Roland cj-500 converted to sj-500

[FeLiXXX]

First of all hi to all Sign 101 members. I am new member of this forum.
My name is Andrej and I am from Slovenia.I run small business of making wall decals, car decals, glass decor, etc... Till now I was cutting with Roland grx-450AG. Yes with this cheap and great machine I was cutting for about 2,5 years.
I need some help and advice.
I just buy Roland cj-500 converted to sj-500. Plotter was not operating for about 6 months. Like it seen it was very good clean out before they stop using it. Refill cartridges are clean, tubes too and the heads? I dont know
Yesterday I was try to cut with it. It cut prfect!
But...I don't know how to setup material length. If I put in material in length of 126cm I can cut only on about 110cm if is image bigger it say that media is too small. Is this normal or I can adjust to cut on about 122 cm length? And how can I adjust the cutting length?
I got problems with sheet cut. If I holding down the sheet cut key for 1 second it start to go left and on the very left position mechanism drops blade just for second,but the blade immediately return in up position and the head returns to start position on right. It doesnt cut. Have anyone idea what can I do to make it work?
And for last I need some advice how to make it print
I don't know anything about printing. I don't even know how to remove heads, how to clean it...
So I will be very glad if someone can email to me service manual for this model. I try to find it on web but without luck. So please if someone have it if you can send it to me.
My email: andrej.unuk@triera.net
For now I buy refill cartridges, pump(I think this is piece with gears) and I am waiting for colors, drain bottle, and tubes.
I didn't order heads for now because I hope that heads in plotter are ok, I will try to clean it. And again I need advise how to clean heads, what I need and how to do it?
I see just below the heads when they are in start position, two small sponges, they are hard because of dry ink, how can I replace this sponges? Are this some special sponges or I can use any sponge?
I someone have any advice what and how, I have to do to make this plotter print, please help me.

Br Andrej

 

[Msrae]

On the material size, It may just be a matter of pinch roller placement. You have to have the pinch rollers set right. You need to make sure you have the pinch rollers just in from the edges of the material. There are small silver boxes (rectangles) along the machine just above where the pinch rollers slide back and forth. The pinch rollers need to be within the area of those rectangles as well. So move the last pinch roller as close the end edge of the material as you can while staying within the limits of the small silver rectangle above the roller.

I hope that makes sense. It is so much easier to show than to explain.

Also, make sure your pinch rollers are spread out evenly over the material. When you start to print with this machine it is VERY important that the material remains very flat. If it happens to have any raised area, the heads will strike the material. This is not good and can destroy the heads.

 

[FeLiXXX]

I know how to adjust material width with pinch rolers. I dont know how to adjust lenght of material.

 

[sfr table hockey]

First to set up the media as roll you won't need to ever worry about length. If you set up a piece you will see the printer try to measure the media by rolling forward to the front censor and then roll more forward till it finds the end of that piece with the rear censor. Don't do this with a roll installed or you will have a mess. It will make sure the job you send will fit the media. I do not use this feature and block my censors. in your rip make sure the width is set up like you printer says but leave length at 600 or what ever it is.

The two outside rollers are what tell the printer what media width you have. You can have the middle roller anywhere or not used on a roller at all. If your media extends past the outside rollers you will not be able to use beyond the rollers. Your right roller has to be on the right long roller. To cut you do need a couple inches extra width of media compared to your file size. I will set up media in the middle of the printer if the rollers match better by using the right roller on the long bar (nothing will be under that one for media but it does not matter) and then use the middle roller for the closest right edge of the media and the left roll at the left of the media on a roller. You then have to manually move the cutter head over to where you placed your media and hit base point where you want the print or cut to start. If you don't the printer will print on the empty platen. Also if you do a print and cut, make sure the middle roller will not roll back over the printed image to cut or it will ruin that spot where the roller tracks in the fresh ink.

I block out the front and read censors for reading the media so that I can move the media around and line up anywhere. You can do this in the menu or manually place tape over them. If you do this the printer will not stop and continue to print even if the roll runs out. Know more about your printer before you do this. If you enable the censors you need to have them covered to print and when you are near the end of the media it stops a few inches further back. Also if the media is bumped some how and the media lifts enough to let light into the front or back censor it will stop and abort the print. This is another reason I don't use them. If you do this always set up your media as roll and never as piece or it will try to read the size front and back and use those censors.

Manual sent, study it as there is a lot to learn.

 

[FeLiXXX]

First thanks to two member for sending me service manual. Manual is great and useful, this is just what I need. Thank you.
Today I was spened all day to know more about cutting. For now I am good with that.
But I still dont know how to perform sheet cut, same problem: If I holding down the sheet cut key for 1 second it start to go left and on the very left position mechanism drops blade just for second,but the blade immediately return in up position and the head returns to start position on right(display show sheet cutting). It wont cut sheet. But this doesn't matter so much, it is not so hard to cut material manually in old fashion way with Olfa knife
I still don't know about head and all about it. How to clean it?
I overlook tubes from catridges to dampers and they are pretty clean and in good shape, they are little colored but without any dry ink or any impurity. I think I don't have to replace them.
Dampers look clean too, one is damaged but I will replace all dampers just to be shure. I already replace cartridges with brand new refill cartridges and ink pump and tubes for pump. I see I hawe to replace wiper.
But i still dont know how to solve dry capping top, can I replace just foam on it or I have to replace all?
Which cleaning solution I hawe to use to clean the whole sistem(tube, dampers, pump, heads...).
And more imported how I clean heads?
I was thinking to buy ultrasonic cleaner, fill it with cleaning solution and put hans inside to melt dry ink. After that I will clean heads with DX2 Head Cleaning Kit. This cleaning kit includes a damper that can be connected to the printhead, a piece of solvent resistant tube and a syringue to push liquid through.
After all that can I perform cleaning heads on plotter? Is clining head like this ok? I think it will not be good if I perform head cleaning on machine, beacuse machine was not operating for about 6 months or more.
Is there any other way how to clean heads and all system? If yes please advise me what is the best way to do this cleaning.
Br Andrej

 

[sfr table hockey]

So much to go over with these printers but I will try to shorten it up.

First thanks to two member for sending me service manual. Manual is great and useful, this is just what I need. Thank you.
Today I was spened all day to know more about cutting. For now I am good with that.
But I still dont know how to perform sheet cut, same problem: If I holding down the sheet cut key for 1 second it start to go left and on the very left position mechanism drops blade just for second,but the blade immediately return in up position and the head returns to start position on right(display show sheet cutting). It wont cut sheet. But this doesn't matter so much, it is not so hard to cut material manually in old fashion way with Olfa knife
Not sure what to check if the sheet cut won't stay down as it slides back to the right and cut.

I still don't know about head and all about it. How to clean it?
I overlook tubes from catridges to dampers and they are pretty clean and in good shape, they are little colored but without any dry ink or any impurity. I think I don't have to replace them.
A quick flush with cleaning fluid before you put in new ink would be a good idea.

Dampers look clean too, one is damaged but I will replace all dampers just to be shure. I already replace cartridges with brand new refill cartridges and ink pump and tubes for pump. I see I hawe to replace wiper.
But i still dont know how to solve dry capping top, can I replace just foam on it or I have to replace all?
The cap tops may be ok yet. Try not to touch the pads in the captops and possibly with a bit of cleaning solution they may not need to be replaced. If the cap drains the fluid they may be fine. If they are raised up enough to touch the underside of the heads when on the capping station then you will need new filters (pads). Roland does sell them as I have gotten in the past.
Which cleaning solution I hawe to use to clean the whole sistem(tube, dampers, pump, heads...).
Almost any solvent ink cleaning solution (brand is not a big deal) should work. Buy a litre if you can.
And more imported how I clean heads?
If you had old dampers you could fill 6 with cleaning solution and hook back onto the line and run some clenaing cycles. Remove and replace with new dampers and fill with ink.
Also you could try to syringe a bit of cleaning solution into each nib on the heads and be careful not to force too hard or you can damage the head. Also take care with the nib on the heads where the dampers sit. These can get cracked and ruin the head.
I was thinking to buy ultrasonic cleaner, fill it with cleaning solution and put hans inside to melt dry ink. After that I will clean heads with DX2 Head Cleaning Kit. This cleaning kit includes a damper that can be connected to the printhead, a piece of solvent resistant tube and a syringue to push liquid through.
After all that can I perform cleaning heads on plotter? Is clining head like this ok? I think it will not be good if I perform head cleaning on machine, beacuse machine was not operating for about 6 months or more.
Is there any other way how to clean heads and all system? If yes please advise me what is the best way to do this cleaning.
Br Andrej

If the printer was properly drained of ink and flushed you may be able to just load ink and do some manual drawing of ink through the captops and charge the heads and then several reg cleanings and test prints.

Drain lines should never go back through the old waterbased drain lines. Better to run them right from the pump down in front of the printer and hook up the drain bottle there.

Keep those clear lines that run under the capping station to the small rec box clear of ink. If they look filled with ink, clear them out before they dry out and clog. Those are for creating air flow in the captop while the pump drains the captops on cleanings. If they get pulgged the cap tops pool and you will have major ink on the wiper as the heads wipe and also risk drops from the heads when printing due to the pooling on the heads.

Also keep the drain lines clear so they can do the job intended.

Depending on ink that you use, they may dry up in the lines easier as well you may have color issues with profiles. Rolands Ecosol Max does not dry up in the heads or lines near as easy as others. The harsher the solvent ink, most likely the quicker they can dry up.

 

[FeLiXXX]

Hi, me again with new problem

First I do some things from last time. I configure sheet cuting, clean heads and clean the whole system. I did CAPPING POSITION ADJUSTMENT. Replace dumpers and O rings.
Now I got problem with repeating head wash. Machine after 2 cycles wont stop.
My machine is Roland cj-500 converted to sj-500. I fill cartridges with ink. But when I power up machine it start to cleaning head. I dont know what I press in the menu . It look like this:
- it write unknown ink type
- install drain bottle
- for second show head wash than
- remove cartridges
When I remove all cartridges it start head wash. After head washing it write to install first 3 cartridgesit, it start to pump ink into head after this it write remove cartridges and start head washing. Next I have to insatall second 3 cartridges and the machine start doing same as at first 3 cartridges.
The problem is that the machine wont to stop! After cleaning second 3 cartridges it start again with first 3 cartridges and so on...
In drain botlle is about 0.4L of ink!
I stop the machine beafore it waste all ink.
Does anyone know how many times machine do this procedure? And what I have to do to stop this ad get it to work?

Br

 

[bsj screenprints]

Hi. Not sure if this will help but.....
First are you sure i'ts doing a head wash. Sounds like its doing a ink fill.
When you first put cartridges in these machines you do an ink fill and the printer
will run the pump for 2 - 3 minutes to fill the ink lines. It does waste a lot of ink.
Try removing the pump lines from the capping station and let it run the pump till it stops.
It wont use any ink, then if you need to still fill your ink lines use a syringe attached to the dampers to pull ink through manually.

 

[sfr table hockey]

Try removing the pump lines from the capping station and let it run the pump till it stops.
It wont use any ink, then if you need to still fill your ink lines use a syringe attached to the dampers to pull ink through manually.

This is what to do. It will not hurt the printer as it thinks it's doing a pump up or ink change or whatever you might have hit in error. Most times it needs to finish that cycle and turning off the printer won't help. Also you would have a CJ500 converted to a SC500. The SJ is another printer.

 

[FeLiXXX]

Sorry for late reply. I did just like @bsj screenprints say. I disconnect lines from pump to capping station and let it run for a while and it stop. Then I have to select ink type, I select eco-sol. Next was test and I can't believe it works
Now I am waiting for new capping station and wiper.I will replace pump with new one because I have it.
I attached picture of first print, at this point it did not print black color because I fill it with cleaning fluid. After first print I run head cleaning so the black color came to head and print just black and guess what! It print black! I attached this picture to.
This was print to Oracal wall art 638 foil, now I order Orajet for printing to run some more prints. But there is one think I don't understand. When I was looking for new head I see there are two difrent heads.
First one are original Epson for Roland left and right head. Left cost 437€, rihgt cost 379€. But also in this shop they have Epson DX2 solvent colour head for 299€. And I don't know when I will have to replace heads, which heads I have to buy. Because this solvent colour head is just one not left and right. Can I use this solvent head for 299€? I don't know if is allowed link this shop, if yes I will link to this heads. And if can anyone tell me where is beast to buy new head for low cost, I am from Slovenia and here they are not normal with prices, so I have to buy all parts in other country. At Roland service they don't even tell me which head to buy. Iam very desepointed with ofical Roland service in my country. Same part which I order from Italy from Roland for 120€(with shipping) cost at Roland in Slovenia 400€!
I am so happy to make it work. Thank you all for help and help full tips.

Br

 

[sfr table hockey]

The DX2 head is what you want. It is listed as a right and left in the Roland manuals but they are the same head. The price for these heads have gone up since the Japan quake. They also make a single black color head for the printers that just used CMYK. That head was always a bit cheaper so make sure it's not just a single color. Our printer CMYKLcLm use 6 colors so we use the DX2 (also called epson 3000) head but we use two of them.

Just make sure you write down the head rank number on the side of the new heads when you install. Most times that number is on the side of the head and in black ink so its hard to read but will show when the light hits it. That head rank number needs to be entered into the printer in the service menu. That number helps the head fire at the best it can. You can chance it and not change the number but you may not get good results or it also says you can damage the head in time.

Part numbers on the box for the DX2 head should be F055090 and the head rank will be something like 16216 or 14214 but when you enter them you will see that some positions of the numbers will skip over and you can't change those. Like 1 ? 2 ? ? can't remember off hand which ones but if your head rank is not similar to those you may not be able to enter a new rank. However I have talked to some who never changed theirs and never had problems. I always change mine.

Do all the allignment test prints and use a magnifying glass to get them perfect. This will help with better prints and less banding. I use the service menu for those.

**drain lines** make sure these are not plugged ever, along with the small clear tubes that go under the heads. The clear tubes need to let air into the captops to drain ink when the pump is drawing ink while cleaning. If they get plugged the head will be saturated when the head comes off the captops and when it wipes the wiper the wiper will be saturated. When all is working proper and the heads move off the captops when cleaning, you should not see a full captop of ink. Even if it drains right after that, it means the clear lines are plugged for that captop if they were full of ink.

If you can use Roland Ecosol Max inks I have a few made profiles that you could try. Even with Roland inks in the CJ 500 you will notice the stock profiles for an SC500 will be off in color and ink may be too heavy. You almost need made profiles to get real good results. If you use other ink then my profiles will be no good to you.

Roland Ecosol Max inks are very nice for not drying up if the printer is not used for a days at a time. I can go a week and even more and do a minor clean and clear lines and one clean cycle and things are back to running. Other ink in the past would dry a lot quicker and always cause more time to recover. I also turn off the printer when not in use as these old printers do not wake up to do a clean cycle on their own.

Can't recall..... Do you have heat strips for the printer? Heat will do wonders for using more media. Some may print ok without but the heat helps to set the ink better for more scratch resistance than without heat. Also some will print grainy without enough heat.

 

[FeLiXXX]

Head: ok I am glead to hear that I can buy cheaper heads when I will need it.
About head rank...if I understand correct...I have to write down numbers on side of head and set it in service menu and they have to be as possible similar to numbers on head?
My numbers L2GJKC for left and L1GKKJV but this are not numbers?!
**drain lines** are clean and not plugged, captop is without ink.
I dont use Roland Ecosol max ink, I use Sioen sol max xp+ ink and refill cartridges. What are profiles? How I set or where can I get profiles?
Yes I got original Roland heat strips, look like original Roland covertion kit.

 

[sfr table hockey]

Head: ok I am glead to hear that I can buy cheaper heads when I will need it.
About head rank...if I understand correct...I have to write down numbers on side of head and set it in service menu and they have to be as possible similar to numbers on head?
My numbers L2GJKC for left and L1GKKJV but this are not numbers?!
**drain lines** are clean and not plugged, captop is without ink.
I dont use Roland Ecosol max ink, I use Sioen sol max xp+ ink and refill cartridges. What are profiles? How I set or where can I get profiles?
Yes I got original Roland heat strips, look like original Roland covertion kit.

The head rank will be a hand written number on the side of the print head and some times on the top. It will not have letters in it just 5 digits. The reason to write them down is that when the heads are installed you usually can't see the number anymore.

What profiles do is tell the printer how much ink to spray out to make proper color and the right amount of ink. They are found in your rip in the color management area. Most times called color correction and without a profile most times your color will be off as well as the amount of ink on the media. You should have a separate profile for every media you use as well as the print setting. Ex. a "fine2" profile for banner material will look darker if you use it to print at "super" on the same material as well the ink will be a bit more wet. To some degree you can get away with using one profile for several media as long as they absorb the ink in a similar way and the white of the material is similar. Media with a real white base color will print different than one that is off white and duller and side by side you would notice the color was not the same if you used the same profile to print these. Some things, it may not matter as much as other it will.

Printing art and photos needs a proper profile to get best results. If you use the Roland profiles that are available you will get things to print but on some things, like greys, they will look more pink and not work as well. If you get luckey with the ink you have you could be ok, but so far for me, a made profile has always been better for color no matter what ink I used.

To make profiles you need equipment like and Eye One to read test prints from your printer with your ink with the setting you want to use and the media you want to use. From reading those the program will make your colors adjust the amount they spray out and make a proper color when you use that profile.

The reason I said if you can use Rolands inks then you could have some made profiles because that is what I made the profiles for and we have the same printer. If Roland inks cost a bit more it still may be worth looking at if you have color issues as it will be far cheaper than having your own profiles made for you.

 

[FeLiXXX]

Me again
i cant find profiles for flexisign-pro 8.1 v1. If someone have it can you please send it to me?

 

[sfr table hockey]

Me again
i cant find profiles for flexisign-pro 8.1 v1. If someone have it can you please send it to me?

You could try these but again they are not going to be as good as made profiles. They may help get you started.
http://download.rolanddg.jp/en/rolandmedia/max/rcc/index.html

 

[vizzion33]

I just bought a cj500 and trying to converted to solvent does any one have a copy of the service manual Ill appreciate if someone can send me an email to
vizzion33@hotmail.com

 

[staci0625]

I just bought a cj500 and trying to converted to solvent does any one have a copy of the service manual Ill appreciate if someone can send me an email to
vizzion33@hotmail.com

I just sent you the link to the user manual that Roland sent me. Hope it helps. I am considering converting my own CJ 500, did you purchase a kit or come up with your own plan?

 

[Tone-Mark Creative]

Did you convert?

I just sent you the link to the user manual that Roland sent me. Hope it helps. I am considering converting my own CJ 500, did you purchase a kit or come up with your own plan?

I took the plunge and bought a nice used CJ-500 and am also getting ready to go Eco. Printerconversions.com seems to have the most consistent system, but the 1770.00 price tag stings just a bit. I'm okay with taking my time and doing it right Computers/ printers all require that element of patience. Just wonder if someone has a less expensive method.

 

[anozira02]

I converted my CJ-500 to an SC-500 I can provide a part list free for those who want to do a conversion..
The two heating strips are the most costly, and it does take some time to flush all the lines and heads.

ussignsandgraphics@gmail.com

 

[JMDigital]

Converted cj500 to eco solvent..

I have my CJ500 Converted to eco-solvemt
used solventprinterconversion.com
Printer works great! I also added a print-server so I could connect it to my network.
the print server that worked great is a netgear PS101.