After years of success, the German Refill Method didn't work!

[Grandad35]

Check to make sure that the sponges haven't been pushed away from the front/back/bottom edges of the cart. If they have been moved out of contact, ink can take the shortcut.

 

[Subarub4]

one little question I did not see and I've been looking.. where do you find the needles to do the refill?

 

[PeterBJ]

For the German refill method you will need a thin 2" needle, preferably 21g and sharp. According to local law and regulations only blunt needles may be available, but a blunt needle is also suitable. If so desired a blunt needle can be sharpened using a fine-grain sharpening stone.

In Denmark I can legally buy sharp needles at any pharmacy, but only standard sizes are normally in stock. The needle used for German method refill is a non standard size, so I get my needles from an ink supplier.

So I recommend to check ink supplier sites.

 

[Ron350]

One little question I did not see and I've been looking.. where do you find the needles to do the refill?

I use 2- inch long 20 gauge blunt needles from Precision Colors.
I use a long hat pen to make a tunnel through the sponge and the blunt needle goes right through into the ink chamber.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/5-Syringes-N.../140457147271?pt=BI_Toner&hash=item20b3e5fb87

 

[stratman]

one little question I did not see and I've been looking.. where do you find the needles to do the refill?

Where you obtain needles from is based on where you live on the planet for most people because of shipping costs and laws. Where are you in the world?

Concerning what needle to get: Blunt or sharp, at least 2" or 50mm in length for the Durchstich method (any size for the top hole refill method), and 18-21 gauge (smaller than 21 gauge and it becomes much harder to push the ink out). Consider buying caps with the needles if they don't already come with it. Safety begins at home.

To make the Durchstich hole - anything small and strong enough such as a push pin, awl, larger pin, heated paper clip, drill bit (careful not to skewer the sponge). I make the hole somewhere in the middle of the markings ">PP<" on the lower side of the sponged compartment. The etched area of one of the "P's" makes for a nice landmark. Some people use something to tunnel through the spone - like the hat pin described above. Others tap the hole then use their needle on the syringe, in a semi-rotating motion and forward pressure, to make the tunnel.

ALL these methods and materials work. Just use the ones that seems the best to you.

 

[martin0reg]

If I had ever a problem with refilling this is it:
no air exchange through the sponge chamber (and consequently out of the air vent) while injecting the ink. Therefor the ink is going wrong ways or can not be injected at all. Flushing the cartridge should help.
This happens to me with magenta and with BCI carts more often than with yellow or with CLI carts. Lately even flushed BCI would not let me inject magenta.

 

[turbguy]

I've never know top filling to fail....why did we ever leave it? Just to avoid some ink spills on our latex gloves?

 

[mikling]

Actually if you use storage clips, the top fill can be clean as long as you're not too greedy about trying to fill the tank right to the top and max out. I still prefer it but sometimes the choice is not there.

 

[stratman]

Actually if you use storage clips, the top fill can be clean as long as you're not too greedy about trying to fill the tank right to the top and max out. I still prefer it but sometimes the choice is not there.

What about the ink on the plugs? How do you avoid getting ink in your fingers pulling out or putting back in the plugs? How many times have the plugs slipped from your fingers and left ink somewhere else?

 

[turbguy]

That's why I use latex gloves...I find Hobbicolor plugs too small to deal with. Precision Color plugs are much better (larger) to work with.

Wayne