Help to mothball a Canon Pro 100S

[CackySA]

I need to pack away my Canon Pro 100S, can anyone suggest a tried method to mothball the printer and preserve the print heads? I noticed that after a year of standing about 50% of the ink in the cartridges has disappeared. Or should I maybe just sell the printer? Thanks!

 

[The Hat]

noticed that after a year of standing about 50% of the ink in the cartridges has disappeared.

I would say keep doing what you doing as the best way to maintain the mothball printer.. But if the Feckin thing is mothballed, how do you know the state of the ink levels, tampering with it is a good way to cause problems..
P.S. Don't sell the printer..

 

[palombian]

Indeed, chances are the PRO-100(S) will be the last of it's kind to be refillable.
Even without a printhead it will keep its value since the successor PRO-200 uses the same printhead.

IMO it is impossible to conserve a printhead the way Canon does with a new one.
Personally I rinse it in demineralized water until all ink is gone, bath a last time with "pharmacist conservation fluid" (20% isopropanol, 20% propylene glycol) and pack in a sealed bag or jar.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

bath a last time with "pharmacist conservation fluid"

there is a ready made product available for those who won't like to get this conversation fluid mixed by themselves

https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/...eshness-retention-preservation-solution?c=875

 

[palombian]

there is a ready made product available for those who won't like to get this conversation fluid mixed by themselves

https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/...eshness-retention-preservation-solution?c=875

Indeed, very reasonable price, but never tried it.
I must say my successes with mothballed printheads vary (also because some were already heavily used).

But I printed years with a PRO-9500II printhead I mothballed after the previous user just installed it.
I was able to flush the old head (he thought was toast) and kept it in the printer (after testing with ink) and cartridges filled with the conservation fluid. This didn't work.

 

[The Hat]

https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/...eshness-retention-preservation-solution?c=875

Canon Optimiser (GO) also works as a good preservative, but it might be more expensive than the iJET solution mentioned, or Propylene Glycol mixed 50/50 with distilled water, but most of this is academic because the printer has already been mothballed, and disturbing it may cause further issues…

Let sleeping dogs lie..

 

[CackySA]

So I fired up the beast today and there is no ink left, all zero. The sponges are still 50% or more but the print is as below...

Now I have to decide what to do, strip out the head and clean to preserve sealed with PGlycol, or replace the carts and let her go. I have so many unprinted photos that i just never get to. The printer has not done more than 10 A3 full colours and 25 A4 full colours so the head is like new.

Anyone have instructions to get the head out, and most probably the sponges are saturated too?

 

[stratman]

no ink left, all zero. The sponges are still 50% or more

What indicates there is no more ink left?

Why do you say the sponges are 50% or more?

The appearance of the sponges does not always correlate to volume of ink in the cartridge. There will be coloring of the sponges even when the cartridge is marked Empty by the printer.

The printer has not done more than 10 A3 full colours and 25 A4 full colours so the head is like new.

The nozzle check show the number of prints is from 51-100. "Like new" is a very relative term when it comes to print heads. Environmental conditions, usage patterns, OEM vs Aftermarket ink use and Father Time affect the lifetime of the print head.

The nozzle check looks pretty good except for the obvious defects in the GY. Most likely this will correct with a regular cleaning or printing over time. Fresh ink would in order.

I don't know if it is scanner artifact or what but there appears to be a moire-like pattern in the PM. Also, there appears to be a little notching on the lower border of the Yellow swath that corresponds to a notching of PM on its upper border. Does the image look the same to you as it does here on the forum image? Could there be a leak of PM into the the print head beyond the PM ink inlet port of the print head? (where the cylindrical part of the cartridge - ink exit port - fits against the print head to feed the print head ink)

 

[stratman]

Anyone have instructions to get the head out

Canon has all the instructions and manuals that came with the printer online at

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/...fessional-inkjet-printers/pro-100?tab=manuals

Follow the instructions for Getting Started but do it backwards to take the print head out.

https://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/4/0300008334/01/PRO-100_GS_U2_V1.pdf

 

[CackySA]

Hi Stratman and thank you for your comments.

What indicates there is no more ink left?

Why do you say the sponges are 50% or more?

The appearance of the sponges does not always correlate to volume of ink in the cartridge. There will be coloring of the sponges even when the cartridge is marked Empty by the printer.

The printer software window shows 0 ink for all 8 carts.

Below is a pic of the black cart, most look the same as this, although the sponge is wet to the touch.

I don't know if it is scanner artifact or what but there appears to be a moire-like pattern in the PM. Also, there appears to be a little notching on the lower border of the Yellow swath that corresponds to a notching of PM on its upper border.

Well I am a cheap, I used the back of another test page from another printer. The same for what appears to be notching. That said, the grey definitely has anomalies.

The nozzle check show the number of prints is from 51-100. "Like new" is a very relative term when it comes to print heads. Environmental conditions, usage patterns, OEM vs Aftermarket ink use and Father Time affect the lifetime of the print head.

The printer has really not worked. Only genuine Canon inks and other than some test or cleaning prints, all prints have been to Canon photo papers. The printer has been in my home office on a printer desk and covered from dust for around 3 years.

What is the consensus on genuine inks? Would or do you use aftermarket ink to refill, or maybe the cheap replacement carts? I personally have never had success with aftermarket carts, but maybe refilling the existing carts as they genuine are very expensive here.