David Dudine <ddudine at psci.net> wrote:
>I did wonder if the yellow could be empty, even though the graphic
>display indicates that all colors are at about half full. I assume
>that I will have to take out the present cartridge to introduce the
>solvent with a syringe, so I will use a dipstick to try to check the
>three ink levels.
My Epson printer _always_ shows the colors equally full.
I infer that either it reports
a mean level for 3 colors
or one color as representative of all
or the lowest color.
My cartridges contain sponges. You cannot dipstick them. If the
cartridge is translucent, you may be able to see the ink saturating
the sponge more or less, if not a miniscus.
My internet ink merchant,
rwal at re-inks.com
http://www.re-inks.com/
whom I much like,
recommends using a syringe to fill the cartridges thru the vents in the top,
(you may need to poke around a little to find a hole (or
force the issue)
and if the hole was previously covered with tape,
re-cover it with tape when you're thru)
not thru the hole in the bottom
as recommended in paragraf 5 below.
Another supplier supplied these instructions both supplemented and
truncated by me:
1. He says "Refilling your cartridge is a clean and simple job,
but..." I say, find a table in the basement, cover it with last
Sunday's newspaper or a layer of wax paper, aluminum foil, or other
impermeable layer, or preferably both.
Change into paint clothes.
Put a box of Kleenex and a wastebasket nearby.
2. If the ink cartridge has dried out, soften the sponge with
alcohol. I infer 91% would be marginally better than 70%, but who
knows.
If the cartridge takes 5cc ink [i.e. colord ink],
put in 1cc alcohol.
If the cartridge takes 10-15cc ink [i.e. blak ink],
put in 2-3cc alcohol.
3. Let the cartridge stand 15 minutes while the alcohol permeates and
softens the sponge.
4. Get a friend to hold the ink bottle while you use both hands to
fill the syringe. Filling the syringe takes both hands, and you
really, really, really do not want to knock over the ink bottle.
5. This paragraph conflicts with advice from my current supplier:
turn cartridge bottom up. Hold the syringe (without needle) tightly
against a seal and slowly (i.e. over 10-15 seconds) inject ink. If
ink starts to seep out air vents in the [originally] top [but now
bottom] of the cartridge, stop injecting. (If you can, use the
syringe to suck some ink back).
I have had cartridges with blocked air vents, which, after I
pressured ink in, surprised me by squirting ink out the top when I
removed the syringe. See paragraf 1.
6. Wipe the hole on the [original] bottom [now top] of the cartridge
to make it _completely_dry_. [emfasis original].
You can buy replacement seals, but usually do not need them. I don't
know how to tell whether they're good. When a cartridge stops working
right, I try changing the seal (blak) / all the seals (colord). Seals
are not all the same size. Changing the seal on only one of three
colors may cause problems.
7. He says "Tape over hole to seal it." Celofane tapes don't seal
very well, but the seal is to prevent ink from evaporating, not for
more esoteric reasons, so tape probably is better than no tape.
I store the cartridges in plastic to slow the evaporating.
The sponges hold varying amounts, depending upon
e.g. how hard you squeeze the cartridge
(don't squeeze the recently filld cartridge while holding it
over your lap)
(see paragrafs 2 & 3 above).
I have tried filling (per paragraf 5 above) until ink drips out the bottom.
This has both caused the cartridge
to leak ink later,
and to accept significantly more ink later,
both with the same filling of the same cartridge,
leading me to suspect that sponges sometimes have temporarily
impervious volumes
(see paragrafs 2 & 3 above).
I recently switched to filling thru the top with a needle (see above),
and so far, (1 cartridge-filling) have had no problems.
Altho the ink may be alcohol-soluble, neither soap & water nor
alcohol gets it off your hands. A 50% Clorox solution removes the
skin, I mean the stain, but... If you use Clorox, wash it thoroly
from your hands.
--
Nelsn Helm
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