Andrew Thornber wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have been lurking on this site for a while now, and thought I might throw
> in a few of my experiences.
>
> I used to be a printer/proofer engineer and worked on many similar machines
> if not a bit larger than your acerage home machine.
>
> All of the DOD style printer I worked with were made by the company that
> also manufacture Epson print heads.
>
> The way that has always worked for me was to get a good look at the nozzles
> and use either a lint free cloth soaked in Isopropyl alcohol and just press
> it gently against the underside of the head. This almost always worked. It
> may take a little time but will get there.
>
> The other way was to use a cotton bud dipped in isopropyl alcohol and clean
> the nozzles. Then wipe the head with a lint free cloth to get rid of all
> the bits of cotton.
>
> Running cleaning cycles is about a much use as shouting at it if you have
> some subborn nozzles. When the head is clamped into the cleaning station
> then it is sucking on all nozzles at the same time. If one is blocked and
> the others are clear all it will do is suck the ink from the clean nozzle!
With small holes, there is extremely high surface tension, so a large vacuum
can still be exerted even if 90% of the holes are clear. It is more likely that
the ink only flows due to the pressure of the piezo drivers, than any external
applied vacuum.
Any idiot can see that relying on the vacuum pump to clean the nozzles is
useless if the first nozzle to run freely prevents the other nozzles from
being cleaned!
> Isopropyl alcohol is a standard solvent available from most places. In the
> UK we used to by it from RS Components but I think if you have a chat with a
> chemist they can get it for you. It is, if memory serves me correctly, very
> similar chemically to the solvent used in epson inks. (Which is why we used
> it!)
>
> Any way, enough of me. Sorry if I have been teaching any one to 'suck eggs'
> I just thought I might help out a little.