Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1992 02:30 EST From: BRICHMOND%UTOROISE.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU Subject: How to Refill StyleWriter Cartridges and Fountain Pen Cartridges, How to Refill StyleWriter Cartridges and Fountain Pen Cartridges, version 2. Edited and augmented by Brian Richmond: BRICHMOND@UTOROISE.BITNET Based on an Internet and TorontoUs Magic Bulletin Board notes from: Kees Huizing (keesh@win.tue.nl); Bruce.Henderson (behend@msu.edu); Louis Bergeron (orpberl@uqat.uquebec.ca); Michael McKeever, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------------- What you need: 1. A StyleWriter cartridge which is empty/dry. 2. A syringe which can be filled to 20 cc (ml) (not too large). You can use it several times if you rinse it well after use with alcohol. You may be able to get a syringe from a drugstore, your doctor, a vetrinarian, or a blunt industrial type from a technical tool supply store. 3. A bottle of good fountain pen ink like Shaeffer Skrip Jet Black, Parker Quink Black or Mont-Blanc Black. You can try another color if you like. Quality of the ink is essential. Do not use India ink because the particles suspended in the ink will clog the printhead. 4. A bottle of standard rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol U.S.P.). 5. A small eyehook of the type and size used to screw into small wooden picture frames for hanging. A small nail can also be used. 6. (optional) A pair of plastic gloves, apron or other protection of your clothes, protection of the table, etc. Although the ink is not permanent it is very hard to get out of clothes and fingers. Then proceed as follows: 1. Turn off the power of the StyleWriter before removing the ink cartridge. 2. Open the StyleWriter and remove the ink cartridge. Protect the printhead from contact with anything as it is easily damaged. The inside of the cartridge is just a sponge that has to be filled with ink. 3. While holding the cartridge over a piece of newspaper, remove the plug on the side of the StyleWriter's cartridge. There is a plug in one of the sides. You can remove it with the small eye-hook. This is done by inserting the point of the threaded end of the eyehook into the hole and screwing it clockwise for a few turns, then firmly, but gently, pull on the eyehook to remove the plug. 4. The StyleWriter cartridge takes a maximum of 20 cc (ml) of fluid (alcohol/ink). Start with a high alcohol/ink ratio because you may dilute the ink too much with a lower ratio. Fill the syringe with a maximum of 20 cc (ml) of alcohol and ink. Start with 5 cc (ml) of alcohol (put the needle into the bottle, pull to 5 cc (ml)) then add 15 cc (ml) of ink (put the needle into the bottle, pull to 20 cc (ml)). If the syringe is smaller, do the operation in two parts, but begin with the alcohol. You can try a lower alcohol/ink ratio like 1/1 instead of 1/3. 5. Put the syringe needle into the hole, firmly but gently pushing the needle down to the bottom. When it hits bottom, pull back slightly, then slowly push the alcohol/ink mixture into the sponge inside the cartridge by pressing the syringe plunger. Stop when fluid comes out through the fill hole or when the maximum refill fluid, 20 cc (ml), is deposited. 6. Replace the fill-hole plug by pushing it into the fill-hole in the cartridge, turn the eyehook counterclockwise until it is fully out of the plug. 7. Clean your instruments, especially the needle of the syringe. If it gets clogged, you will get a mess the next time you want to use it. 8. Keep the cartridge upright when storing or carrying it to prevent leakage. 9. Replace the ink cartridge in the StyleWriter and close the front. 10. Press down the ready and formfeed buttons together, and while holding them down, press the power button. This will print out a test page. If the paper comes through without any print, turn off the StyleWriter's power, open the StyleWriter and make sure the cartridge is seated properly then close it up and repeat the test page sequence. If it doesn't print, you may have to let the ink soak into the internal sponge for a few minutes or at the worst, clean the print head. If it still doesn't print, you can hold only the Ready button and turn the power button. Repeat that operation until the StyleWriter prints. PROBLEMS When you get thin white lines on your output, some of the ink channels are clogged. Take out the cartridge and clean the print head with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip. This cleans the holes in the print head. Just be gentle so as not to damage the print head. Do not use tap water, there enough mineral content in tap water to re-clog the holes in the print head. Ink on clothes must be removed by dedicated removers. Your druggist, pharmacist or chemist or dry cleaner can probably advise on this. You may try some non-chlorine bleach, like perborate or percarbonate (the latter being nicer for the environment). How often you can play this trick with the same cartridge? Probably the print quality will slowly deteriorate. Ink channels can clog up beyond any repair. BONUS Since the StyleWriter took us closer to the fountain pen than ever (smaller, quieter, and slower), it should not come as a surprise that the same method works for ink cartridges of fountain pens, which are also ridiculously expensive (even more still, since the cost of a StyleWriter cartridge can be justified by the print head). For this, remove the cartridge from the pen when it is empty and put the needle in the hole that connects the cartridge to the pen. Don't fill it fully, or you will spill ink when you put it back into the pen. Keeping it upright, put the cartridge back into the pen. SIDE VIEW OF A STYLEWRITER's INK CARTRIDGE ---------- | O | <-- fill-hole with plug | | | | | | | | ---------- \----/ <-- print head Please send any further experiences with refilling and reuse of inkjet cartridges directly to: BRICHMOND@UTOROISE.BITNET I am particularly interested in filling/refilling inkjet cartridges with coloured ink for generating multi-coloured documents with a StyleWriter printer. I am looking for sources of new, empty, StyleWriter cartridges. Technical information about the StyleWriter is also very welcome. Further information will be added to this document and will be re-posted to info-mac.