Question for jtoolman, setting up my 3880 Cone Carts

[jtoolman]

You didn't tell me the source of your inks. Were they also from CONE?
To be able to prime from the Priming Port ( the one located on the middle of the cart on the end where the ink exit port is located ) you need to remove the big orange VENT PLUG located next to it, otherwise how can you pull any ink out of the priming port. I did the same thing and realized the problem. Even though they show to leave the big ORANGE plug in place.

Remove the Orange plug and you will be able to easily prime them, just like on my video.
I don't understand why your ink is so prone to foaming!'
I can squirt ink in pretty fast without any such foaming problems.

Again, what is the ink source?

Joe

 

[3dogs]

Joe I am using Cone Pigment " ConeColor PRO" for example the Yellow is CCPRO-K3VHDR-1L-Y.

And............Ah Haaaa! so its the Orange plug in the hole trick is it!! ( as Maxwell Smart would say) I never gave that a thought!! there you go, that may just ALSO be the cause of the FROTHING, I may be developing so much vacuum that the ink is getting airated from the existing air in the cart simple solution to a complex physical conundrum..OOPS!

By the way................I was thinking (again)

send me an email with your postal address and I will look at sending the OEM's to you. No chip tho I am using that

sent it to: 4ajguthrie@gmail.com

 

[jtoolman]

Are you telling me you bought COME K3 in one Liter Bottles? Holy COW!!! How much did that set you back?

Yes removing the Orange plug it the trick, but make sure to reinsert it back on until you are ready to install.

Thanks for the offer but I have tons of OEM K3 inks that I purchase in large 220 and 700ml OEM carts from ebay solely to have OEM inks for about $18-$22 per 110ml. I use it on my R2400 / R2880 and PRO 3800s

Go ahead and extract out the last MLs of ink and just add them to your CNE equivalents. They are practically identical in properties. Or find a friend with an R2880 or R3000 who might be refilliing and could use the inks.

Joe

 

[3dogs]

By getting 1Lit I save on postage, now that IS expensive

What is CNE? and why only R2880 or R3000?

Pulling the orange plug on prime has let me get a MUCH better prime, both thru the the outlet AND now the capped primer port......much more better :0

Thanks for that.

I have just done C and LLK and the process is evolving into a workflow and its now, quicker, cleaner and less prone to air. I did a test on plain water
and even that will generate air bubbles if put under too much vacuum even via the simple syringe - amazing!

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[jtoolman]

My Bad! I of course meant OEM.

Think of it, your are trying to pull fluid out, so something has to replace the vaccum you are creating, and in this case it's air through the air vent.
In the case of OEM carts, air enters in the internal chamber and when operating it, applies positive pressure to the ink bag which then provides a full level of ink to the printer head.
Refillables for your printer do not have an ink bag so air just pressurizes the shared chamber where the ink is stored, directly. The only access to external air, is through that vent hole on the side of the printer. It's through that vent that the printer pumps air into it.
Even if the printer worked purely with negative pressure, as some do, you still would need to have a vent openned or no ink could be pulled out. As you discovered during your initial attempt at priming.

Joe

 

[3dogs]

Sadly no one anywhere near here is contactable to share resources. Only know of one person at the Camera Club using this kind of printer, a 3880 and she only uses OEM's scared stiff of the whole idea of 3rd party inks. Still I will be getting her used carts, now I know about the 15% thing I will ask her to sling me the carts.

Do you think it will do any harm to try using her "empty" chips, or will that damage my set up do you think?


Now that I have the FILL into a WORKFLOW here are a couple of observations on what I have learned along the way :

a) and b) READ the instructions.......all of it, and actually check it against the things you have. If there is a difference, get on line and sort it BEFORE you start!

c) CHECK and double check that you have what you need. I could EASILY have been sent the wrong bits by some despatch person in the shipping department that was just not paying attention on the day!

d) Do a 'dry' practice run of what you think the process is and check and follow ALL of the instructions to see if you missed anything.

e) Applicable to the carts I have from Cone:
Assembling syringes etc. make sure the parts are well seated and fit snugly.
Pierce the foil top of the ink bottle in TWO places, one as a vent and use plenty of
paper towel.
I did 60ml then ADD another 10ml for a fill before priming as per the instructions but
I found it quicker to fill the 10ml out of 60ml then top the syringe up to 60ml again.
either way seems ok.
Priming is NOT straightforward till a person sorts the technique. Orange plug OFF
is a MUST. Using either port is then MUCH easier.
WATCH the primer chambers and GENTLY rock the cart side to side, it really does
assist in getting a good prime. Being Right handed I hold the cart in my left with
the prime chambers facing away from me. Holding the cart in close to my belly so that
I am looking down at the chambers and Rocking the cart gently towards me and
then tilting away again had the effect of speeding things up and getting a MUCH higher
volume prime.

The rest of the process is just practice and confidence from KNOWING what you are doing.


So, once again Joe, MANY thanks for keeping a watch over this with me, IOU

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[jtoolman]

I think you are all set my freind! As far as the "Empty" chips go, I used some chips from "Empty" carts I bought on EBAY and the worked with my Inkjetfly cart Controller chips. I have no clue as to how empty they were before the user replaced them. I can only assume that with these carts I am using it really was not much of an issue.
Take care of the chips you are currently using and they should outlast the printer.
Abosolutely you take those empty carts off your club member's hands and let her know it's not that scary to go to the dark side.

Joe

 

[3dogs]

Currently running nozzle checks, I think I will run about six one after the other, done 3 so far and all is well.

Gave myself a bit of a scare with the LAST cart MK prising the Cone cart cover chip up as per all the others and it got 'stuck'
changed leverage point and gently lifted again. the chip itself lifted out !!! the clear plastic housing stayed put in the cart.
Went back to work and the housing finally came out. I put the two back together and pressed it into place. As I have two sets
I switched with the other one , it came clear as per normal so I will talk to Cone via email on that too come Monday.
I am not sure if having the two parts separated like that is so good, it may just be a near death experience rather than a terminal (oops!)
encounter.

I am thinking that I may just not have needed to purchase so much PK (Photo Black) I do not do much glossy at all.
At this stage I have left the OEM cart there as it is not in use.

Cheers for now,

Andrew
The Priter screen is still showing that cart greyed out so it must be ok.

 

[jtoolman]

ANd that IS the weakest point of these carts. That's is the primary reason I went with the Inkjetfly carts requiring only two chips. The MK and PK, The reason they jam up likew that is because the the controller chip's spring loaded contact pins are exerting quite a bit of pressure against your OEM chips. The result its that if the fit is not perfect, they will be forced upwards and cause a jam up inside the ink cart compartment.
When you have all 9 carts doing that, you face a 9 times chance that you will jam up on or more carts. If you force them out, you will rip off the inside contact chip and it is a REAL HAIR RAISER to replace or fix.
By only having the two main black carts with OEM chips, the rest do not even have those srpingloaded conatact pins so they can slide in and out without a single problem.
Now, what can be done to fix that. I think I mentioned it in my video.
Take a strip of mylar tape and tape down the controller chip at the point where it joins the cart body. If you are looking at the cart as you are inserting it, tape across the front joint between the controller chip and the cart body. Not only will this keep the chip from rising up, but is will create a smooth transition at that dangerous joint which is what jams up inside.
Do the front and rear of the controller chip.
A 3/8" wide x 2-1/2" long strip for the fron and rear joint.
Just make sure you aren't covering up any electrical contacts.

Joe

 

[3dogs]

Joe I am already having this problem!!!!! when I got this post I opened up the top and tried to remove each of the carts. All are sticking alarmingly, and I can push down on the controller chip and it 'bounces' visibly....that is SCAREY based on what you are saying. I have flicked an email off to Wells Smith at Inkjetmall. I sure as hell do NOT want to mess up my printer.

These controller chips are just NOT being held firmly in place. I am thinking that they are all faulty then.

Am I correct in assuming that by mylar tape you are talking about regular clear sticky tape that is made by 'Scotch" or 3M or others??

I tried that and reinserted.....NO - NIL improvement. Only way I can get them out is by inserting a piece of thin stiff card and using that to lever the carts out.
I am thinking to pull them out and leave them out till this is sorted by Inkjetmall.

Oh! also I found a revised installation PDF and Cone say to remove the Orange plug now, so they must have had a lot of feedback on that point!

Cheers,

Andrew