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Author Topic: Epson 7900 from the inside - out  (Read 1092557 times)

Blue moon

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1240 on: January 31, 2013, 06:36:26 pm »

Eric
Try again
Remember your mum telling you there is no shame in tryng and failing
The shame is in failing to try
Remember Edison and the light bulb
Follow your dream not someone elses
Your a winner
Lets get to act two.......
Matt
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Bob DeBellis

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1241 on: February 01, 2013, 12:37:12 pm »

Hi Eric,
Did you ever create the tutorial for replacing the print head?
Bob
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1242 on: February 03, 2013, 04:45:51 pm »

Sorry Bob haven't finished it yet.  All the mechanical processes are in the can but I need my partner here to shoot the new head syncing process.  He has a pc, which we need to do this.  I only run Mac.  Normally this wouldn't be a problem but he fell in love six months ago, so i have no genius buddy anymore.  Oh the power of women...  If you can sort your way through the manual for the synching process, I can cover you on the mechanical parts - which are about 95% of the job.  Let me know.

Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1243 on: February 05, 2013, 11:20:16 pm »

I have good news.  No I didn't clear a head yet dammit.  Is that the only good news you could think of?  Come on now let's use our imaginations..

How bout this - I took the money that you fine friends in the struggling Epson X900 clogmonster community have donated to the wiper exchange video fund, and put it to good use.  I purchased a domain and am in the process of building a website based exclusively on successfully running, and maintaining, these X900 printers.  All of the great discoveries that we have explored together will be organized in one special place.  It will be simple, easy to navigate, and use.  So it's kind of cool, the money formed a circle - made it back home.  How many times does that happen in a week..


So I'm putting this out there;  anyone with ideas on what should be included in this X900 site, your opinions are very welcome.  

Like I told Chaddro tonight, I wish I found myself today when I was googling myself silly with clogs a year ago.  Not that I would be any better off, but at least I would have found myself.


The other good news I have is I found my genius.  He showed up for dinner last night.  I nailed him down about shooting the last part of the head changing video, THIS WEEKEND.   Yey Bob!

Denniswcr

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1244 on: February 06, 2013, 12:54:39 am »

Looking forward to that video.  Thanks Eric.
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Blue moon

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1245 on: February 07, 2013, 07:14:40 am »



BUT BUT
I may be wrong...and i need to know that i am wrong....

SO

TO DISPROVE my agitation theories and consequent paranoia ,i will now do a 75 day test with 5 autos AND NO GENTLE PRINTER AGITATION during this test period ....with zero printing of course...the only factors left in the equation this time will be  TURN ON every day and epson k3 inks as usual....i should in theory come back with the same auto results (80% Autos clear first time or even 100% clear first time..) that would then indicate that autos without agitation is at least as efficient or more efficient than autos with agitation....
Will let you know auto results after each 15 day interval so  that the 75 days doesnt feel too long...

I completed my first fifteen day auto test last week......without any printer "rocking " of any description......just turn on printer daily....no printing.......result was completely successfull auto test on the first try after a lapse of 15 days since the previous auto test...so far no advantage for rocking ....
Printer starting up beautifully...16 degrees Celsius 53 humidity.......rather a cold room but the inks seems to like it....dark room facing north...never any direct sunlight.......
Be back after stage two which is now well under way......
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1246 on: February 07, 2013, 10:01:54 pm »

Which printer is this again Blue moon?

Blue moon

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1247 on: February 08, 2013, 05:36:53 am »

Eric
The 7800....
My other 7800 has 3 blocked nozzles for two years..(i think that it has all the hallmarks of the 7900 clogs ).hoping to get Photoflo by Kodak soon and i will make up a concoction on the lines of Alans suggestions (post 1373) ....except i will leave out the isopropyl as bacteria is not a problem here...
My mixture will be :
Kodak Photoflo
Glycol/Glycerol ...(epson cleaning solution)
Water...
Very large syringe as i am going to use a " drip " method directly attached to a nipple on the head....i wonder if the larger syringe might just add a bit of extra gravitational force to the soaking process..a drip feed approach...
Two things i have noticed on this thread so far....
1 power cleans can be powerless when a clogged chamber is heavily outnumbered by free chambers..poor leverage on the clogged chamber..
2 soaking a really bad clog might be better than forcing liquids through the head.
Eric
The work that you have been doing is priceless to us all in being able to " see" the effects of using certain solutions on the gadgetry in the head...and on the clogged inks in that head....you are turning lights on for us.....please do not stop now...
If i cannot free this bad clog on my 7800 will you accept the head as a donation for your valuable research.....i suspect its just the same as the 7900 with 99 % of the nozzles working and 3 chambers packed with hard ink that power flushing cannot get near......maybe you cannot handle the older machines and thats ok too
Matt
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1248 on: February 08, 2013, 09:33:21 am »

i suspect its just the same as the 7900
Matt


Matt, I believe the x900 heads have twice the number of nozzles per sq.in. compared withe x800 heads, which would likely entrain other design differences as well. Various materials used may also have changed between the models, as one can infer from various announcements and product descriptions seen about the time the newer models came to market. Whether this makes a difference to Eric's research I would have no idea.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Jeff Magidson

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1249 on: February 08, 2013, 10:19:00 am »

The 7900 / 9900 have been around since 2008. Lets hope Epson releases new models in the near future that correct these reliability issues. We know they can do it... the previous generation of machines where much better in terms of clogging.

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Mark D Segal

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1250 on: February 08, 2013, 10:29:57 am »

the previous generation of machines where much better in terms of clogging.

No they were not. The 4000 was a clog monster, and the 4800 considerably improved but not ideal either. The only models of the Epson pro-graphics line that have been truly stellar in this respect are the 3800/3880. They hardly clog and they can sit for very long periods of time unused, and still not be clogged on resumption of use. This is quite widely known, so the question is - and I have no doubt Epson knows the answer - why the stellar performance of these models could not be replicated in the x900 series. Clearly some intentional design differences had this side-effect. I have no idea what, however.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1251 on: February 08, 2013, 11:54:46 am »

Blue moon, sometimes people contact me offline to talk about their problems.  And sometimes those problems are even about printers.  One guy recently contacted me about his 7800.  He told me his war stories, one of which included reviving it's dead head.  I guess he figured he had nothing to lose so after doing the typical paper towel and windex procedure, he actually removed the head and injected windex into it through the nipple plate in the back.  He used a syringe to do this.  He let the head sit overnight, then installed it again the next day.  His 7800 has printed clog free ever since.

I imagine the difference between printhead generations here may be the size of the chambers.  Being larger in the 800 series heads, maybe this leaves the dried ink more vulnerable to the cleaning solution, whatever it may be.  This is just a guess, I have never taken an 800 series head apart.

This will be a big weekend for printhead exploration.  Yesterday my new Epson carts finally arrived, and also my RED.  Plus I am shooting video of the head syncing process tomorrow, and then taking apart my first "Fatal error message" head.  I will release the video at the same time as the new X900 site.  No champagne, but maybe umbrella girls. 

Blue moon

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1252 on: February 08, 2013, 01:36:49 pm »

Eric
Good on you
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1253 on: February 12, 2013, 02:56:07 am »

Holy hell I just finished a 24hr run at this head changing video production.  For what it's worth, and I'm not actually proud of this fact, I can do a 79/9900 printhead head change - start to finish - in just 35 minutes real time.  But in video time it apparently takes me a lot longer.  This head changing video is 48 minutes long.  I guess I'll have to host it in segments.  Just titles and color correction then I'm done.  It came out well.

Alan Goldhammer

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1254 on: February 12, 2013, 10:12:08 am »

Eric, I see a great future for you as an Epson printer technician!!!
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Denniswcr

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1255 on: February 12, 2013, 03:28:17 pm »

I think that they should hire him as a "production engineer" so he can solve thier problem.  Epson sure can't seem to do it!
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1256 on: February 12, 2013, 08:11:39 pm »

You guys are way too kind.  and I've never had a white collar job in my life.  What would I do with myself..


The video is DONE.  It's exporting now.  It won't be on our site until the morning though, my upload speed is cripplingly slow.  The new X900 site is up, it's called MYX900.com.  It's an infant now.  It will be a work in progress for some time I imagine.  I plan to add to it regularly.  Please offer any suggestions/questions/requests that you have.  That's how it will grow.  I am hosting the video content for MYX900.com, on vimeo.  They have no time limits with their free account, which is what I am using.  I'd host it on the background of my race site but some have emailed me saying they can't view the format that I hosted the wiper change video in.  Maybe people will have better luck this way.  I hope the site will maintain itself through donations from those who draw helpful knowledge from it.  If it weren't for blind passion none of this would exist.

The video came out very well, almost entertaining.  As involved as the head swapping process is, it'll be easy if you're following this video. 

This is the first video production I've taken on (minus the 3 minute wiper change video) since my gear got stolen over a year ago.  Feels good to be back. 

Thanks for your patience.

astam

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1257 on: February 12, 2013, 08:30:20 pm »

Wow...what a great webpage.  No.  Really.  Eric, if we ever have the opportunity to meet, the first (name a small to large number) are on me.

My clogged 4900 (and I) thank you.

Allan
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davidh202

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1258 on: February 12, 2013, 08:41:36 pm »

Eric,
I am very curious as to how you are dealing with the touchy subject of the proprietary software necessary to do the installation of a new head?
do you expect repercussions from the "parent company" since other sites have pulled all their info off their site due to worries about copyright infringement? Site looks fantastic! Luv the machines clogs.
 David
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 09:06:33 pm by davidh202 »
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Eric Gulbransen

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Re: Epson 7900 from the inside - out
« Reply #1259 on: February 12, 2013, 09:16:11 pm »

That's a good question David.  I hate both ends of legal fights, which is why I never signed on to the class action suit against Epson.  I created this video to help X900 users who find themselves helplessly pinned in a corner, facing doom, with no hopeful way to get out.  This is not my business, in fact this only costs me.  Obviously Epson knows common people have access to the servpro.exe program.  You can't install a new head without it, and they sell X900 printheads to common people.  I don't plan to offer the program.  I don't need any more challenges than I have already..  :)

It is a good question.  I hope someone else has a better answer.
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