Need Help, Easy & Untraditional Epson Refill; is it possible? T0481

[snowman]

All instructions to refill the T0481 series are to pierce a hole on the underside, refill and plug.

Photo of a cartridge taken apart is shown on the site below. Is it possible to drill through the top, into the chamber shown with the yellow ink, refill and plug? This has the distinct advantage of making it leakproof.

Will it work?

http://www.bobpowell.net/refill.htm

 

[snowman]

Followup: Would drilling through the top break a vacuum or change the pressure allowing it to leak through the bottom?

 

[JohnnyCool]

Hey Snowman

This is the method I use. Very easy and safer I feel then the method you linked to.

The only change I made was in step 3 it says to cut out the square from the label. I only cut on 3 sides then after I fill and glue, just put the flap back in place with a piece of clear tape...just looks better

http://atlascopy.com/instructions/ep80c5bk.pdf

 

[snowman]

That looks like an excellent way of doing it.

I was told that by making a hole in the top of the cartridge that it would break a vacuum and allow it to leak - sorta like holding a filled straw at the top and then releasing top and watching the fluid run out.

I'm assuming that if the hole is sealed well, that won't happen. The fellow I was speaking with, who seemed credible, disagreed.

Will making a hole at the top of this "unrefillable" cartridge create a leak hazard?

And is the pinhole necessary? Seems that if it gets a measured fill through one hole that the pinhole shouldn't be necessary.

 

[JohnnyCool]

Hey Snowman,

You may want to peel the label off a cart you no longer need. There is a clear membrane that hold the ink in, if this is punctured the cart will leak.

When you make the fill hole you just need to be carefull not to go in too far and damage this seal.

Making a hole in this type of cart does create a leak hazard. I have filled both ways and find this way best. Of course others may prefer the other method. Me, I have not had a single problem after filling hundreds this way.

Now the pinhole, yes you need it for venting as you fill and as it says in the instructions to stop as soon as you see ink appear as it is full at this point.

 

[rconn2]

I'm confused. The fillhole and vent location in the pdf instructions don't correspond to the yellow ink chambers in the other link. I've taken a T048x apart and it looks like the insides of the one in the link. I've read other instructions to create a fill-hole in the upper corner near the clip-side... so that corresponds to where the pdf says to do it.

So is there something wrong with the ink chamber locations in the link above?

I'm still trying to find a good refill technique -- and am not even sure of the basics for this cart -- such as good locations for filling.

1. Bottom fill-hole: The easiest, it seems, is as per the link just using the bottom location. I've done this and it wasn't as sloppy (since the cart can sit upside down and when ink bubbles up through the hole, it's easy to stop and cleanup. I've then taped over the hole w/ vinyl tape (that came w/ a refill kit). My concern though is that if that tape leaks, then it'd be a mess since it's at the bottom. If I use glue, then the link doesn't suggest how to get the glue off for the next refill (I'd guess it pops off, but won't know till I try... and don't have a glue gun etc.). And there's still (though less so) the worry of a leak at the bottom.

2. Upper-corner: The other technique (with variations) is as per the pdf -- the upper corner fillhole technique. I've done this using a blue-plug (which is similar to the pdf but doesn't use a vent hole and the plug instead of glue). This has been problematic for me... I've done about a 1/2 dozen times. It's very sloppy... when the ink comes out when it's full, it gets all over the cart (and around the labels)... when you try getting the plug in, moving the cart... try to tape over with gloves on (yeah that's fun)... I keep wiping the cart clean and then there's more ink and on the gloves then to the sink and it's like being on a frustrating merry-go-round.

3. Upper corner using screws: I bought a bunch of different nylon and stainless steel screws w/ o-rings and used the upper corner technique. It seemed to work reasonably well -- not too sloppy and didn't seem to have a leak. Then I tried to put a cart in my Epson R220... and oops... the carts sit side-by side very close together and it wouldn't fit. I even used a flat screw and it was barely protruding from the side... almost flush, and the cart still wouldn't fit! Always something... I didn't think of this being a problem. The blue plugs fit just a little more flush, and while tight putting carts back in the printer, they do fit together snugly. If I used glue it'd also have to be very flush.

So, a major problem with the upper corner side techniques above is that the carts fit close together. And also, as with the bottom fill technique, being on the side (even if near the top) presents a spillage hazard.

4. Top technique: I've never tried, but read somewhere about drilling down through the top of the cart -- somewhere near the bulls-eye or 's' or something (I haven't been able to find the link where I read this some time ago). The problem here is you have to drill through an upper piece of plastic to get to the main cart plastic. Nevertheless, I'm thinking of trying this... maybe make a bigger drill hole through the upper plastic to get to the lower, and then a smaller hole... and fill the hole w/ a stainless steel screw (or nylon) and o-ring. Has anyone tried this technique? An advantage, seems to me, is that you wouldn't have to worry about leakage from the hole since it'd be at the top. BUT... as I wrote above, I'm not even sure where to put a top fill hole since I'm not sure which chamber to target.

I also share the OP's question -- are these carts like straws in that if there's an opening it causes leakage (like lifting your finger off the end of a filled straw)? Or do openings just cause leakage because the ink may leak out of the opening? In other words, if there was a hole in the top of a cart, and it stayed right-side up, would that in itself be a problem?

-- rc