Your own vacuum-refill-tool for less than 20 dollars

[CakeHole]

@CakeHole see my Video for more Details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97u2GxMIsWM&feature=youtu.be

@CakeHole: I already gave you some links to rubber items on ebay you might use (see above answers)

Yep sorry i missed the the link, you posted doh! I looked again and have seen it now
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RUBBER-gc-S...712?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cef057ba0
is the item i was referring to, thank you for your time in posting that and the other information

I may have a go at building something like this and give it a try.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Ghwellsjr did quite a few experiments with this using transparent cartridges, and he had this to say about it. I think he had it figured out pretty well. It's odd and rather interesting that these commercial systems can get away with inverting the cartridge to fill. It may be because there is air trapped in there that never gets out through the sponge, or there may be a small (but necessary!) leak in the vent closure.

If you use a normal syringe like the commercial models do and you refill with the cartridge upside down so that the air space between the sponge and the air vent is at the bottom, then yes, you can get quite a lot of ink in that air space and in the air vent path. Realize that in this configuration, the hole between the two chambers is at the top which also favors ink going into the sponge instead of into the reservoir.

That is why I use a bent syringe and why I hold the cartridge with the reservoir down so that the ink will tend to flow into it instead of toward the air gap. But I didn't say the ink can't go into the air gap or the air vent, I said it doesn't usually go there. If you allow the plunger to release too quickly, it has a tendency to force ink into the air gap but holding the reservoir down helps prevent the ink from getting into the air vent because the air vent port is in the middle of the sponge chamber. I suspect that there is in reality a small air leak in the tape seal over the air vent which helps keep the ink from flowing into the air gap.

...Keep in mind that one of the points I made about this refill process is that it can end up with the top of the sponge remaining white, just like an OEM cartridge....

But as I said in post #15, it may be a good idea after you remove the air vent tape to pull back on the plunger to get some air into the upper sponge, especially if you have an opaque cartridge.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Here's a picture of a much earlier device, nicely constructed with a right-angle bend at the fill port: http://www.printerknowledge.com/thr...cli-8-pgi-5-and-others.5994/page-6#post-44527 .

Another early device, with a very useful geometry: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/5268_vacuum_tests_001.jpg .

 

[martin0reg]

noch was by Nochwas:
-
http://www.druckerchannel.de/artike...ng_vakuum_refiller_fuer_canon_und_hp_patronen
google translation:
https://translate.google.de/transla...fuer_canon_und_hp_patronen&edit-text=&act=url

PS: nevertheless I will stick to the "durchstich" method...only tool needed is a hand drill..

 

[Nochwas]

@ThrillaMozilla believe me, if the last thing you do before taking off the syringe is pulling the plunger then this action will suck enough ink back out of the sponge so that everything works just fine.
Please post any problems you encounter with the device! Would be interesting for me to know if it works all right for you.

 

[CakeHole]

@ThrillaMozilla believe me, if the last thing you do before taking off the syringe is pulling the plunger then this action will suck enough ink back out of the sponge so that everything works just fine.
Please post any problems you encounter with the device! Would be interesting for me to know if it works all right for you.

That makes sense to me, if there was any ink left in the air maze you would simply be sucking it through back into the cart, i never understood why there was a need for a right angled syringe tip in earlier methods. As long as everything is sealed tight i can not imagine any issue with your method.

 

[Nochwas]

I think the biggest advantages of the vacuum-filling-method compared to other methods is that the cartridge stays completely intact. So no ink could evaporate from the ink-chamber or sponge- chamber (which might change the viscosity of the ink). The method where a hole is drilled into the ink-chamber has the big disadvantage that it might produce a leaking cartridge if that hole is not sealed properly after refilling (grief).

Second you will not have to drill a hole into the cartridge before refilling it (saves some time).

Third I encountered less problems with ink dropping out of a fresh refilled chartridge (always pull the plunger of the syringe one last time before quickly taking the syringe off. The moment you take off the syringe from the cartridge you will then hear a short hissing sound. After that the cartridge will not (or at least less) drop ink after it is turned around again into ist normal position).

Fourth the vacuum-method is simple so it saves time once you have build a refill-tool.

Anyway, always wear rubber-gloves during refill-process because one never knows...

 

[Tudor]

I never fill the ink-chamber completely. Go into a shop and let the seller show you an original Canon 520 or 521 cartridge. Look closely at the window in the ink chamber! The ink chamber is always filled just half - the rest is air! You do not need to fill the ink chamber completely to the top.

I am 99,99% sure all the new OEM 520/521s have the ink chamber full...

I watched your video and if you pull on the syringe before taking it off (with the vent hole sealed) you only introduce more air to the lower sponge, you don't clear the vent. You should pull a little on the syringe and take the rubber off the vent before removing the syringe. This way you are clearing the vent.

 

[Nochwas]

I do not know why you are worrying about the vent. I have refilled over 200 cartridges the way that is presented in the video. I never had any Problems with These refilled cartridges.
S o everything seems to work o.k.
What would, in your opinion, happen if the vent would be flooded with ink?

 

[Tudor]

Actually I don't care about flooding the vent with ink. There are 2 "collectors" between the cartridge and exterior, so any trapped ink will be caught by these. In the case of pigment black there is a chance that the vent will be clogged from dried up ink, but that would take so many refills... the printer will die before clogging of the vent happens (IMHO).

Air in the lower sponge, on the other hand... the carts were not designed to work like that.