Re: Roland CJ 500 Getting started

[sfr table hockey]

This is mainly to tell what I have done to get my printer going.

The cj500 arrived with the print heads not being locked so the heads were uncapped and dry and the capping station was dry. I put what was left for ink in ( pigment waterbased ) and let it start up. Only one head had ink pumped up to it. I took the head out that was not working and tried to clean. I pulled ink up through the dampers to make sure there was ink in the cartridges and got all 3 (lc,lm,ye) to pull through. Put the print head back in and tried to see if it worked. Still no go so I did a pump up from the service menu (bad choice). All this did was waste a bunch of ink in the other head (bk,cy,mg) that was already working. It kept pumping out the ink an all I could do to stop it was hit the power button on the pannel. I then got a syringe that would fit the tube on the pump and tried pushing some hot water through the pump to see if it would release to the drain bottle. This worked as the line was blocked to the drain bottle, and then it released and continued to flush with the hot water. Re connected the pump tube and turned the unit back on to try but again it wanted to keep the "pump up" going and thus waste more ink. I thought about it and realized the pump does not register when the line is full but only does the pump up for a timed period. In order to save the little ink left in the used cartridges I decided to try to take the 2 tubes off the capping station that the pump sucks the ink through. I just fliiled a cup with hot water and let it pump some of that while it did its pump up and clean the pump out at the same time. After a few min. it quit pumping and was ready. I reconnected the tubes to the capping station and did a test print and both heads worked (although the blocked one was showing major banding (I think thats what it would be called with lines through the test print square)). All in all at least I know the unit works and the print heads will be fine once replaced. I still will need to change over parts when they get here and do some allignment. I might try to flush the one print head again but I think it will be best to replace them both anyway. Now that I have been helped to find the heads at a much lower price it is worth it to just replace. I plan on doing the conversion with ecosol max inks. I plan also on making heater plates with infloor wire and using a dimmer switch to control the temp and monitor it with a regular thermomoter. I might even be able to controll both sides separately with switches for both sides. These are way cheaper than the infloor thermostate that could also be used. The dimmer switch should keep the temp more even without the on off effect with the infloor model. More later.

So I guess my only question for now would be did I miss anything in the way I went about trouble shooting this problem? Other than trying the pump up did I do anything wrong that might have been done another way?


Just a side note to see if there is anyone in the Alberta area that has a cj500? Let me know.

Thanks,
Lyle

 

[Vinylman]

Lyle:

Thanks for the report on your progress on the conversion.
I am doing the same thing, but have decided to take a different approach to the heater install.
If I understand what you plan on doing, you are going to use a "dimmer switch" to regulate the final heat setting? And some type of external thermostatic reader to get the read out of the platen temperature? is that correct?

I might be concerned about the long term effects of using the dimmer to control the heater cables. You realize that the dimmer control will build up a certain amount of heat within its self in order to "dim" or reduce the current that flows to the heater cable.
I would be concerned that over time this could result in early failure of either or both components.

Would you mind sharing how much you have in costs to buy the components you are going to use for this conversion?

Also where did you purchase your print heads and other components, as well as what did they cost you.
If you would rather discuss this via PM, feel free to contact me directly.

Also which inks are you considering using?

I am looking seriously at Eleven Ten inks.

Have you decided on who will be your supplier of choice for inks and parts/

 

[Robert M]

Heat tape

We have done a few of these using heat tape (home depot) that we applied using 3M high heat foil tape. There is a brand out there which has an internal control that keeps it a constant 100 deg. We took power from where the plug enters that back of the printer and installed a seperate power switch. The larger issue is finding good profiles due to the fact it is now a different ink set. What did you get heads for?

 

[sfr table hockey]

Lyle:

If I understand what you plan on doing, you are going to use a "dimmer switch" to regulate the final heat setting? And some type of external thermostatic reader to get the read out of the platen temperature? is that correct?

Yes this is the basic idea. I had read on a web site somewhere that a dimmer switch could be used in infloor heat. The problem for that use is the dimmer switch will keep the same amount of power flow all the time unless adjusted. Thus if the room gets cold (due to an open door etc.) the setting will nolonger be high enough to keep the temp where you wanted it, where a regular infloor unit would kick in and keep the temp of the floor constant to the set temperature.

I might be concerned about the long term effects of using the dimmer to control the heater cables. You realize that the dimmer control will build up a certain amount of heat within its self in order to "dim" or reduce the current that flows to the heater cable. I would be concerned that over time this could result in early failure of either or both components.

I had talked to an electrician and that was not mentioned. Possibly due to the small amount of footage of heat wire so there would not be much current needed. I might check again on this.

Would you mind sharing how much you have in costs to buy the components you are going to use for this conversion?

These are in CND dollars. The bluk wire roll ( smallest I could get) was about $150.00 and then $20 for a dimmer switch and about the same for a thermomoter with a sensor to mount to the plate. I had tested some foil duck tape with a hair dryer to see what temp it could take without the tape releasing. I had the surface temp at about 130 F and the tape still held the same. I don't know the heat tollerance of that foil tape but I am sure it will hold for the 120 F max that wee need. Total I am thinking with 2 switches and two thermostates, electrical boxes and plate covers, insulation should be close to $250 to $270. I am still waiting for the wire to show up to get started.

Also where did you purchase your print heads and other components, as well as what did they cost you.
I used a link to an ebay dealer Headhunterx had suggested from Florida and the guy was very promp with emails and I decided to get all the stuff I needed from him. I will PM you with that info and a Hong Kong price.

If you would rather discuss this via PM, feel free to contact me directly.

Also which inks are you considering using?
I think I will start with Rolands Eco sol max. I hope the profiles they have will work without me having trouble.

I am looking seriously at Eleven Ten inks.

Have you decided on who will be your supplier of choice for inks and parts/

For the first bit I am going to try to buy from the Roland distributor in Edmonton for inks and media. If I get some help through them as well I won't mind paying a bit more to support them but the price of heads were over $600 each and not installed.