whgjettdesigns
New Member
What is the best way to get cleaning fluid so you can soak your heads in it? Can you bust open a cartridge and get it out of there into a squirt bottle or is there a better way?
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Cleaning Fluid?
- Thread starter whgjettdesigns
- Start date
bayshorecreations
New Member
That's what I do, just be sure to use a bottle that is made for solvents or use a glass jar. I use a glass jar and just dip a lint free cloth into it and put it on the heads.
Good luck!
Good luck!
artbot
New Member
first take the head out. set in a small (very small) dish with just the printing platen submerged by about 1/16" of an inch. leave it here for a day or more. occasionally you can lightly place the head on a paper towel that has a medium sized spot of cleaning solution (acutally use MEK, because you are trying to really cut that ink). the solvent dispersing further outward in the paper towel will pull fluid directly from the head. also you set a pump tube onto the head adapter and lightly push solvent ink through the head. turn the head over slightly and observe the tiny dots appearing at the bottom of the head. are some not flowing? those are obstructed. if all are flowing easily, than you probably have a bent nozzle. also remember that these nozzles can be clogged with paper fibers, and dirt, etc. things that solvent doesn't cure. you might sink the bottom of in a ultrasonic cleaner for jewelery if all else fails. i haven't done this so i don't endorse it (yet). but flow helps.
as far as changing out the head yourself. it is waaaaay too easy to be paying and waiting for someone to come work on your girlfriend, i mean printer.
Reply With Quote
as far as changing out the head yourself. it is waaaaay too easy to be paying and waiting for someone to come work on your girlfriend, i mean printer.
Reply With Quote
NEVER paper towels.... (paper fibers)
You should use a non-shedding clean room cloth, and there is almost never a reason to remove the head (if you do, you will need to redo ALL the head alignments.
Wet a non-shedding clean room cloth, release and move the head, place the wet cloth on the capping station and rewet every 20-30 minutes.
The cleaning solution is the preferred solvent, MEK can damage the head if used improperly.
You should use a non-shedding clean room cloth, and there is almost never a reason to remove the head (if you do, you will need to redo ALL the head alignments.
Wet a non-shedding clean room cloth, release and move the head, place the wet cloth on the capping station and rewet every 20-30 minutes.
The cleaning solution is the preferred solvent, MEK can damage the head if used improperly.
artbot
New Member
didn't say to wipe the head with the towel. just lay it there. on the moistened point. it's a delicate procedure. and ketones are compatible with the entire printer (except for the cheap plastic hull used on some printers). i make my own cleaning solution from butyl caritol, butyl cellosolve, acetone, and bissel hard floor cleaner (extremely small amount). WARNING: do keep xylene/xylol, benzene, paint thinner, toluene, and all other chemicals in that class away from the printer. the only reason that MEK could damage a print head is because of it's rapid evaporation rate thus the use of the glycol ethers in cleaning solution and inks.
Stealth Ryder
New Member
My only question would be WHY? To buy the correct Cleaning Solvent (which is very cheap) only makes good common sense... To do the other kinda seems like going around the block to get next door...
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IF you lay it where there is a loose fiber (and there are many in paper towels) and it goes into a nozzle, you can have issues.
MEK is a MUCH more aggresive solvent and can damage circuit parts on the head IF used improperly. It will also damage the seal around the cap, if you try to use it in the standard head soaking procedure.
We have a lot of first time users here, who should approach head soaking in the safest method possible, it is also VERY effective and minimizes the risk of removing the head.
I have used MEK in a small tray that was lifted up to the head, but you need to be careful with amount used and not go over the 'bottom' seal area of the head. And due to it's rapid evaporation rate, you have to be careful or you actually evaporate the MEK and dry the ink in the nozzles.
But I dont regularly use MEK because the cleaning solution and the head soak are so effective.
MEK is a MUCH more aggresive solvent and can damage circuit parts on the head IF used improperly. It will also damage the seal around the cap, if you try to use it in the standard head soaking procedure.
We have a lot of first time users here, who should approach head soaking in the safest method possible, it is also VERY effective and minimizes the risk of removing the head.
I have used MEK in a small tray that was lifted up to the head, but you need to be careful with amount used and not go over the 'bottom' seal area of the head. And due to it's rapid evaporation rate, you have to be careful or you actually evaporate the MEK and dry the ink in the nozzles.
But I dont regularly use MEK because the cleaning solution and the head soak are so effective.
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Stealth Ryder
New Member
Mike Paul
Super Active Member
Sure, I drained and bottled the leftover cleaning fluid from the cartridges after my new printer/head cleaning cycle when I first purchased my Roland and it lasted for years.
Small bottles of cleaning fluid should be available from your supplier. Roland offers them so I imagine Mutoh does also.
GAC05
Quit buggin' me
When all else fails you have to go old school(real old school):
"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
Works every time.
wayne k
guam usa
(I think I got this tip from Old Paint)
"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
Works every time.
wayne k
guam usa
(I think I got this tip from Old Paint)
Vinylman
New Member
I have found that standard COFFEE FILTERS, will work perfectly for this.
They have no loose fibers, and will absorb the cleaning solution then wick the ink out of the clogged areas of the heads just perfectly.
just use caution and take your time while positioning the filter, and the print head back onto the docking station. Let the head soak for 10-20 minutes, move the print head, remove the filter paper, do a strong clean on the head and run your test pattern print.
It may take a couple of cycles to clear the head, but IF it works, you have saved the cost of a new print head. At least for a little while.
What is the actual chemical for regular solvent? I have hunch that PEG 400 is the ideal chemical to use, but I'm lacking refrences. Anyone informed enough to confirm?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol
Wik. says that PEG 400 is used in HP printers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol
Wik. says that PEG 400 is used in HP printers.
Just Another Sign Guy
New Member
i wish that everyone would take this into account before throwing answers out there without knowing the knowledge or skill level of the people asking the question.
and regarding the question regarding what the active chemicals are in your particular cleaning fluid i would start by looking at the msds sheet.
Just Another Sign Guy
New Member
you can find most msds sheets online but if not your sign supplier that you buy the product from should have them all you have to do is ask...it is good practice to have msds sheets on hand for every product you store.
i have clients who have had employees get things in their eyes, i personally had a STUPID employee get sicker than sick because he 'tasted' all of the chemicals (seriously), another client had a puppy in his shop who ate an ENTIRE quart of ink, i've seen more than one person with a rash or breakout that required a trip to the doctor...i could go on and on...my point being that it can take a long time to find an msds sheet when you really need it if you don't already have them on hand. start a binder and keep msds sheets on hand for everything.
i have clients who have had employees get things in their eyes, i personally had a STUPID employee get sicker than sick because he 'tasted' all of the chemicals (seriously), another client had a puppy in his shop who ate an ENTIRE quart of ink, i've seen more than one person with a rash or breakout that required a trip to the doctor...i could go on and on...my point being that it can take a long time to find an msds sheet when you really need it if you don't already have them on hand. start a binder and keep msds sheets on hand for everything.
artbot
New Member
PEG??? not terribly common across most solvent ink chemistry. if you wanted to go super basic, i'd say about 85% of them have an ethylene glycol base. the common household names for these are butyl cellosolve (ethylene glycol) and butyl carbitol (diethylene glycol...slower evaporation than the cellosolve). both are available at sherwin williams. these are the chemicals also found in common solvent antifreeze. you will recognize the smell and texture and behavior instantly. neither cut like solvents so it gets more exotic from there using hexanes, acetates, and other ketones. everytime i discuss making your own cleaning solution, i get flamed, so i'm tired of the matter. i have extensive experience with solvents.... so i trust my judgment and testing protocols.
and cleaning solution isn't cheap. it's ridiculous. ink manufacturers are selling about $10 worth of solvent for $800. i do very experimental work with my printer so i'm constantly purging lines. i'm not about to have a $500 a month solvent bill when i can spend $30 instead.
and cleaning solution isn't cheap. it's ridiculous. ink manufacturers are selling about $10 worth of solvent for $800. i do very experimental work with my printer so i'm constantly purging lines. i'm not about to have a $500 a month solvent bill when i can spend $30 instead.
We can all understand that you have extensive experience with solvents, but someone with little or no knowledge of solvents can do serious damage very quickly with some some of your mixes.
This is a forum where everone can express their views, that does not mean that those views go on uncontested or unqualified. It is all about getting people the best information for their application.
Yes, you can go buy your own solvents, and you can buy them in different grades of purity, depending on your application, but you should have a pretty good understanding of your application and the consequences, or be willing to pay the price.
Of course you could design your own ink as well.
Or maybe build yourself a printer from scratch.
I dont think anyone here wants to limit what you can do.
We purchase ink and cleaning solution that the machine was designed around, to insure complete chemical compatibility and performance.
I am just here to try and help people out when I can, so I have to aim my messages at the masses in the best way I know how.
If it works for you, what else matters?
This is a forum where everone can express their views, that does not mean that those views go on uncontested or unqualified. It is all about getting people the best information for their application.
Yes, you can go buy your own solvents, and you can buy them in different grades of purity, depending on your application, but you should have a pretty good understanding of your application and the consequences, or be willing to pay the price.
Of course you could design your own ink as well.
Or maybe build yourself a printer from scratch.
I dont think anyone here wants to limit what you can do.
We purchase ink and cleaning solution that the machine was designed around, to insure complete chemical compatibility and performance.
I am just here to try and help people out when I can, so I have to aim my messages at the masses in the best way I know how.
If it works for you, what else matters?