refilling using squeeze bottles - w/pics and video(new)

[jimbo123]

great forum, great info, just sharing some info and pics that may help others.

been refilling for 18 months, german method, MP830, up to 80 refills. the past 9 months have been using 4 oz squeeze bottles w/scabbards. makes refilling much quicker, easier, no syringes/needles to clean, etc. squeeze bottles/scabbards were bought from howard's electronics. i can dig up a link if needed

see below for some pics of setup and storage

i know some other forum members use the squeeze bottles, just sharing to help others, always looking for better ideas

9/3/10: video now available - http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=36225#p36225

jim

80+ refills, even have my daughter and son in law refilling their MP830

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Printers: Canon Pixma MP830, IP4500, MP830(new spare in box)
Method: German Durchstich Method using Canon Cartridges
Ink: Hobbicolors, great guy to deal with
Misc: Squeeze bottles, needles, scabbards from Howard Electronics

 

[ghwellsjr]

What's the white thing in the blue container? Is the bottom picture showing how you store the bottles?

Do you seal the refill hole after refilling? Have you ever had any problem with ink flow from your refilled cartridges?

Very nice view.

 

[jimbo123]

yup, bottom pic is how i store them, two white styrofoam pieces to keep them snug

have never sealed the refill hole

only leakage i have had is when i overfill or fill too quickly (pilot error....)

my four CLI8 carts are originals, 18 months old, refilled each of them about 10 times

PGI5 cart has been replaced twice, now over 40 refills

J

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Printers: Canon Pixma MP830, IP4500, MP830(new spare in box)
Method: German Durchstich Method using Canon Cartridges
Ink: Hobbicolors, great guy to deal with
Misc: Squeeze bottles, needles, scabbards from Howard Electronics

 

[avolanche]

jimbo123,
What made you replace the PGI5 cartridges?Did you see something starting to go bad......Or did you just feel like "it's time"?

 

[ghwellsjr]

My concern about sealing the fill hole is not that ink might leak out, it's that air can get in and interrupt the normal flow of ink out of the cartridge into the print head.

 

[siusiuenen]

I think with the angle you make when drive the neelde to reached the ink tank, the air should go out from inside of the cart follow that hole instead of get in. That answer why cart refill with the germany method last longer compare to the tradition method.
I used this method and squeeze botle as above for 3 years now without sealed the fill hole on the first set of ink cart. Never have chance to use the second set. Everything stay strong as new.

 

[jimbo123]

refilled my orig PGI5 20 times, then it started streaking. passed on flushing, tried 2 more PGI5's, refilled each twice until the streaking appeared. looks like i had some bad/expired PGI5 ink. bought some new ink from hobbicolors, fired up another new PGI5 and have refilled it 15 times.

the "not sealing" approach has worked for me the past 18 months, 12,000 pages printed, 80 carts refilled, orig CLI8 carts, orig print head.

wanted to share the squeeze bottle technique along with some pics

J

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Printers: Canon Pixma MP830, IP4500, MP830(new spare in box)
Method: German Durchstich Method using Canon Cartridges
Ink: Hobbicolors, great guy to deal with
Misc: Squeeze bottles, needles, scabbards from Howard Electronics

 

[ghwellsjr]

On general principal, there can be no problem with sealing the refill hole--there may be a problem with not sealing it. On another thread, Trigger 37 commented that it is possible during normal usage (not during refilling) for air to come in through the refill hole, follow the path left by the needle and go down the outlet hole, causing streaking in a printout. No one has ever proven that this has happened and that it was cleared up simply by sealing the hole, but why open up the possibility?

 

[stratman]

On another thread, Trigger 37 commented that it is possible during normal usage (not during refilling) for air to come in through the refill hole, follow the path left by the needle and go down the outlet hole, causing streaking in a printout. No one has ever proven that this has happened and that it was cleared up simply by sealing the hole, but why open up the possibility?

I believe it is entirely possible for air to follow the needle as the needle is drawn out that, theoretically, could lead to an air embolism which in turn causes ink starvation at the ink exit port of the cartridge..

Using the plastic squeeze bottle, I have noted that releasing my squeeze on the bottle when the spongeless side is filled with ink can cause the squeeze bottle to create a negative pressure at the needle tip, creating turbulence, and create bubbles.

Once the bubbles are formed, drawing the needle out creates its own negative pressure, let alone the negative pressure of releasing the squeeze on the bottle, and the air bubbles could follow the needle as it is withdrawn.

I think that the German Method is a sound refilling method with a low risk of failure. Further proof would be welcome. Sealing the refill hole used in the German Method should not cause harm.

I wonder if my problem and the other instances mentioned by Trigger37, were due to the user's technique more than the German Method itself. There is plenty of observational data from multiple users, Defcon1 for instance, who have had dozens of refills with the same CLI-8 cartridge. (PGI-5 pigment black ink is a different story, requiring periodic cartridge flushes to maintain appropriate pigment ink flow.)

 

[avolanche]

On general principal, there can be no problem with sealing the refill hole--there may be a problem with not sealing it. On another thread, Trigger 37 commented that it is possible during normal usage (not during refilling) for air to come in through the refill hole, follow the path left by the needle and go down the outlet hole, causing streaking in a printout. No one has ever proven that this has happened and that it was cleared up simply by sealing the hole, but why open up the possibility?

What are folks using to seal the refill hole?Some thoughts I had were: BlueTac,tape,hot glue(too much trouble for me),some kind of plug?