. Cartridges that won't absorb ink properly after flushing and drying can be treated with pharmacist's conditioning solution: http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/canon-mp830-not-printing-text.3125/#post-21694

Wet the sponges with this solution, dry the cartridge like you would after flushing with water, but don't dry the sponges completely, leave them slightly moist.

 

[mikling]

There are different ways to determining dryness and the most reliable available to the home refiller is to use a digital scale accurate to 0.1 grams.
Wide SHORT cartridges are in the 14.9 grams range and narrow ones in the 10.6 grams range.

 

[pearlhouse]

Ahhh Now I think I got it.
my 226 carts are weighting in at 11.5 g. So they must still have enough moisture in the sponge.???

Now guys please excuse my ignorance but.....
cartridge cleansing/conditioning solution:
3 % propylene glycol (or 2 % glycerine) Is this like std. car anti-freeze (diluted or full strenth)???
20 % isopropyl alcohol (My bottle of Alcohol says 91% by volume)
distilled water up to 100 %

 

[PeterBJ]

Propylene glycol is non toxic. It exists in food and pharmaceutical grades. Ethylene glycol is highly toxic and should not be used. Even if it might work well in the conditioning solution and you don't drink it, it should not be used. The anti corrosion and other additives in the anti-freeze might harm the print head.

If you cannot obtain propylene glycol, glycerine AKA glycerol can be used instead.

The ingredients in pharmacist's recipe are pure, not diluted. The percentages are percentages in the finished mixture. That means to prepare 100 ml of conditioning solution: Start with 3 ml of propylene glycol or 2 ml of glycerine, then add 20 ml of isopropyl alcohol, and finally add distilled or demineralized water until the total volume of the mixture is 100 ml.

My isopropyl alcohol is 99% and yours is 91%. This difference doesn't matter but you could take 20 x 99/91 = 21.7 ml instead of 20ml if so desired.

It is perfectly normal for the mixture to become slightly warm when mixing water to the glycol/alcohol mixture. This heating is perfectly normal when diluting a strong alcohol.

 

[pearlhouse]

Propylene glycol is non toxic. It exists in food and pharmaceutical grades. Ethylene glycol is highly toxic and should not be used. Even if it might work well in the conditioning solution and you don't drink it, it should not be used. The anti corrosion and other additives in the anti-freeze might harm the print head.

If you cannot obtain propylene glycol, glycerine AKA glycerol can be used instead.

The ingredients in pharmacist's recipe are pure, not diluted. The percentages are percentages in the finished mixture. That means to prepare 100 ml of conditioning solution: Start with 3 ml of propylene glycol or 2 ml of glycerine, then add 20 ml of isopropyl alcohol, and finally add distilled or demineralized water until the total volume of the mixture is 100 ml.

My isopropyl alcohol is 99% and yours is 91%. This difference doesn't matter but you could take 20 x 99/91 = 21.7 ml instead of 20ml if so desired.

It is perfectly normal for the mixture to become slightly warm when mixing water to the glycol/alcohol mixture. This heating is perfectly normal when diluting a strong alcohol.

Ok I got it. I am going to make a trip to our pharmacy tonite to get either the glycol or glycerine.
Then I will fill each cart and drain it again with the paper towel method (overnite) and re weigh the carts just as a double check.
Thank you for explaining all this to me. I know I have a couple of other carts that must have the sponge to dried out because they are not supplying enough ink to the printhead. So I guess Ill drain them and flush them and recondition them also. Is it OK to reuse the ink that I drain from these carts or should I just dump it??

 

[PeterBJ]

Maybe some impurities in the cartridge or the ink are causing the problems? I would not reuse that ink.

 

[pearlhouse]

Maybe some impurities in the cartridge or the ink are causing the problems? I would not reuse that ink.

Got it THANX

 

[The Hat]

I’m a miserable git so I tend to reuse it and put the ink into the next cartridge..

 

[pearlhouse]

I’m a miserable git so I tend to reuse it and put the ink into the next cartridge..

Now if it was a larger quantity I might try running it through my .5 micron wine filter.
On second thought as I write this, its not worth it!!! Im not that thrifty. I think Ill just have a glass of wine and forget it.