How long does it take to purge an ink cartridge from start to finish?

[Redbrickman]

OM2,

Best method I found for drying purged carts (provided you are patient) is the airing cupboard/hotpress, if you have one. After purging I put them in the cupboard, outlet port upwards and in 24Hrs they are OK for filling.

The heat is not excessive and the carts that I first purged by this method are now on their 4th fill and no problems encountered.

You can if you wish use the paper towel method outlined in the forum for drying carts, and also put them in the airing cupboard to speed up the evaporation of the water from the towel.

 

[guyg]

Living in the US I had no idea what an airing cupboard/hotpress was so I had to look it up

Airing cupboard

An airing cupboard is a large built-in wardrobe, sometimes of walk-in dimensions, containing a water heater; either an immersion heater for hot running water or a boiler for central heating water. Shelves, usually slatted to allow for circulation of heat, are positioned above or around the heater to provide storage for clothing, typically linen and towelling. The purpose is to prevent damp and to dry wet clothing. Other names include "boiler cupboard", or (in Ireland) "hot press".

 

[Redbrickman]

Many airing cupboards aren't that big, most are about the size of a small wardrobe. They are usually used to store towels, bed sheets etc. Also handy for drying cartridges

 

[OM2]

guys, thanks for all the replies
i didn't realise i had got replies - i didn't get emails from the website notifying me

a few golden nuggets of advice there

this is the method i would use after reading:

1. cut out the ball + use a contraption + use vacuum

2. leave in a hot place like airing cupboard

the bit i was concerned about was taking the ink out
leaving the ink to dry for 24 hours - not worried about - not taking up my time as such

thanks!

 

[Redbrickman]

You can either pull the ball out using the hot pin method and a a small screw in eyelet to extract it, or drill a hole (search for info here) and plug it after purging.

Best to look at the info carefully, and one tip is to try and not damage the hole where the ball is located, otherwise it is harder to seal with a plug. If moving on to using the German method after flushing/purging you may want to seal it up with hot glue which will make a good semi-permanent seal.

 

[OM2]

You can either pull the ball out using the hot pin method and a a small screw in eyelet to extract it, or drill a hole (search for info here) and plug it after purging.

Best to look at the info carefully, and one tip is to try and not damage the hole where the ball is located, otherwise it is harder to seal with a plug. If moving on to using the German method after flushing/purging you may want to seal it up with hot glue which will make a good semi-permanent seal.

aah... i hadn't read enough... i didn't read about hot glue
that sounds great - i think i'll invest in one of these today

is it not a good idea to get *really* strong tape that won't come off and use that instead?

i do like the idea of the hot gun though - so will probably go that way
but do let me know what u think: hot glue vs strong tape

EDIT: would u recommend going for a a non brand or 'never heard of brand name' cheap version available on ebay or go for a good brand like stanley?

thanks!

 

[The Hat]

OM2 is it not a good idea to get *really* strong tape that won't come off and use that instead?

Using very strong tape to seal the hole above the reservoir would be indeed a very big learning curve so dont try it.
The brand of the gun is not as important as the wax you use..

 

[guyg]

If you open the top fill hole it must be sealed air tight. A mechanical seal is preferred, I don't think tape is up to the job as any leak will result in a messy situation. Octoink has silicon refill plugs for canon carts that should work well. Be aware that some of the newer canons have a very tight clearance above the printhead and a little trimming may be needed for clearance if plugs are used. Hot glue may work well, it is just not something I have researched.

 

[mikling]

Here's am option for those with one set of cartridges and contemplating purging. If you are concerned about leaving the printhead without cartridges while the purging is performed, one can also consider flushing the printhead at the same time. This way the printhead is not going to dry out due to no cartridges installed with the potential of clogs. At the completion of the purge of the cartridges and flushing of the printhead you will bring your printer back to the peak performance level... as I put, it a "tuneup" of sorts. At the final stage, perform a manual head alignment and the printer will be in top shape.

Also a reminder. Whenever you remove the printhead ALWAYS leave the release lever down and NOT UP in the release position. The printer has an automatic timer built in to return the printhead to the park position after a set time and if the printhead moves across while the lever is up......it is not good you will not like the noise of the collision and potentially can break something. I prefer to physically remove the power when the printhead is out.

 

[OM2]

The brand of the gun is not as important as the wax you use..

oh... i was going to buy a stanley make i saw on amazon for a good price and just buy some cheap sticks from ebay
on amazon, the same cheap guns on sale on ebay have really poor reviews

what brand of wax do u recommend?

separately: what other uses do hot glue guns have?
i did a quick search on google and all i could see where arts and craft related things - like mending dolls houses
are they good for anything else!?

thanks

guyg, mikling: great replies, really helpful. thanks