Number 222 - November 2001

Refilling Printer Ink Cartridges
By Herb Menzel 1960 PC Group Aug 2001
At a recent computer show, the "Refill Printer Ink" kits caught my eye. I thought, what could be difficult in filling printer ink cartridges? Before the days of ball point pens, every grammar school classroom had a quart bottle of ink that was used to fill ink wells. When the kids got bored they would catch flies, dip them in an ink well and let them walk on a sheet of paper to see what kind of art they would create. But that is part of another story.     I parted with the price of a refill kit and happily calculated how much money I would save over purchasing complete cartridges. Little did I realize that money was not the only cost of refilling cartridges. When I saw the surgical gloves in the kit I got the first clue that not all of the ink would find its way into the cartridges.     After handling the syringe, that is used to fill the cartridges, I realized that it would be a two handed operation. To avoid knocking over an ink bottle, I stabilized it in a coffee mug with a paper towel. The kit contained a small size drill with a plastic handle. Drilling a hole to insert the syringe took a little patience, but before long the drill broke through the cartridge top. The kit had a supply of tape tabs to seal the ink exit ports. That seemed simple enough. I spread a newspaper on my desk and proceeded to fill one of the cartridges. All went well until the ink	seeped around the tape at the exit port. Before I knew it, ink soaked through the newspaper and onto my desk pad.     Lesson #1: Always do the filling in the sink.     Lesson #2: Don't rely on the tape tabs to seal the exit ports.     I tried several ways of covering the exit ports and ended up wrapping the cartridges in plastic wrap. After filling a cartridge, I sealed the fill hole with a tape tab. I found that did the job. I have filled enough cartridges to break even on the cost of new cartridges and I still have plenty of ink to fill more cartridges, so I'm saving money. Would I buy another refill kit? NO! If money is a major concern when operating an inkjet printer, one might consider refilling ink cartridges. However, one must remember that no matter how careful one uses the ink, some of it is going to spill and even by using rubber gloves some of the ink will get on one's hands. So unless you have lots of time and don't mind getting your hands and sink messy, forget about refilling ink cartridges. Just pay the shot of new cartridges. It's much easier on the nerves.     (c) 2001 by the Santa Barbara PC Users Group. All rights reserved
Number 222 - November 2001