Refill after flushing cartridge

[MP640]

I have never flushed my cartridges yet, so I wanted to practice with an old CLI521 photoblack cartridge that had been laying around for some time. I removed the ball that Canon uses to seal the cartridge and flushed it using a 60 ml syringe. I got the ink out of the sponge pretty well, it looked very white. I let the cartridge dry overnight and today I filled it with ink through the hole from the ball.

I expected the ink to be absorbed by the sponge immediately but that didn't happen. The sponge changes color very very slowly. The cartridge does drip from the ink outlet port when I remove it from the orange clip with open hole in the reservoir.

Is this normal or should the ink be absorbed faster? Maybe I didn't let the sponge dry long enough and it still contains water? I let it dry on the air overnight. I just found ghwellsjr's instructions on how to dry it using a paper towel, I am going to try that with another cartridge now.

Your advice will be highly appreciated!

 

[pharmacist]

Use conditioning solution after rinsing and let it dry to improve absorption degree of the sponge.

Conditioning solution:

3 % propylene glycol
20 % isopropanol/ethanol
distilled water up to 100 %

The secret is in the propylene glycol, which will not evaporate but stays as a thin film on the inside of the sponge and improves the adhesion power of the ink, dramatically increasing absorption rate/degree of the refill ink.

 

[stratman]

Not sure why you started a new thread since we haven't resolved the issues in your first thread. This is all related. I don't know if the MP640 has tight tolerance concerning clearance of the top of the cartridge inside the printer, but now you've made another location for cartridge failure from an air leak that's unnecessary since you do not need to drill or tap another hole in your cartridge to flush. Did you see the link to ghwellsjr's wicking method I placed in my first post to you on your thread "CLI-526 cartridges don't fill up to 20 grams"?

Flushing can be as simple as using use a syringe/needle to inject water till the efflux is clear. Use syringe/needle to suck up excess water. Blow onto top of cartridge over the air vent maze to further remove excess water from air maze and sponge. Use ghwellsjr's paper towel method to wick more water from sponge. Use your judgement on how many times to repeat ghwelljr's method per cartridge. A couple of times (one sheet paper x 2 times) has worked for me fine. You can do it more or less if you want. No need to dry over night. Refill cartridge. If there is still an issue with refilling or, especially, with printing, then you may consider the sponge needs to be reconditioned and try Pharmacist's reconditioning fluid:

-3 % propylene glycol (or 2 % glycerin)
-20 % isopropyl alcohol
-distilled water up to 100 %

Conditioning: after flushing the sponge has difficulty to absorb the ink well and tends to be become a bit hydrofobic (water repellent). By completely immerge and drenching the sponge material with this solution and then blowing as much solution as possible the sponge is revived again. The pigment BCI-3eBK/PGI-5Bk is the most difficult one and using this conditioning solution improves the absorption degree of your favourite refill pigment ink.

If this does not work to your satisfaction then use a different cartridge. Life is short.

 

[stratman]

Use conditioning solution after rinsing and let it dry to improve absorption degree of the sponge.

I was called away while preparing my post otherwise would have not repeated your formula. Seems deer are not only eating the plants but also sleeping in the garden and pooping on the grass. Could use Rodbam's skills to frighten off the deer.

 

[The Hat]

I was called away while preparing my post otherwise would have not repeated your formula.
Seems deer are not only eating the plants but also sleeping in the garden and pooping on the grass.

Could use Rodbam's skills to frighten off the deer.

I wouldnt bother calling on Rodham because the Kangaroos make a bigger mess than deer do do..

 

[stratman]

I wouldnt bother calling on Rodham because the Kangaroos make a bigger mess than deer do do..

Put out some wolf urine to scare the buggers off. Would've been cheaper to just have rod come over and whizz in the back yard.

 

[MP640]

Not sure why you started a new thread since we haven't resolved the issues in your first thread.

I started this thread because one of the advices in the first thread (http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7822) is to flush the cartridges. As I have never done that before, I took an old cartridge to practice. My practice run resulted in some questions, so that's why.

 

[jondave]

I've had the same absorption problems, so use the reconditioning solution. I used glycerin instead, but still has never failed for me.

 

[joseph1949]

To: All, but especially to MP640 and newbies

MP640, please before you start on a project (i.e. flush a cart) contact the people on this site. We may not have all the answers, but we can keep a newbie or even a master from doing something that will end in frustration or maybe costing more than it should (i.e. flushing a print head that does not need it with the end result the print head is now bad).

Open questions:

Full disclosure: I have never flushed a cart, but I expect to sometime in the (distant, I hope) future.

Is there a video that shows how to flush a cart by running water through the top fill hole?
I have seen this video, but do not have the internet address. MP640 needs to look at this video before performing a flush on a cart.

Is there a video that shows stratmans method (see reply #3) on flushing a cart? I have not seen a video showing stratmans flushing procedure. Maybe stratman could create a video showing how to perform his flushing procedure. If I understand his procedure one does not need to create a new opening (i.e. top fill hole) to flush a cart. Stratman is dead right when he says a new opening creates a new way for a cart to leakless openings the better.

Are there any other videos that show a method(s) to flush a cart that differ from the top fill hole method and the stratmans method?

End of questions.

My thoughts on flushing a cart:

Note: As I have mentioned before I have not flushed a cart. My thoughts are based on reading the threads on this site.

1. If possible flush with distilled water only. If you use tap water (i.e. top fill hole) you need to do a final flush with distilled water. Tap water may leave behind a residue that can clog a cart. The tap water may also do bad things to the print head.

2. Do not use medium or high heat to dry a cart. Room temperature is all that you need.

3. Use the paper towel method (see reply #3) to dry a cart. You could leave the cart out in the open and let the cart air dry with no paper towel involved. This could take a while. I am thinking that you could speed up the paper towel method by placing the cart and paper towel on a board (a cutting board would do nicely) and then prop-up the board at a 45 degree or steeper angle. You can use rubber bands to attach the cart and paper towel to the board. Like I have saidlet gravity be your friend.

4. Do not turn the cart upside down and run tap water through the ink outlet. In my mind it is best that you flush in the same direction that the ink flows. If you must flush against the flow of ink please do so gently. You do not want the bad stuff to go inside the cart. You may not be able to remove the bad stuff once it is inside the cart.

5. If you use pharmacists conditioning solution, here is what I would do:

1. Flush cart with tap water or distilled water.

2. Use distilled water for final flush (more than one flush may be necessary).

3. Use conditioning solution (see reply #2). Note: one would have to assume the cart has to be dry (does this mean no moisture at all?) before using the solution. I would let the cart with the conditioning solution dry out at room temperature (pharmacist, how dry is dry?) and then add ink to the cart. After placing the cart in the print head I would wait 24 hours before performing a nozzle test/making a print. The more work that has been done to a cart the more time you should give for the cart to stabilize. See note.

Note: I would like to hear from pharmacist to see if he agrees/disagrees with I have said about his conditioning solution.

4. Mark cart (with the date) for future reference so you know what cart got the conditioning solution. I would keep a journal on the details of how the cart was flushed and details concerning the conditioning solution. If you have future problems with the cart the journal will help you explain what you did to the cart and thus, we can help you solve the problem(s) in a timely manner.

5. In my mind only two liquids should pass through a print headink and distilled water (and maybe isopropyl alcohol). Some people say that you can use Windex or some other cleaning solution in a clean empty cart to clean a print head. If you do this please fill a clean empty cart with distilled water and use the cart as a final flush so as to clean out the cleaning solution from the print head. I would do this a number of times. You do not want to leave any bad residue inside the print head from the cleaning solution. After the cleaning/flushing add ink and place the cart in the print head. I would wait for 24 hours before performing a nozzle test or making a print.

6. It is difficult to know if you are having absorption problems with your cart. In the past I have said the following:

Carts leak or will leak.
Carts were not meant to be (re)filled.

You can add the following axiom:

Carts were not meant to be flushed.

What does all this mean? It means that you will have problems when you are working with carts. You will have to deal with the problems the best way you know how. This site is here to help you!!!!

When people say they have an absorption problem what they are really saying is that they have a problem and the easiest way to describe the problem is to say that it is an absorption problem. Since there are no standard ways to flush a cart it follows that there are no standard or typical problems. And since there are no typical problems there are no standard methods to solve the problems. Each person has his/her own unique way to flush a cart. Unique ways to flush a cart require unique ways to solve the problem. Each filler/flusher is left to their own devices to solve the absorption problem. This site is here to help the filler/flusher eliminate the wrong ways to solve absorption problems. This site may be able to provide the correct way to solve an absorption problem, but in the end the filler/flusher has to find his/her unique method to solve the problem. Grasshopper (aka MP640), I learned that is best to have a zen-like attitude when working with cartsgo with the flow!!!!!

MP640, in my opinion it was O.K. to start a new thread. I and other masters can get a bit cranky with newbies who do not ask questions before they start a new project (i.e. flushing a cart). When this happens we have to rescue the newbie from the bad results. It is much easier on everybody if questions are asked first before a project is started.

MP640, please do not get upset with us masters. Remember, you are a newbie with all that entails and we are masters that have one goalhelp people with printing and refilling problems.

Thank you.

 

[The Hat]

O Yeah the way to go, keep it coming joseph1949