Arthur Dent
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Epson printer heads question
Wasn't sure if it's the right subforum for this question but here goes...
I have a very expensive, large format Epson printer (11800 Stylus) and just installed a new 1K$ print head in it. But I refuse to accept that the old
head is permanently clogged... I have been trying to figure a potential solvent to unclog the ultra ultra fine capillaries inside the head.
I know that epson ink is water-soluble but water doesn't have low enough viscosity to make its way to the dried-up gunk inside the capillaries...
I tried very warm isopropanol 99% in a beaker that fits just perfectly the head, but no luck... I'm trying to find a solvent that will dissolve
actively the dried ink. The head is made out of plastic so acetone is out, and I don't want to waste valuable solvent... I already wasted 250 ml
isopropanol.
So I was wondering if anyone had luck with particular polar/non polar solvents or clever mixtures to save their printer heads?
Among the solvents I have, there's 1,1,1 Trichlorethane, Xylene, Methanol, Ethanol, Isopropanol, kerosene, paraffin oil...
If i can save this head, it will be a good "emergency spare" unit because when this printer is in action, down time is not a good thing.
Robert
--- Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. - Frank Zappa ---
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smaerd
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What about ethyl acetate?
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12AX7
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Methanol, ethanol, acetone? Mixtures thereof, possibly with water?
Of course, as strength goes up, be careful to test patches to be sure it doesn't affect plastic parts.
Tim
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papaya
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Hydrogen peroxide, because it'll oxidize organics and also produce micro bubbles which may increase extra pressure and ''push'' liquid ?
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Metacelsus
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Acetonitrile? It's just slightly less polar than water, and less viscous.
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zed
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Isopropyl alcohol. Let it soak, and soak, and soak. Occasionally, try squirting isopropyl alcohol through it, via a syringe. Blowing out the well
soaked head, with compressed air is also a possibility.
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hyfalcon
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Good ol' WD-40.
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Arthur Dent
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Thanks for the suggestions, guys!
So I decided to try a 3-punch approach. I've let sit the print head in a bowl of very hot water... that removed most of the dried-up ink (in a blaze
of colorful spires).
Then I used a big 25CC plastic syringe filled with hot water and squirted through the 8 ports... more colorful ooze.
The idea of Hydrogen peroxide is quite clever (Thanks Papaya) so I tried squirting some in the ports, soon followed by 70% rubbing alcohol, so far the
output is clear but some of the heads show gaps in the "quirted output" so i'll let the head sit some more in that 70% isopropyl solution.
unfortunately I do not have access to Acetonitrile nor Ethyl Acetate so I can't try it out... but I thought about using a little bit of plain
distilled vinegar for my final cleaning step to make sure the capillaries aren't clogged by the lime/calcium of the hard water.
Robert
--- Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. - Frank Zappa ---
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argyrium
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I have an old wide format Epson 2200 that has responded well to mostly a mixture of 70% -2-propanol (~30 mL) with a few drops of NH4OH and same
amount of "Windex". A few drops into the cartridge interface, replace cartridge and run cleaning cycle. Sometimes takes a couple of cycles.
I would be very cautious about using any solvents that might cause the plastic parts to swell.
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papaya
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You are welcome Arthur Dent, as a general rule when it comes to cleaning oxidizers rule, another possibility might be hypochlorite solution, but
peroxide seems a cleaner way.
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Texium
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Thread Moved
21-11-2023 at 13:27 |
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