Homebrew PCBs

>How do I flush the system of the old ink, once I can
>get my hands on some of this specified ink?

     I bought one of those "cleaning kits", supposedly the same stuff the 
Epson techs use to clean clogged heads. Didn't work, the old industrial 
term is "NFG", don't waste your time. Some time after I trashed the 
printer, an Epson Stylus Color 600 that I had really liked, I read that 
the common spray cleaner "Fantastik" will dissolve the ink. Too late for 
me and my 600, now I have a C42UX that's just cheap junk (text is ok, but 
I used to get great color glossy photos out of the 600 and this new one 
just won't do it)

     You need some method to deliver the cleaner through the heads, like 
a syringe that fits the spike that goes into the ink cart, or maybe an 
eyedropper and a little piece of soft plastic tube that fits snugly on 
the spike. You'll also need paper in the printer to soak up what comes 
through. Seems to me the instructions that came with the "kit" had you 
pulling the power cord at some point to get paper stopped in the middle 
and the carriage out where you could get to it.

     For those without "Fantastik" in their local stores, if you can get 
some ink onto some paper and let it dry well, try whatever else you've 
got - spray cleaners, isopropyl alcohol, whatever - and see what will 
make the ink run best. Don't forget that some things might also dissolve 
important parts of the printer. If it'll dissolve the ink but not the 
printer, try it and let us all know what *really* works.

     -Gary

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, garydeal <garydeal@...> wrote:
>
> >How do I flush the system of the old ink, once I can
> >get my hands on some of this specified ink?
> 
>      I bought one of those "cleaning kits", supposedly the same
stuff the 
> Epson techs use to clean clogged heads. Didn't work, the old industrial 
> term is "NFG", don't waste your time.

Those "cleaning kits" just have a surfactant in them. There are quite
a few varieties of surfactants out there, most of us call them "soap".
All they do is help the water wet the ink. However, if the ink is
really dry then they are a bit too gentle.

> Some time after I trashed the 
> printer, an Epson Stylus Color 600 that I had really liked, I read that 
> the common spray cleaner "Fantastik" will dissolve the ink. Too late
for 
> me and my 600, now I have a C42UX that's just cheap junk (text is
ok, but 
> I used to get great color glossy photos out of the 600 and this new one 
> just won't do it)

See my previous post about early version of Durabrite and glossy paper.

>      You need some method to deliver the cleaner through the heads,
like 
> a syringe that fits the spike that goes into the ink cart, or maybe an 
> eyedropper and a little piece of soft plastic tube that fits snugly on 
> the spike. You'll also need paper in the printer to soak up what comes 
> through. Seems to me the instructions that came with the "kit" had you 
> pulling the power cord at some point to get paper stopped in the middle 
> and the carriage out where you could get to it.

I strongly recommend -against- this! Patience, not force, is needed.

>      For those without "Fantastik" in their local stores, if you can
get 
> some ink onto some paper and let it dry well, try whatever else you've 
> got - spray cleaners, isopropyl alcohol, whatever - and see what will 
> make the ink run best. Don't forget that some things might also
dissolve 
> important parts of the printer. If it'll dissolve the ink but not the 
> printer, try it and let us all know what *really* works.

Sigh.... or you could rely on the experience of others.

http://www.polyphoto.com/tutorials/PrintHeadCleaning/

1 part household non-sudsing ammonia (no lemon cr@p)
4 parts 50% isopropyl alcohol
5 parts distilled or filtered water (-not- purified water)

I taught myself what works and doesn't, with the best chance of
success without destroying the printer. Patience is a virtue. The link
above is a bit messy because it is saved responses that I got tired of
typing in over and over, so I finally just saved one.

Steve Greenfield