Sealing the refill hole BCI-6 BCI-3

[fotofreek]

DRC - once you pop the original refill seal out of an OEM BCI-6 cart, the computer friends blue plugs are as convenient as a pop up top. There is an easily gripped tab to pull it out, and it is large enough to handle and replace after refilling. I used them for my first efforts at refilling as I was using the original OEM carts that came with my printer. When I started using other carts as well for backup it became more convenient to have a uniform system and the s.s. screw/o-ring worked out really well. You are right - a popup fill hole cover would be great.

 

[river]

I just joined this forum and think it is full of great info. As to refilling the cartridges, I have had a canon s630 for several years (just about worn it out). When I first got it, I got a refill kit from Independent Ink Inc. in Gardena, CA. In this kit were about 25 reusable tapered red rubber plugs with a cap on top. They fit a #36 drilled hole perfectly. I just drilled the hole carefully in the tops of the cartridges toward the rear trying not to let any chips fall into the carts. Then after putting them back into the printer, I fill the carts to about 1/8" from the top with a hypo needle and replaced the rubber plugs. No mess, no fuss. I refill each cart about 10-12 times, never removing it from the printer, then replace it with a new one after drilling new holes and plug. After the first small refill kit bottles, I started buying 16oz bottles of blk, cyan, mag and yellow. Very cheap this way and these last me a year or more.

This ink looks gives as good or better color than the original Canon. Never have had any probs with clogging. Am going to buy a ip4200 or ip4000 if I can find one reasonable. I understand the ip4200 can be had for around $100+ and the IP4000 is more.

I plan on using the same ink and refilling the same way. These little plugs work great. Not sure yet regarding the chip prob. Maybe put some opaque tape over the prism or the cart area which is sensed by the chip.

 

[steven.va]

Another picture I will post:
I have modified a Canon BC-33 print head, so I can use it as a cartridge holder

Oh My Gosh!! That's just an amazing idea!!!! After going through all the steps of cleaning a printhead one finds that the head is toast.... convert it into a cartridge holder!

Yes... please post pictures and steps you took to seal the nozzles!

Hi Nifty

Today I had a little time, and took some pictures from the print head.

Some time ago I repaired a Canon BJC-S400.
I had a spare print head, but since I managed to repair the original one...I had this one lying around

By the way: my modifications are reversible
I can put the head back together if I ever need it

Print head with nozzles

Opened print head. Separating nozzle plate and cartridge holder.

How I closed the ink openings. Very handy from Canon to provide a rubber seal

An overview shot of my modified cartridge holder


Steven

 

[Nifty]

Wow, that's fantastic. I especially like that it is reversible. Excellently done, and thanks for the pictures.

 

[Lilla]

For people that are looking for plugs to seal the original fill hole in the Canon BCI-6 OEM carts, the following might be of interest. I haven't tried them myself.

Posted by Mikling...
Post#1 Need some opinions for Canon Seal Plugs

"I came upon some seal plugs that might possibly work well for the Canon [BCI-6 OEM] cartridges. These don't break and seem to be made of polyethylene or polypropylene. The simply push into the holes without a screwdriver and seal very well. You can pull them off with your fingernails and they will NOT break. They are not solid but hollow core thus giving a gentle yet positive sealing effect. When pushed in they sit pretty flush and gives the refilled cart a nice "complete look."

Post #7 "I will be getting a bag of these and if anyone wants some, just email me about PLASTIC PLUGS. Nominal charge to recover postage handling and cost of plugs. I don't know what they cost as yet but I think in the area of maybe a dime or so each."

 

[mikling]

I found that they seal but the odd one will leak if you nick the sealing edge when you remove the ball. I'll suggest reverting back to the screws and drop this one.

 

[Lilla]

I found that they seal but the odd one will leak if you nick the sealing edge when you remove the ball. I'll suggest reverting back to the screws and drop this one.

Mikling, thanks for the update on the plugs.

Lilla

 

[mikling]

I use a 3/8" 8-32 stainless steel countersunk machine screw. If you carefully remove the ball and don't nick any edges, this screw will positively seal and cause the edge of the hole to conform to the screw taper. it doesn't require any o-rings. They key thing is to take your time and remove the ball without damaging the hub that holds the ball. Once that is done, it works really well.

 

[Lilla]

Below is a SUMMARY of various screws used to seal the refill hole, along with links to related posts. I started keeping this list when I was sorting out which screw I wanted to use. I decided to post it as I think it might help others who are doing the same. The list may not include every screw that is used, but it includes the most common ones.

This forum is a deep resource of useful information, and new ideas crop up all the time. So, please consider this list a starting place rather than an end.

Wood screws and sheet metal screws are self-tapping / self-threading. Threads for Machine screws can be added using a metal screw or a tap.

Tip. No matter how you seal your refill hole, it's a good idea to store your cartridges as Grandad35 explains in post #4 below.

1. Put a small stainless steel self-threading eye screw into the ball located in the fill hole of the OEM cartridge. Use the screw as a handle to remove and insert the ball.
phipham uses this method -- see post #161 this link.
Lilla used this method for years -- see post #165 this link, includes an explanation and a picture of problems experienced.
Jane used this method on her old printer. The eye-screw she has been using is too tall for her new IP6000D -- see post #72 this link.

2. Use stainless steel countersunk head (thus no o-ring) wood screw.
Grandad35 uses #6. Below are excerpts from Grandad's posts regarding his sealing method.
- Post #36 this link. I use a #6 flat head wood screw without an O-ring, and the tapered bottom of the screw [head] provides a good seal all by itself. This system also seals even if the screw is not installed perfectly straight.
- Post #39 this link. See image titled "ScrewSeal.jpg". Notice that he does NOT put this screw in the original fill hole.
- Post #54 this link and "Top of Cartridge" image in Post #44 this link. "Previous photos showed a "hole to nowhere" in the sponge chamber cover. This is a good place to put a second hole into the sponge chamber[, if you want to add one]. The same type of self tapping #6 flat head screw that was used to seal the ink chamber was simply screwed into the cart to make the hole, then it was removed."
- Post #101 this link. "I bought a few stainless steel screws at Ace Hardware ($0.20/ea.), and was pleasantly surprised to find that they were not magnetic (there are some low chrome content "stainless steels" that have poor corrosion resistance and are magnetic). I put one of them and a zinc plated screw in a sample of ink and left them for 4 days. On pulling them out of the ink and washing them off, this is what I saw... <image> The zinc plating did a good job where it was plated, but it is obvious that the plating didn't extend completely to the tip of the screw. ...snip... I'll obviously be replacing my zinc plated screws with stainless steel screws."
- Post #36 this link and picture Cap1.jpg in Post #39 this link. "When you install a new cartridge, the instructions tell you to discard the plastic cap that covers the discharge hole. I figured that if this cap was good enough for the supplier, it should be good enough for me. The only problem was how to hold it in place easily solved with a rubber band. This works great not only for refilling it also allows you to store multiple set of carts without leaks. It is a good idea to rinse the seal surface with tap water and blow it dry so that you dont have to worry about residual ink on the seal surface contaminating a different color cart. Install the rubber band with one loop in front and one loop behind the hole to balance the loading on the cap, and then wiggle the cap to make sure that it is square on the cart."
- Post #4 this link. "I store my carts in food storage containers like this (shown with the lids removed) <image> Put a folded paper towel in the bottom of each container, wet it with water, then add an ounce or so of rubbing alcohol to prevent bacterial growth. Keep the lid sealed, and you do not have to tape over the vent hole, since the air inside the container will be at 100% RH [humidity] and the carts will not dry out. Put your empties back into the clips that held the carts that were just put into the printer, and store the empties in the same containers until you are ready to refill. You may have to periodically add some more alcohol to the towel when you refill." Note/Lilla. You can use the original orange OEM cap shown in post #36 above instead of the orange clip.

3. Use stainless steel pan head wood screw with o-ring.
Mark uses #6. Caution, zinc-plated screws might corrode in the ink (see post #32 this link and photo in post #43 this link, post #113 this link, and Grandad's post #101 this link).

4. Use stainless steel countersunk head (thus no o-ring) machine screw.
Mikling uses #8-32 x 3/8 in. (see post #158 this link, see photos in Post #3 this link).

5. Use stainless steel pan head machine screw with o-ring.
on30trainman uses #8-32 x 1/4 in. (1/2 in. cut to 1/4 in.) on BCI-6 OEM carts (see post #7 this link).
Xalky uses #10-32 on the new CLI-8 cartridges (see post #3 this link).

6. Use stainless steel pan head sheet metal screw with o-ring.
fotofreek uses #6 screws (see post #6 this link "I start the hole with a paper clip wire heated in a flame", post #5 this link) and #8 screws (see post #6 this link).

7. Use nylon pan head machine screw with o-ring.
drc023 uses #10-32 on some non-OEM carts (see post #2 this link and photo at post #1 this link). He says #8-32 also work (see post #8 this link).
ocular uses #6-32 on some non-OEM carts,
and #8-32 on BCI-6 OEM carts (see post #3 this link).
hpnetserver uses #10-32 on BCI-6 OEM carts (see post #2 this link).
JV uses #6-32 on BIJC#2 carts (see post #118 this link and photo in #119).
He taps two threads in the original fill hole. He performs a test 15 times and it passes.
Lilla uses #8-32 x 1/4" (3/8" cut to 1/4") on BCI-6 OEM carts, see notes below.

For a step-by-step instruction by Lilla see article Sealing the Refill Hole in Canon BCI-6/CLI-8 Cartridges using Machine Screws with O-rings. Below is some information from the article.

I recently updated my carts to use nylon 8x32 x 1/4" machine screws with o-rings. These screws were purchased as 3/8" long, and cut-off to 1/4". Cost was $0.15 per set from www.tacomascrew.com at the per 100 each price.
146-302-2 Nylon Slot Machine Screws. #8-32 x 3/8" Pan Head. $6.29 per 100
193-302-1 Nitrile Rubber O-Rings; 5/32" 1/16" THK #2-007. $7.73 per 100

I have fitted 18 Canon BCI-6 OEM carts this way, and they are working very well. The screw + o-ring is put in the original fill hole after removing the ball. The effort required to remove the ball varies depending upon which instructions you use.

To remove the ball, I follow the instructions referenced below, but just up to the point that the ball is removed; I stop there. Some instructions tell you to push the ball in, instead of removing it. I think it is better to remove it. Why? Because pushing the ball in breaks the shelf that keeps the ball from falling into the reservoir. Removing the ball preserves the shelf; the shelf provides extra plastic to support your screw.

To download the instructions that show how to remove the ball, follow these steps:
Method 1. Click http://www.atlascopy.com/knowledge/Canon_Refill.pdf
Method 2. Click http://www.atlascopy.com/knowledge/knowledge_base.htm;
Then scroll down to the link titled How To Get Over 40 Refills From Canon BCI-3e/BCI-6 Carts; click this link to download Canon_Refill.pdf.

Threads for a 8-32 nylon screw can be cut (i.e. added to the holes) using a 8-32 metal screw, or a 8-32 tap. I cut the threads using a tap attached to a tap handle; I did not use a drill, but instead just turned the tap by hand using the tap handle.

 

[Nifty]

Wow Lilla, another great post! Thanks for all the detail!!!