New technique to clean BCI-6 carts

[Grandad35]

I have been working on a new technique to clean BCI-6 carts so that they can be refilled even after they are "clogged". This procedure is posted at:
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/docs/canon-BCI-6-cartridges.php

It works for me - is there anyone who has some dead carts and is interested in trying this technique?

 

[Nifty]

Grandad... again you amaze me! Excellent article and wonderful pictures and videos.

A few questions:

1) How much of a difference does the temp. of the water make in the process? Did you do any tests with luke warm / cool water?

2) Any concerns about using tap water? Everyone always seems to make such a big deal about all the chemicals and particles in tap water.

3) At what point does Grandad "throw in the towel" on a cartridge? This is pretty great stuff (vacuum refilling and flushing a cartridge) but at what point do you just pay another $3.00 for a new cartridge? I know I actually receive satisfaction and have fun doing things similar to this.

 

[Grandad35]

Rob,

1. We know that the hotter the water the greater its ability to dissolve other compounds. I didn't try anything other than "full hot" from the faucet (about 150 deg F - not hot enough to cause a burn, but hot enough to be very uncomfortable if you dip you hand into it). It would be an interesting experiment if someone wanted to test cold water, but how would you know if it had a negative effect? I see no advantage to using cold water, so I'm going to stick with full hot.

2. I'm not particularly concerned about any chemicals that I can safely drink - most of the water is blown/sucked out of the cart before it is refilled in any case. If there are any particles in the water, they would be caught on the bottom of the filter and sucked out by the vacuum cleaner. If they were embedded so tightly that they couldn't be sucked out by the vacuum, then they wouldn't come out in the printer either.

3. As I have stated several times previously, "It's about the challenge, not the money". If we placed any reasonable value on our time, we could never justify refilling a Canon cart - it would make more sense to just buy prefilled 3rd party carts for $2.50. But then, as you said, we wouldn't get a chance to play. Also, I feel that I have better control over the ink's source and quality than I would by buying prefilled carts that might be filled with anything. From what I have seen, this cleaning technique should work until the sponges/filters deteriorate or plug with solid particulates. We'll have to wait to see if we can find a solution to those problems when they happen.

 

[Nifty]

Good points all around!

So we're clear, I'm definitely in agreement with your stand on economies of refilling and cleaning carts. There are a few of us weirdos on this forum who actually enjoy getting some ink on our hands and have fun refilling regardless of how much money it saves or doesn't save. I just wanted people reading to understand why we do these crazy things and that it isn't just about money. I was just curious at what point "you" (you meaning Grandad, not you "people in general") personally replace a cart. The question... How dead does a cart have to be before Grandad puts it into the trash can. Answer: "until the sponges/filters deteriorate or plug with solid particulates"

Sorry if it sounded like I was implying that you were wasting your time because I know that you aren't... you're simply having fun, just like many of us... you're just better at it!

 

[fotofreek]

Great movie clips! Granddad could run competition with Lucasfilms.

 

[BlasterQ]

I can only say this, Grandad35, how I wish you are my granddad!!! On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I give you 10!
As Rob says, some of us weirdos here refill not just to save money, but because we actually have fun doing it. And with more and more techniques being introduced here, refilling is getting more exciting.
It's like playing my favorite computer game, and just when you thought it could not get any more exciting, Grandad comes and adds new weapons, enemies, and maps!

 

[Nifty]

It's like playing my favorite computer game, and just when you thought it could not get any more exciting, Grandad comes and adds new weapons, enemies, and maps!

HAHA

It's funny because it's true!

 

[Grandad35]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words.

I have only been into refilling Canon carts for a little over 4 months, and I have yet to throw away a cart because it couldn't be refilled. I HAVE sacrificed 3 carts by dissecting them to look at the sponges, filters, etc., but I don't count them as dead - they made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause and will always live on through their photos in the forum.

This photo shows my current collection of every Canon cart that I have emptied and moved into the "refill loop", plus the 8 that are currently in the printer.

These carts are in addition to a full set of partially used OEM carts, a full set of partially used (new) InkGrabber carts and 12 unopened (new) InkGrabber carts of various colors. I keep these carts on hand in case I have a printing problem and need to run a comparison test with a "known" set of carts. When any of them empty, they are purged and added to the refill loop.

 

[JV]

I cleaned a set of OEM and BulkInkJetCarts#2 cartridges per Grandads Post #1 above.

Low's Hardware had a 3/4" x 3/8" hose barb fitting that I used to connect the 3/8" I.D. clear plastic tube the sink faucet.

I drilled a 7/64 dia hole in the top of the sponge chamber 5/16 from the ink chamber at the grommet.With a bicycle pump on the 7/64 dia hole, I removed as much ink as possible to be used for ink fading tests.

Then I washed and vacuumed the carts per Grandads Post #1. At this point there was about 1 cc of water remaining in each cart by weight. After drying in the sun for about 8 hours, vacuuming and weighing all water was removed from the carts.

On the BIJC#2 carts I had to tap the carts to adjust the sponges as explained by Grandad. The OEM sponges being more rigid did not move. I was carefull not to use much water pressure to avoid moving the sponges.

Appearence of the washed carts was as in Grandads photo. OEM sponges were almost completely white. BIJC#2 sponges were lightly stained and the carts look the same as Old Ink Grabber carts in the photo.

JV

 

[Nifty]

JV, thanks for the post. Out of curiosity, what inspired you to clean out your cats? Were you having any issues and if so were they resolved with the cleaning procedure?

Thanks again!