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Priming your CIS system.. Some help please

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ContinuousInk.info -> CIS systems

#1: Priming your CIS system.. Some help please Author: Martin, Location: South Yorkshire, UK

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:42 pm
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Hi folks,

Sounds daft me asking for help here but I'm very aware that I have a specific approach to priming my CIS kits using a vaccum pump sourced from MIS but it's obvious that other users don't have this equipment or have differening priming instructions..

So.. my request is really for people to share the different techniques they use, are aware of, or have spotted... If you could please post articles, links, etc... below that would be most appreciated..

Thanks in advance..

Martin

#2: Author: Jeff, Location: Australia

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 3:41 pm
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Martin

Hi, have recently had lots of problems in getting CIS to work with 8-cartridge Canon i9950 and had to develop means of effective priming to get air pockets out of Cartridges.

Purchased a Vacuvin Vacuum Wine Saver for AU$20 which comprises a small but powerful vacuum pump and rubber stoppers that go in top of wine bottle to remove air and seal bottle for future use. The pump is not connected to stoppers. Its a very elegant design

For a few dollars purchased a small plastic cartridge holder from www.inkbank.com.au which allows you to clip in Canon Cartridge - it has a small resevoir in the bottom beneath the Cartridge ink outlet which is sealed from the top but open to the resevoir, there is small hole in bottom with rubber plug.

Using one strand of ribbon tubing and elbow connector ran tube from bottom of plastic cartridge holder to join outlet of 25ml Syringe. Had removed plunger from Syringe and inserted the rubber wine stopper in its place - fit was perfect.

Using this equipment priming was accomplished as follows:

1. Put plug in CIS bottle of colour to be primed, removed Cartridge and inserted into plastic Cartridge Holder, and then removed stopper from CIS bottle.

2. Used vacuum pump on rubber stopper - quickly created strong vacuum and ink flowed from CIS bottle through Cartridge into Syringe.

3. Put plug back in CIS bottle, removed Cartridge from Holder and inserted back in Print Head, then removed plug from CIS bottle - all done.

4. Squirted ink from Syringe back into CIS bottle.

Very simple, very effective and no mess. For variation I squashed a spare CIS bottle plug with hole drilled through into Rubber Wine stopper so would fit snugly into top of CIS bottle. I could then use Vacuum Pump to suck ink back from Syringe into CIS bottle and then back again - great fun although it really only needed to be done once with enough ink to get continous flow right through the system.

The Vacuvin Wine Saver is very well designed piece of equipment at very low cost and you would almost think it was designed for CIS.

Jeff

#3: Author: Martin, Location: South Yorkshire, UK

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:45 pm
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Jeff wrote:
Purchased a Vacuvin Vacuum Wine Saver for AU$20 which comprises a small but powerful vacuum pump and rubber stoppers that go in top of wine bottle to remove air and seal bottle for future use. The pump is not connected to stoppers. Its a very elegant design

Blimey that's thinking outside the box..

I'd be interested in seeing some pictures of that if you can spare the time to take some and upload them into the gallery..
http://www.continuousink.info/forum/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=206

Thanks for the info... sounds like one heck of an elegant approach for me to try Smile

#4: Re: Priming your CIS system.. Some help please Author: easyrefill,

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:58 pm
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Martin wrote:
Hi folks,

Sounds daft me asking for help here but I'm very aware that I have a specific approach to priming my CIS kits using a vaccum pump sourced from MIS but it's obvious that other users don't have this equipment or have differening priming instructions..

So.. my request is really for people to share the different techniques they use, are aware of, or have spotted... If you could please post articles, links, etc... below that would be most appreciated..

Thanks in advance..

Martin

I have just completed a 7 minutes videos showing how to install a CIS for the R1800. This video includes the priming procedures. Good flow is the key to success.

Tips:
1. The ink bottles must not have filters or plugs that will restrict flow.
2. The ink ribbons must not be crimped.
3. If there is an external flow control device like a switch or roller restrictor, make sure it does not restrict the ink ribbons.
4. If syringe is used ( syringe is the most common tool provided ), insert the syringe and make sure when you prime the cartridge, the syringe is at a slight angle. If the syringe goes straight in the poppet valve, even if the valve is open, the flow could be restricted.

#5: Author: AlienSteve, Location: Tacoma, WA USA

Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:59 pm
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I use a Devilbiss Suction Unit I found at a thrift store. Scrubbed that thing down with soap and water, followed up with bleach in water to kill every last thing that might possibly be left on it.

It can easily pull 650m of mercury (760mm is full vacuum). Cost me $2.99 US, I had to come up with a charger/power supply for it. Has a nice clear and labeled container on it. I use it for priming, cleaning, and flushing cartridges.

#6: Author: paulcalif,

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:36 am
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I have pulled vacuum on the Epson cartridges, that's easy because the syringe fits into the exit port. I haven't done it on a Canon cartridge yet, but I do have an idea. I have a small vacuum pump used for bleeding auto brake systems. It has a pump and a small container. There are two ports on the top of the container both leading into the container. One stops at the top of the container, the other at the bottom. You connect the "top" hose to the pump, and the hose that reaches the bottom to your brake system. When you pull a vacuum, it pulls it on the container, the fluid enters the container, but because it's liquid, it goes to the bottom and does not flow into the pump. I believe that you could connect a piece of tubing over the exit port on a cartridge and pull a vacuum on it as though it were a brake system. Or use the contraption Jeff describes.

#7: Author: Martin, Location: South Yorkshire, UK

Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:02 pm
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I've actually gotten used to a simple and very manual system of priming using a large syringe and a tube clamp. Of course it assumes that there's an elbow and tubing attached to the cartridge already...

I just use a Luer tube->syringe fitting to attach to the end of the tube, make sure there's some electricians tape over the exit port on the cartridge and then:
- pull the air from the cartridge
- clamp the tube at maximum pull
- disconnect the syringe
- expunge the air
- reconnect syring
- release clamp and then pull the air again until a hard vaccum exists in the cartridge.

Not perfect but with minimal equipment it's a doddle Smile

#8: Author: marine, Location: Lake Orion, MI

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:41 pm
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I have seen customers fill Epson CFS systems with the following method;

1. Connect CFS to Ink Bottles.
2. Hold the CFS cartridges upside down.
3. Use a syringe and bottom fill adapter to suck the ink into the cartridge.

As long as you leave a 1/4 inch air gap for proper system operation this method seems to work (If you are carefull the syringe stays clean too). It does risk pulling a very small amount of air into the print head, but the danger is neglegable.

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