Eason 1430 based DIY Tips

Well then in that case, let me say "Buena Suerte."

Good luck. Its not too bad of a process, but as a programmer / network guru myself, it is a bit more on the mechanical side than what I could normally try.

There are basically a few critical mechanicals you need to know / worry about.

1. There is a seemingly clear strip of thin plastic on the frame behind the head... Its a sort of digital optical ruler. For a high resolution printer, 1/2000 of an inch precise ruler that must be perfect in both directions.
*** EXample: I also have a 54" Mimaki JV3. Having this off position in one direction by about 1mm over the ENTIRE 54"... means that I can not print bidirectional any more without letters and fonts becoming blurry.

2. The belts, motors that drive the printer head are all calibrated with the motor that feeds the paper. (There is a similar round, thin, clear plastic part on that assembly that does the same thing...)
*** Not only do you have to ensure that you keep those all intact and calibrated, but you need to make sure the frame does not even slightly twist or warp. (These printers are pretty sensitive to slight differences in resistance.)

3. The last big mechanical deal is the clearance of the print head. Pretty obvious and self explanatory... but the penalty for failure is HIGH!!! One test print that the head smacks the platen, and well... If you're lucky you only blew the calibration of the little plastic strips.

What I'd actually recommend first is doing a super cheap printer that way first. Learn on a complete printer that is $50 and easily replaceable rather than a $400 printer that you are relying on becoming your DTG printer. I would imagine that doing that, you would learn enough so that the real one is easier and you don't mess that one up. The old one you convert, if it is also Epson, but just a 4 color printer, it will even use the same ink and probably be perfectly fine for printing on white shirts.

If you look at the real worst case, you will at least learn enough that if you bought a NikkoDTG later on, you would then be able to disassemble, reassemble, and maintain it yourself. So that would be great.

Again, good luck!

Your maintenance and printing procedure is spot-on, and will apply to any DTG printer. My only objection will be on the cleaning solution. Cleaning solution should NOT be used regularly, and must never be left in the printhead for extended period of time. Flushing solution should be used instead... and do be very careful about it, as there are cleaning solutions labeled and sold as "Flushing Solution".

GunnyJeeves said:

1. There is a seemingly clear strip of thin plastic on the frame behind the head... Its a sort of digital optical ruler. For a high resolution printer, 1/2000 of an inch precise ruler that must be perfect in both directions.
*** EXample: I also have a 54" Mimaki JV3. Having this off position in one direction by about 1mm over the ENTIRE 54"... means that I can not print bidirectional any more without letters and fonts becoming blurry.

2. The belts, motors that drive the printer head are all calibrated with the motor that feeds the paper. (There is a similar round, thin, clear plastic part on that assembly that does the same thing...)
*** Not only do you have to ensure that you keep those all intact and calibrated, but you need to make sure the frame does not even slightly twist or warp. (These printers are pretty sensitive to slight differences in resistance.)

3. The last big mechanical deal is the clearance of the print head. Pretty obvious and self explanatory... but the penalty for failure is HIGH!!! One test print that the head smacks the platen, and well... If you're lucky you only blew the calibration of the little plastic strips.

Click to expand...

1. That's the encoder strip. Nothing to worry about, unless you are replacing it, and you buy the wrong one (different resolution).

2. Here there are two options. a) friction drive (no electronics) or b) a conversion kit.
With the friction drive, what you are basically doing is increasing the "media" thickness capability of the the printer, so it can print a very thick and heavy slab, instead of paper, but with its original parts and x/y calibration. if everything is well aligned, the printer will work.

The conversion kit, is actually an easier and more robust option. All you have to do is follow the instructions. Level of difficulty: If you can dismantle a laptop and put it back together, then you can also do this as well. if not, then forget about it.

3. Is an non-issue. All you have to do is be careful, and place a height guard once finished with the conversion.

Could you post a link to the conversion kit you spoke about?

Also, for posterity, here is my CS that I use.

https://www.firebirdink.com/products/direct-to-garment-dtg-cleaning-solution/

It says: Flush through ink lines whenever printer will be idle and/or stored

Now it does not mention leaving it in the print head during idle time / storage, but it does not caution against it either. I can only say that about a year in, I have zero trouble. This is in a set of cartridges that I swap in during idle periods and I run a head clean.

The Nikko DTG printers have a clear acrylic guard that represents where the print head height will be. If your shirt hits it, the head might sometimes drag across the shirt. If it "catches" the fabric, it can wad up and stop the head.

At least on a Nikko, you can't hit the head on something solid, but you don't get this feature automatically with a DIY converted printer unless you make it, and even if present, a wrinkle might happen and you may not catch it. A sharp edge on the head can catch and wad a shirt while the head is zipping by... pressure, any twist, or other issue under those forces can tweak or scar the encoder strip, frying the calibration.

That's cool info. Thanks!

I know now that what you said earlier makes total sense.

I use two things for cleaning. One is what you call a flush. (The linked Firebird cleaning solution above) and one is Windex. (Yes, literally Windex Amonia based glass cleaner.)

I put the first one in the "storage" cartridges I swap in between print orders...

If I forget and the head is clogged, I spray and soak a paper towel with Windex and leave this under the print head for 2 hours to over night.

So far, nothing has come up that did not print perfectly after that and a head clean with the actual ink.

A third "Hail Mary" option I keep in reserve is using a flat bottom plastic container, and filling it with windex initially, soaking it a while, then dumping and filling with cleaning solution from above and using a syringe to pull the liquid up backwards through the head.(reasoning is that the holes in the head are tiny, and the hole that lets in into the head is many times larger... so chunks of ink should come out backward easier than pushing them through the head.)

Never had to use that yet. Went a month where I forgot with white ink in it, and leaving windex towel overnight resolved it fully.

I will look into opendtg. I'd like to make one myself anyway.