Suggestions When soaking a head what type of clip to use?

[Jim Hill]

What style of clip to use to clamp off the cap top tube when doing a head soak.

I have tired a metal paper clip and other things so I was wondering what everyone else is using so that the cleaning solution stays in the cap top?

Thanks for your help.

Jim

 

[klingsdesigns]

I use a wooden close pin

 

[Jim Hill]

I tried a wooden close pin and it did not work.
I also tried a few other types of household clamps for bags and things but they also did not work.

Each time I put the cleaning solution on top of the cap top it simply drains down the tube and passed the clamps.

Jim

 

[klingsdesigns]

I bent the cap top tube into v shape and then put close pin there. If you just put close pin over tube then it won’t close it tight enough.

 

[Jim Hill]

Kingsdesigns:

That trick worked and thank you for sharing that information.

I did that to both cap top tubes and now they are both holding the cleaning solution.
Now I am hoping that in the next 12 to 24 hours that helps to get the heads working a little bit better.

Both heads are printing but the test print shows a lot of drop out.

Thanks Jim

 

[klingsdesigns]

Good to hear. Also after doing a soak I noticed after the first test print looks good. Then try a test print a couple days later and it could clear up better just from sitting on captop with no fluid.

 

[player]

This is what I use. Folding not necessary with good strong ones:

 

[Jim Hill]

I tired one of those clips but the one I tired still let the cleaning solution passed the clip and into the drain line.

Jim

 

[klingsdesigns]

I did what I said and it held for 3 days

 

[Solventinkjet]

I fold it and put some tape on it or I clamp a forcep on it.

 

[Jim Hill]

Another question how long are you letting the heads soak for?

Jim

 

[Solventinkjet]

Another question how long are you letting the heads soak for?

Jim

In my experience anything more than an hour seems to not help much. If it doesn't recover with an hour soak it most likely won't recover. I have soaked heads for days with no change. It all depends on if the nozzles are actually clogged or if they are physically damaged. Nothing you can do about the damaged ones.

 

[player]

My cyan had a blocked nozzle for months. I periodically soaked, and to my surprise it unclogged.

 

[Jim Hill]

It now appears that my cross contamination problem is back with both heads.

I am going to not only change dampers again but this time I am also changed the small O rings also. Some where there is a air leak I think that is the problem.
I have changed the drain lines and I even wondered if maybe my drain line into the drain bottle was to long so that it could not draw a small amount of air back into the system.

I already changed both cap tops so this is becoming a difficult problem to figure out.
The original problem was caused by the yellow ink cartridge when ran out of ink without any notice.

I must admit this problem is not an easy one to fix!

Jim

 

[Jim Hill]

I have fixed the cross contamination problem by replacing the O rings on each damper and then drawing ink into each damper.

I still cannot pull ink through the lines of either head but I noticed that when I use the syringe to add some cleaning solution into the cap tops it is sitting there and not going down the tube with no clamp on the lower part of the tube!

Once I remove the the tube on the ink pump the cleaning solution goes right down the tube. Kind of like it is creating a vacuum.
All of the tubes going into the ink pump and coming to the drain bottle have been replaced with new tubing and I checking the length of tubing going into the drain to make sure it was not to long.

Any idea what's going on?

Jim

 

[Solventinkjet]

I have fixed the cross contamination problem by replacing the O rings on each damper and then drawing ink into each damper.

I still cannot pull ink through the lines of either head but I noticed that when I use the syringe to add some cleaning solution into the cap tops it is sitting there and not going down the tube with no clamp on the lower part of the tube!

Once I remove the the tube on the ink pump the cleaning solution goes right down the tube. Kind of like it is creating a vacuum.
All of the tubes going into the ink pump and coming to the drain bottle have been replaced with new tubing and I checking the length of tubing going into the drain to make sure it was not to long.

Any idea what's going on?

Jim

Try flushing solution through the pump with the syringe. Maybe the pump is clogged.

 

[Jim Hill]

Try flushing solution through the pump with the syringe. Maybe the pump is clogged.

I just installed a New Ink Pump and I still cannot get ink to flow through the cap tops.
I have now replaced cap tops, all dampers and O rings and each damper is now full of the correct ink but I still cannot pull ink through the tubes under the cap tops even with a tapper syringe.
When I use a syringe to try and pull ink there is almost no resistance which tells me there in a air leak some where in the system.

I also have replaced all the drain lines with brand new lines and the drain bottle is empty.

Could it be the capping station not creating a good seal?

I clamped off the both tubes below the cap tops and both cap tops are once again full of cleaning solution. I will let it soak for a few hours and see if that fixes the problem.

Not sure what else to try since it appears when I do a test print that both heads are firing correctly but with a lot of drop out in the test prints.

Jim

 

[bob]

Hemostats, available at most any hardware r auto parts store.

 

[Jim Hill]

Bob: Not sure what you were talking about when you said Memostats?

 

[bob]

Bob: Not sure what you were talking about when you said Memostats?

Hemostat not memostat.

A small clamp that you can place on a tube and lock into place.