P400 conversion

[johnson4]

2 minutes ago, tzeern said:

I managed to get hold of a p400. Can anyone advise how I should maintain it?

Should I put in cleaning cartridges at the end of each day, and do head cleaning the next day? Do I also need to remove the printhead for cleaning like the L1800?

Removing the printhead is a pain, you usually break the CSIC or damage the ribbon cable. The csic also holds the ink cartridges in place so the slightest damage will allow air to suck in instead of ink.  All you need to do is cut a small hole in the side of the printer and use a sponge tip swab to clean the bottom. That or as Sponge tip swab from the front and raise the printhead.  I’d never recommend daily or weekly removal of a printhead, especially on an Epson. The P series have a gear to rotate and raise/lower the head if needed. 
 

as for the carts I left my DTF ink installed. It doesn’t clog the head very easily if the printer is kept clean at the capping station. Generally up to two weeks of inactivity only required 1-2 head cleans to get going with ink installed. You also push air in there every time and spill ink around the port, it’s important to clean those every other day or daily to prevent caking and sealing issues. 
 

for storage I would do cleaning carts, but it’s a waste of time otherwise. Spending an hour cleaning and flushing out the ink with cleaner to turn around and do the reverse the next day or two is pointless. You need 3-5 consecutive head cleans to actually remove the ink. 
 

I ran 3 of the p400’s in the beginning. Made a caddy and just swapped prefilled carts every 30 prints. Worked great for 6-12 months. Eventually the head weakened on the cmyk channels after 5,000+ prints and stopped being able to lay down large blocks of solid color correctly. Oem inks still worked perfectly. I looked for a less vicious ink but didn’t turn up anything. 
 

i still have one new in the box, there is no way to sell them without getting ripped off unless it’s a face to face cash transaction so I just don’t sell it.

 

 Overall they are good printers. The head is $1,000 new so be careful. 

 

good luck! 

[tzeern]

hi Johnson, how do I raise the printhead? I do notice that if I do not print for a few days, and after shaking the cartridge and doing 2-3 cleans, the print is still not optimal. Let me try to see how to maximise the usage in the meantime while I contemplate which printer to get after this.

[johnson4]

2 hours ago, tzeern said:

hi Johnson, how do I raise the printhead? I do notice that if I do not print for a few days, and after shaking the cartridge and doing 2-3 cleans, the print is still not optimal. Let me try to see how to maximise the usage in the meantime while I contemplate which printer to get after this.

That wasn't how it worked for me. Are you cleaning the wiper and capping station very well? It should all be black. The bottom of the printhead should only need cleaned once or twice a month. 

 

If you have had any head strikes at all that can cause permanent damage. Sometimes it does nothing, sometimes it takes a few head cleans, sometimes those nozzles never come back. It's also one of the only reasons I've ran across to make the bottom of the head need to be cleaned more often than once or twice a month, usually all the build up is on one side from the wiper but if you keep the wiper cleaned ( once before printing and once after) then it should be good. 

 

Could be a dry environment where you are or the ink you are using. The p400 is gravity fed so it's more finicky on the inks you use. 

 

As for the gear, it's on the side somewhere. I turn the printer off and rotate it to lift the head. I leave film in there so I don't get the bottom side wet with cleaner and just clean it. anything like a paper towel will introduce fibers and not clean it very well. You need something sturdy and lint free. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by johnson4