Spongeless cartridge

[ocular]

ocular, did you mention how you are sealing the refill hole / port on this cartridge?

There is a new concept with this cartridge the refill hole is left open! It is the breather hole for the cartridge as there is no other hole or vents.

The fact that there is only one hole makes this cartridge easy to convert to a CIS as the tube can be connected into this hole and that is no other modifications required to make it suitable for a CIS/CFS


Can someone record the amt of ink between refills for a sponge cartridge for comparison.

 

[Grandad35]

Ocular,

Great information. Would it be possible to sketch the path that the ink took when you first filled it?

I don't see how a prism can work at the front of the cart, since there is no hole in the print head to let light in or out.

 

[Nifty]

Can someone track the ink between refills?!?!?!?! Obviously you don't know how anally analytical I am!

Here is a screen shot of my Excel spreadsheet where I was tracking my ink usage... well I WAS until I realized that I had too much time on my hands!

You'll see that there are two "sets" of records for two sets of cartridges. Also keep in mind that I almost always top off my carts when I see there is about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch ink left in the reservoir portion of the cartridge. An interesting note, every time I open up the cartridge to refill this remaining ink always gets pulled into the cartridge.... does this happen to anyone else when they refill / top off a cartridge?

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/img/files/ink_usage.gif

 

[neilslade]

I had trouble with two other modified Canon cart designs-- ink eventually- an in some cases IMMEDIATELY- began leaking and disaster in my printhead was the result.

My advice is to use EXTREME caution when testing or using non-original sponge designed carts.

It would be nice if someone came up with a design that worked, but I've had no such luck.

Concerning MIS ink viscosity, which was a topic that came up elsewhere on the forum:
Been using MIS them for YEARS without ANY problem. There ink has been excedingly accurate in color and in my use.

The viscosity issue came up because some people started EXPERIMENTING with ALTERNATIVE DESIGN cartridges.

I used these myself - but stopped IMMEDIATELY because THEY ALL FAILED. The supplier (Colorbat for me) didn't even realize these carts were failing until I notified them of this fact.

I immediately went back to the STANDARD CART DESIGN, and using MIS ink was NEVER EVER an issue.

>>>>>>In my mind, it was NEVER an issue-- trying to use weird ass designed carts was always THE issue.<<<<<<

I would never hestitate to recommend MIS ink, and I still continue to use it without any problem.

I am NOT NOT NOT a paid endorser of MIS ink in any way shape or form. Nor do I get free ink from them.

I do, in fact, not like the MIS refillable carts. I refill either CANON or INKGRABBER carts or COMPUTER FRIENDS carts using the nice little blue Computer Friends Blue Plugs to seal the ink refill hole.

Hope this clears up this issue about ink viscosity.

 

[_javi_]

I have a spongeless set of carts for my Epson Photo 700, that look pretty the same as ocular's Canon ones. (although mines have a breather hole).
These are easily refilled with the "vacuum" method, but i'm looking forward making them into a CISS.
Any luck with your CISS set up, ocular?

 

[Craig Ross]

Thanks ocular for the link to inkbank.com.au not only does he have some good stuff on cis
he also has a technique for filling epson C64 /R210 carts previously considered un-refillabable
brilliant stuff.
Best part is his shop is only 2 kilometres from me I,ll be paying inkbank a visit.

 

[ocular]

_javi_ , I am using the canon spongeless cartridge as a refillable in a MP730 and as a CIS in an IP3000.

With the vacum method of refilling - with a 60ml syringe get about 15mls of black ink into a virgin empty spongeless cartridge. Probably could get a bit more in if I fiddled around. For the vacum filling to occur seem to need a big bore syringe for the ink to be sucked back into the cartridge.

The spongeless cartridge can easily be converted to a CIS system if you can find a right angled spigot supplier that has a silastic sleeve that first goes into the ink cartridge hole. The spigot is then pushed into the sleeve and thus the spigot is securely attached. The tubing is attached to the spigot. Todate I have had any issues with leakage or blockages- but early days yet.

Craig, Lumir from inkbank has been very helpful in all my experimentation and queries with lots of helpful suggestions. He seems to have a lot of interesting stuff that isn't mentioned on his website that I just came across from talking to him. When I bought some gear from him he thru in some spongeless cartridges and holders for refilling canon cartridges for me to fool around with.

 

[panos]

I bought a few of these cartridges (as well as inks) straight from Jetyoung, China.

The 3 colors work. The blacks dont't work.

I removed the printhead to inspect the problem; I inserted a spongeless 3eBK into the right "place". When I removed it there was a black mess there. Then I inserted an original Canon 3eBK. Removed and noticed that the mess was gone and only a black shadow remained over the round metallic filter of the printhead.

I meet the same behavior when the printhead is inside the printer; when I insert the spongless black (either the dye based or the pigmented) the printer prints nothing but an occasional smudge now and then. Obvious sign of ink spilling. Then I remove the spongeles and insert the original Canon and the printer works fine.

Perhaps I am not doing something right. Or perhaps (and unfortunately thats the most probable) the designed is flawed and the canon printhead is meant to work with sponges ~only~.

Occular could you repeat your instructions? Its possible that I am not doing something right.

 

[Grandad35]

Panos,

A few questions from someone who has never used a spongeless cart:
1. What did you see when you removed the 3 working color carts? Do they also leave a "mess"? If they did, is there more or less ink left on the colors than on black?
2. Could you tell if the black "mess" was deep enough to get ink up to the top of the ink pickup - was the top of the ink pickup covered with black ink or was it dry?

 

[panos]

OK. To better reply to Grandad's post, I am posting these photos.

1) I insert the original 3eBK into the printhead and push gently:

2) Here is what remains after I remove the original black. I can only describe it as a black shadow.

3) Insert the Jetyoung spongeless 3eBK:

4) Remove the black cartridge and here is the black mess I told you about:

5) This is what remains from inserting an original magenta cartridge:

6) And here is (wonder how it worked all the time!) what remains after Jetyoung:

7) Oh, and the cartridge provides no other filter than this. Dissected by yours truly for better analysis. The two rubber disks are also to be found inside the cartridge.

Hope this clears things up. But I must confess that after I took these photos I replaced even the remaining spongeless cartridges with original Canon. Enough!

Oh and BTW: the cartridges that worked were filled with ink I bought 2 years ago from WEINK for my HP2000. The black cartridges (which didn't work) were filled with ink from Jetyoung. Go figure....