This is a great thread, love the ingenuity!
p.s.
use the search function, or start your own thread.
....or lets continue burying good threads like this in unrelated nonsense.
I agree, why include this unless you wanted to continue the nonsense.
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DIY Print head recovery system - Epson DX4 / DX5 heads, etc.
- Thread starter Atari
- Start date
I agree, why include this unless you wanted to continue the nonsense.
Vinylman
New Member
Forceps
Here is something that will be invaluable in doing the head cleaning and ink drawing as well as changing out dampers {note spelling on DAMPERS, NOT dumpers}
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=84051&gclid=CMvpt6ztjLsCFcY7Mgod02YAdw
You "should" be able to purchase these or similar items a your local drug store. While you are there ask the Pharmisist if they can get you a 50cc syringe to use for drawing a vacuum on the ink line.
Here is something that will be invaluable in doing the head cleaning and ink drawing as well as changing out dampers {note spelling on DAMPERS, NOT dumpers}
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=84051&gclid=CMvpt6ztjLsCFcY7Mgod02YAdw
You "should" be able to purchase these or similar items a your local drug store. While you are there ask the Pharmisist if they can get you a 50cc syringe to use for drawing a vacuum on the ink line.
Would you explain?
Vinylman
New Member
I use these to pinch off the ink lines during ink draw downs while trying to clear a print head clog.
They can also be used to pinch off the ink lines above the dampers when changing out dampers. This helps to prevent ink drips and loss of vacuum when drawing ink through the docking station. It is not at all difficult once someone explains the basic process.
YES no more electrical issues,I changed the main pcb power supply..and heaters are now ok..
But i cant recover to 100%.
If you know a technic to purge a color without lost another….
3 Dampers are now empty i tried 3 times to refill without syringe (by electrical way) but nothing goes…i have also cleaned the station but without results….
But how exactly do you proceed to unclog a print head, step by step…
I just unplug the dampers with the line, and put the syringe to the black orifice then push the flush and then i wipe with a towel antistatic...
Vinylman
New Member
OK:
If you know how to remove the dampers {be CAREFUL they are delicate} start by opening the valves back behind the ink carts. I would do this using the main control panel.
Then carefully remove ONE DAMPER at a time. MAKE SURE YOU COVER ALL THE AREA on top of the Print head, as well as ESPECIALLY the electric connections and wiring. I recommend using plastic wrap, with several layers of absorbent towel material to catch any ink drops.
DO NOT: loosen or remove the ink line coming into the damper.
1: carefully place the tip of a syringe {without a needle attached} into the open port that normally goes onto the print head spike. Raise the damper slightly so that you are pulling ink UP into the damper, [rather than down into]. Fill the damper slightly more than 1/2-3/4 full. CAUTION: DO NOT squeeze the sides of the damper. Hold by the hard plastic edges.
2: Replace damper on printhead, and do same for each damper ONE AT A TIME!
QUESTION? when you replaced your dampers last time, did you replace the tiny rubber gaskets that go up into the brass nut?
Let's get this far then go on from here.
i have already do that but what about the rest I'm talking about the printhead itself … i personally flush directly onto the black side… (i don't replaced tiny rubber gaskets last time)
yes
here we go, how do we do that
Vinylman
New Member
OK;
BEFORE STARTING make sure the docking staion is in good condition, and the lines leading to the ink waste bottle are clear and open.
Since you indicated that you had used your syringe to push cleaning fluid through the top of the print head I am assuming you have the print head cover removed?
1: Make sure you park the print head completely on the docking station.
2: On the bottom of the docking station are two [small] drain lines. CAREFULLY, CAREFULLY remove ONE line.[ it doesn't matter which one].ATTCH YOUR SYRINGE TO THIS LINE!
3: clamp off the other line going to the pump with the forceps mentioned earlier, or some other small clamp you can close off this drain hose with.
4: Go to your service menu on the Mimaki and work through the steps to open ALL the electronic valves up behind the ink carts.
5: CAREFULLY attach a vacuum line to the open port on the bottom of the docking station, and connect it to your syringe. Make sure you have the syringe fully closed {so you can pull back on the plunger slowly and create a vacuum].
6: GENTLY and SLOWLY pull a vacuum with the syringe and watch the tubing to see if and when ink will start to flow through the print head and down through the docking station into the syringe.
7: if you get a decent flow of ink, you can close the ink cart valves, replace the docking station hoses, and do a hard clean on the print head then print a test pattern.
8: REpeat as necessary.
BEFORE STARTING make sure the docking staion is in good condition, and the lines leading to the ink waste bottle are clear and open.
Since you indicated that you had used your syringe to push cleaning fluid through the top of the print head I am assuming you have the print head cover removed?
1: Make sure you park the print head completely on the docking station.
2: On the bottom of the docking station are two [small] drain lines. CAREFULLY, CAREFULLY remove ONE line.[ it doesn't matter which one].ATTCH YOUR SYRINGE TO THIS LINE!
3: clamp off the other line going to the pump with the forceps mentioned earlier, or some other small clamp you can close off this drain hose with.
4: Go to your service menu on the Mimaki and work through the steps to open ALL the electronic valves up behind the ink carts.
5: CAREFULLY attach a vacuum line to the open port on the bottom of the docking station, and connect it to your syringe. Make sure you have the syringe fully closed {so you can pull back on the plunger slowly and create a vacuum].
6: GENTLY and SLOWLY pull a vacuum with the syringe and watch the tubing to see if and when ink will start to flow through the print head and down through the docking station into the syringe.
7: if you get a decent flow of ink, you can close the ink cart valves, replace the docking station hoses, and do a hard clean on the print head then print a test pattern.
8: REpeat as necessary.
Tilt
Hi Vinylman,
I had already do that with no success of flowing ink, but what you said before gave me a tilt idea…
So i do that again with no success then changed the capping station (the new one was none OEM part) and try agin and BINGO…
here we are in 540*720p
Test patern
Thank you so much guy
I will stop here 100% firing seems hard to accomplish
Hi Vinylman,
I had already do that with no success of flowing ink, but what you said before gave me a tilt idea…
So i do that again with no success then changed the capping station (the new one was none OEM part) and try agin and BINGO…
here we are in 540*720p
Test patern
Thank you so much guy
I will stop here 100% firing seems hard to accomplish
Vinylman
New Member
Something else, The lines missing in the second part of the magenta, and the few missing in the other colors will make it VERY DIFFICULT for you to print colors that will look their best.
The Mimaki you have is a VERY high quality unit. It has capability of really fantastic work. You are SOOOO close to recovering the print head, I will encourage you to keep working at getting the head recovered fully.
Go slowly, and perhaps you could do one more "hard" clean cycle them go through a normal head soak process, EXCEPT, after filling the docking station with cleaner and docking the head, SHUT DOWN the printer with the docking station full of flushing solution. Leave the printer over night like that, and the following day do a standard start up. The overnight soak MAY help to loosen any stubborn ink.
Let us know how this turns out Please.
P.S. You mentioned in another post that you "forced cleaner solution "down through" the nipples on the print head. I would caution AGAINST doing that except as a last ditch effort before replacing your print head.
The pressure you create inside the print head doing what you suggest can VERY EASILY destroy a perfectly good print head.
Anything more than 4PSI pressure inside the head can "blow out" internal seals. SO ONLY DO THIS AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT!!
The Mimaki you have is a VERY high quality unit. It has capability of really fantastic work. You are SOOOO close to recovering the print head, I will encourage you to keep working at getting the head recovered fully.
Go slowly, and perhaps you could do one more "hard" clean cycle them go through a normal head soak process, EXCEPT, after filling the docking station with cleaner and docking the head, SHUT DOWN the printer with the docking station full of flushing solution. Leave the printer over night like that, and the following day do a standard start up. The overnight soak MAY help to loosen any stubborn ink.
Let us know how this turns out Please.
P.S. You mentioned in another post that you "forced cleaner solution "down through" the nipples on the print head. I would caution AGAINST doing that except as a last ditch effort before replacing your print head.
The pressure you create inside the print head doing what you suggest can VERY EASILY destroy a perfectly good print head.
Anything more than 4PSI pressure inside the head can "blow out" internal seals. SO ONLY DO THIS AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT!!