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Author Topic: Epson 7900 from the inside - out  (Read 1092895 times)

Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #680 on: May 09, 2012, 12:03:14 pm »

Sorry everybody I have been sick(er) than a dog.  First time I've sat at the computer in days, never mind been productive.  I will update the head project soon.  Sorry.

bupalos

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #681 on: May 09, 2012, 12:08:12 pm »

That's a relief. I was starting to think we all needed to look into witness protection programs. Hope you're feeling better!
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garyclow

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #682 on: May 09, 2012, 02:18:24 pm »

Sorry everybody I have been sick(er) than a dog.  First time I've sat at the computer in days, never mind been productive.  I will update the head project soon.  Sorry.

Whew!  We've been on pins and needles here.  Glad you rejoined the living.  I was afraid the package with the head in it detonated in your hands.
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Peter Le

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #683 on: May 09, 2012, 09:35:54 pm »

    Hope you are better soon Eric and glad you are still with us......was worried Epson bought you off or even worse put a hit out on you  ;D
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na goodman

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #684 on: May 13, 2012, 10:30:32 pm »

Just checking in, I sure hope you're feeling better.
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #685 on: May 14, 2012, 12:27:18 pm »

Sorry I have been so quiet.  We were geared up to install this ultrasonically cleaned printhead, then all of the sudden I got sick so I couldn't ask my genius buddy over to work on big bertha.  Then the day I finally became a human being again, I had to leave for my first race of this season.  Got back late last night.

...so this is where you'd expect me to say "We will get to working on the printer tonight."  Your expectations would be wrong then.  The printer is up and running as of late last night.  My genius buddy Steve grabbed the bull by the horns this weekend and brought our never-ending Epson 7900 printhead clog-clearing project home.  A text message found me tucked away inside our race transporter on route 5 last night stating "Congratulations, we have a working 7900 again.   But..."

I won't be able to share the details with you until Steve and I get together for dinner and go over all that he experienced this weekend, but I CAN tell you this.  Our ultrasonically cleaned printhead, is dead.  Once installed in the machine the only thing it produced were fatal error messages.  Steve assumes the ultrasonic cleaning procedure was too much for it.  Or too wet for it.  Either way we will be performing an autopsy on it with lots of detailed photos to share here.

I'm sorry about this bad news.  I have been hoping for a very long time now that this ultrasonic cleaning would be a savior to us all.  Unfortunately it is not. 

The next time I face an un-clearable clogged x900 printhead I intend to clean it the way we originally cleaned ours - only this time using the special top-secret Epson two stage cleaner which does not exist and you can't get it or buy it but I am staring at both bottles here on my desk.

More, later.

chaddro

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #686 on: May 14, 2012, 02:01:38 pm »

Bummer. I wonder what Hal's impressions are.

Ya know, when I was reading about the whole ultrasonic cleaning stuff, one of the sites I was on specifically said you CANNOT verify the Epson heads by seeing the nozzles spray streams as in the photo that was sent to you, that much pressure would damage the head, and after cleaning you'd have to install to check to see if the nozzle were cleared. I think I posted that info some time way back in the beginning. You'd think someone that "specializes" in this would know that.

I crossed my fingers and hoped all would be well, but I think the guy over did it!

I also read that the head must be completely dry before installation.

Did you pickup that head that was on ebay a couple months ago? Well, interested in hearing your buddies install experience.
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designpartners

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #687 on: May 14, 2012, 04:06:40 pm »

ohh.. that is a bummer..

Eric, all that I can say is a heartfelt thank you for all your effort and I hope the 7900 with the new head gives you years of great printing.

I think we leave this topic a little bit wiser all be it more frustrated! Hopefully, the knowledge we have gleamed over the past 35 pages will allow us to maintain and minimize any issues.

James
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #688 on: May 14, 2012, 05:52:27 pm »

Yea chaddro, I remember your post.  I also had reservations about the ultrasonic process.  Not so much the ultra sonic part, but the letting someone else work on your head part.  HAL says the membranes between channels are critically fragile.  Too much pressure in either direction will blow them out and end you up mixing colors when you don't want to be.  He also warns to only get the face wet.  In that same shower image it looks like more than the printhead face got wet.

Yes, the new head I purchased was the one off ebay that you gave me the heads-up on some months ago, from "Mo".  That's the one we are using now.  It works as if brand new - which it should because it is.  The resulting perfectly clear nozzle check-print looks unfamiliarly amazing.  Suddenly this 7900 has lost all it's character.  All the dynamite I've been stock-piling is now way too much to blow up just one dead head.  I've been secretly planning on blowing up the whole machine.  Dam.

In a pretty huge way I wish HAL had jumped the Epson wall two and a half months before he did.  I likely never would have shipped our head out.  Instead I did, and as a result I am left here today staring at a flirtatious, unused, tiny red bottle on my desk reflecting the afternoon sunlight through it's iridescent inners in a painfully suggestive way.  If plastic could speak I'm pretty sure this bottle would whisper, "You do know I am the answer to all your problems, don't you?"
« Last Edit: May 14, 2012, 08:37:24 pm by Eric Gulbransen »
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bupalos

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #689 on: May 14, 2012, 06:30:34 pm »

Bummer, yes, although the part of me that is staring at a new Canon 8300 delivered here in the lot today is almost relieved. But then the other part that is staring at a 7900 and two bad heads slaps me back to reality. Also the part that has to figure out how to carry this beast down into the studio.

If you want to continue your experimentation with one of my heads, I'd be happy to send it to you, and if it fixes, send it back to me and I'll send you the other one to keep.

The info you've come upon about the cleaning process and flushing box should be invaluable to those continuing on the Epsons. It strikes me as the most likely culprit, and maintenance in this area might just keep those "permanent" printheads permanent.
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john milich

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #690 on: May 14, 2012, 07:18:00 pm »

way back when, when i was in instrument making, the test for ultrasonic cleaning horsepower was how long it took to dissolve holes in aluminum foil...probably with an alikaline cleaner;)
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chaddro

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #691 on: May 14, 2012, 07:40:33 pm »

Hey Eric,

Is this the same place you sent your print head to? In this video, they specifically state that that you cannot blast cleaner through the head like some machines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poEDY4f5_4Y

Was this the place you sent you head to?

BTW, glad the other head is working out. Man, you know more about the machine now than most repair techs from Decision One!
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #692 on: May 14, 2012, 08:52:30 pm »

Yes Chaddro, that is the place.  Printheaddoctor.com.  Vladimir is the head honcho.  To his credit, he promised me nothing more than that he would try, which he did.  I sincerely appreciate their efforts.

John, HAL warns about similar "dissolving holes in aluminum" characteristics of this glorious red iridescent cleaning fluid I now have here.  It comes with no guarantees either.

I will say this now in utter confidence - if I had this to do over again from the start I first would have cleaned the flush box, then changed the wiper blade, then done a serviceman mode cleaning procedure.  If the clogs remained, I would then remove the head and try cleaning it manually.  I'd start by gently drawing this Epson cleaning fluid up through the face of the head with a syringe, then let it sit over night.  Next morning I'd gently draw the Epson neutralizing fluid up through the face until all traces of red iridescence were gone.  Then I'd re-install the head and do one power cleaning before the next nozzle check.  If it printed clear I'd jump for joy.  If it printed clogs I'd go straight for the dynamite.

jeverton

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #693 on: May 15, 2012, 09:50:27 am »

Eric,

A valiant effort to give us all a ray of hope… Thank you for your time, sharing the experience and lessons learned along this journey. 
On a side note, after installing the new print head – What calibrations and procedures were necessary?

Jeff
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bupalos

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #694 on: May 15, 2012, 10:28:09 am »

Eric how again did you acquire the Epson cleaning fluid that does not exist? Now that I've got the Canon in here and rolling I'm going to use my 7900 as a guinea pig. I'm thinking I'll slurp up some of that magic antimatter into the head, let it soak a bit, strap it to a sonicare toothbrush, and see if I can either clear the clog or create a new life form.

I've got two of these cloggy heads, so the possibilities are endless!
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #695 on: May 15, 2012, 10:33:36 am »


If you want to continue your experimentation with one of my heads, I'd be happy to send it to you, and if it fixes, send it back to me and I'll send you the other one to keep.


I'm game.  PM me and we can get the ball rolling.  I so want to revive a "dead" X900 head.


Jeff, Steve and I met last night to talk about the head install.  The process went simply, and by the book.  He installed the head, he register the head (log id numbers into serviceman program), he did a series of head alignments via the serviceman mode, he started printing.  Great to hear how well it all went.

Denniswcr

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #696 on: May 17, 2012, 06:36:32 pm »

Well, I guess that this may be the end of this excellent stream of 7900 data.  I do have a question for Eric, however.  I bought a 7900 about a week before I saw this thread.  So far so good with my 7900, but I was wondering, Eric, if you feel the head can be removed when the heads are moved into the service mode (looking into possible future problems).  There seems to be enough room to get at the heads through the front door, but there may be something that I can't see that could get in the way.

Thanks, Dennis
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #697 on: May 17, 2012, 07:50:04 pm »

I had a similar conversation at the race track last weekend - about wasting time while trying to save time.  It's always tempting to eliminate steps, trust me I do it all the time, but in this case you'd be shooting yourself in the foot.  Far easier to remove the left side of the machine.  It's just plastic, a few screws, nothing big at all.  There's a wiring harness you need to move up and out of the way, that would be tough if not impossible with just the front open as well.

FYI, this is not the end of the endless stream of valuable X900 information being added to this thread.  I am totally still working on things in the background.

For instance, here may be one of the most sensible X900 maintenance tips ever:  If you are not a print-shop you may not run your printer every day.  Maybe not even every week.  If this is you too, try this in order to avoid ink drying in the face of your printhead -

Download this image, then print it on a plain sheet of paper once every few days.  HAL says three is a good number.  Takes minimal ink to print, saves gallons of ink by avoiding power cleans.  Yes I love you too   :-)

http://www.gotagteam.com/epson/X900_routine_print.jpg
« Last Edit: May 17, 2012, 07:54:12 pm by Eric Gulbransen »
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enduser

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #698 on: May 17, 2012, 11:46:56 pm »

Is anybody going to list all these things Epson owners are recommended to do in this thread?  Hopefully such a list will be in all future user manuals for new models of printer.   There also needs to be a new "Point-of-Sale" information sheet warning off low use buyers and saying why.

I suspect though, that the thread will go to the usual thread graveyard, and just the current readers will be in the know.
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #699 on: May 18, 2012, 02:51:08 am »

The thread will end up in the yard but the points will not.  I will organize them and keep them easily accessible.  They will always be one google away.  First, though, more to come
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