Refilling Epson Ink Cartridges

[Nick Makris <nick@mcn.org>]

Need to let you folks know what happened with my inkjet cartridges - you may
recall that I was not able to get a good nozzle check printout with refilled
cartridges, no matter what (unless I put a new, unused cartridge in the
printer).

I had read on MIS's site that if you have trouble obtaining a good pattern
check, it is a likely bet that there are air bubbles/foam in the cartridge.
Sure enough, when you follow their instructions with a vacuum created with a
syringe, great amounts of foam appeared - this happened for several
iterations.  After failing on the first attempt, I tried again and several
iterations later, it still didn't work.

The fix:

Take a medium size slotted screwdriver (bladed) and gently break the bond
between the top and base of the cartridge - it helps to wear rubber gloves
at about this point.  You can also gently cut around the edge with a coping
saw.  Once you are able to look inside, remove the sponge and rinse it and
the cartridge out thoroughly.

Before reinserting it into the cartridge, it must be thoroughly dry - leave
it on a counter for an extended period, in the sun/wind for a few hours or
try the microwave.

When it is dry, cut 1/8" to 1/4" off of the top - I didn't find this written
anywhere, however, the MIS tech support staff recommended this.  Something
about relieving the contact with the vent holes on top.

They recommend that you just reattach the top with black electrical tape - I
used my hot glue gun a placed a very thin seal around the entire edge.

I put it back in my printer after the required overnight wait and voila,
perfect printout after 3-2 head cleaning cycles.

BTW, the MIS inks are good in the bottle for extended periods - well beyond
2 years.  Any sign of thickening is an indication of ink gone bad.

I'll be converting one or more of my printers to a continuous flow system
very soon.

Many thanks for your previous suggestions,

Nick