Empty cartridge, could the sponge be damaged from the missing ink?

[Radeon89]

Hi guys,
I would like to buy some empty cartridges pig 520 and cli 521 (to use as refillable cartridges with the chip of pgi 525 cli 526), considering that I don't know from how much time the cartridges are empty (and how they have been stored) I'm thinking if a prolonged missing of the ink can in some way deteriorate the sponge. What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Cheers

 

[The Hat]

Hi guys,
I would like to buy some empty cartridges pig 520 and cli 521 (to use as refillable cartridges with the chip of pgi 525 cli 526), considering that I don't know from how much time the cartridges are empty (and how they have been stored) I'm thinking if a prolonged missing of the ink can in some way deteriorate the sponge. What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Cheers

Canon cartridges that have been left empty are usually perfectly alright to refill
and use again once your purge them of their inks.

I did say Canon (OEM) and not 3rd party cartridges because OEMs are the best
and most reliable cartridges to refill, which are the only ones recommended on this forum.

If you feel you want to be extra sure with your cartridges then you can give them
a reconditioning using a formula made by one of our contributors.

Pharmacist Formula:

-3 % propylene glycol
-20 % isopropyl alcohol/ethanol
-distilled water up to 100 %

 

[Radeon89]

Hi,
thanks for the answer.
I have further questions...

1. About the pharmacist formula, how many ml are necessary to clean one cartridge pgi 520 cli 521?
2. This formula has to be used to make washes or it's only necessary to fill the cartridge? A guide could helps.
3. Isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol have to be 100% pure?
4. Do you know which is the best place where to buy isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol?

 

[The Hat]

Radeon89

Lets start again.

Its only after you have washed the ink from your cartridges and dried them that you can
if you so wish use the pharmacists formula but only if you think it is necessary.

1. About the pharmacist formula, how many ml are necessary to clean one cartridge pgi 520 cli 521?

About two or three ml would be sufficient enough but add more if you want to.

2. This formula has to be used to make washes or it's only necessary to fill the cartridge? A guide could helps.

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1973#p1973

3. Isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol have to be 100% pure?

No its 3% Propylene glycol / 20% Isopropyl Alcohol

4. Do you know which is the best place where to buy isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol?

As I dont know your location I wouldnt have a clue.

 

[Radeon89]

Sorry but I still don't understand if once the pharmacist formula solution is inside the cartridge I can start to fill the cartridge with the ink or if I have to make some washes with the pharmacist solution, then let it dry and only after refill the cartridge with the ink.
You say that 3 ml are enough for one cartridge but the question is how can I prepare a solution of 3ml only? Should I prepare the solution in bigger quantities? How much bigger?
When I was speaking about the pureness I was referring about the purchase of the goods, I must buy isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol pure at 100% only? You know that the on the market you can find this goods in various concentration (97% 98% etc.).
About the location it's enough if you tell me where to find it i.e. in a pharmacy.

Thanks again for your time.

 

[The Hat]

Sorry but I still don't understand if once the pharmacist formula solution is inside the cartridge I can start to fill the cartridge with the ink or if I have to make some washes with the pharmacist solution, then let it dry and only after refill the cartridge with the ink.

You put some of the formula into your clean cartridge and leave it in for a while to soak into the sponge,
then later you can blow into the air inlet on the top of your cartridge to expel most of the solution, then you can refill with ink.

You say that 3 ml are enough for one cartridge but the question is how can I prepare a solution of 3ml only? Should I prepare the solution in bigger quantities? How much bigger?

You can make up as much formula as you like say a Litre if you wish and keep the rest for later, its only 75% water anyway.

When I was speaking about the pureness I was referring about the purchase of the goods, I must buy isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol pure at 100% only? You know that the on the market you can find this goods in various concentration (97% 98% etc.).

You can buy your Alcohol / glycol in any concentration 97%/98% will do just fine it doesnt have to be 100% pure.

About the location it's enough if you tell me where to find it i.e. in a pharmacy.

You can try you Pharmacy, hardware store, or car accessory shop..

Thanks again for your time.

Here is a method you can use to dry your cartridges quick time.
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=34175#p34175

 

[Radeon89]

Considering that the sponge of the OEM Canon cartridges pgi 520 cli 521 is not visible from the outside how I can be sure that the sponge is still in the proper position (before the refilling activity)?

Thanks in advance

 

[The Hat]

Considering that the sponge of the OEM Canon cartridges pgi 520 cli 521 is not visible from the outside how I can be sure that the sponge is still in the proper position (before the refilling activity)?

Thanks in advance

Trust me it will, you see thats the beauty of these OEM cartridges they will refill indefinitely..

 

[PeterBJ]

Hi Radeon89

If your cartridges have not been refilled, it is very unlikely that the sponges have been damaged.

But I have had problems with PGI-520/CLI-521 cartridges that I refilled using the "German" or "Durchstich" method. I suspect that the sponges were either damaged or displaced by the needle. For that reason I recommend refilling these cartridges using the traditional topfill method.

Link here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8208 , see post #5 for my problems.

And here are a couple of good threads about the topfill method : http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6264 and http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7915

I still like the German refill method very much, but think that maybe it should only be used with the older fully transparent cartridges, which I think are more robust.

 

[Radeon89]

Thanks to both guys.

Peter you just put in me very doubts about which method is better... could be that you didn't do it gently? (the insertion of the needle I mean)