trouble learning to fill canon cli-221 and pgi-220 cartridges

[cspeter8]

Just bought a canon mx870 printer, a cartridge resetter, and an ink refil kit consisting of 5 bottles of ink and some blunt-point hypodermic needles. Did lots of googling and found some youtube videos that showed how these are refilled. I always see a holder or cover that attaches to bottom of cartridge, and rubber stoppers that go into the hole that I drill in the top. First question: assuming these 2 items are really necessary, where can I buy them? I have been unable to find a supplier for them. I have been covering the bottom hole with black electrical tape while I fill into the top hole that I drilled, then I seal the top hole with celephane/scotch transparent tape. Then I take off the bottom tape and hope that the ink will stop dripping out.

Some problems I have:
1) my cyan cartridge got pretty messy filling it, and I neglected to reset the chip before fillng. The red light does not go on when it is supposed to with just this cartridge. I wiped off the ink that I could around the copper contacts, but still no light on the chip resetter. Should I rinse the cartridge off with water to try to get more ink off the outside of the cartridge? (edit: rinsed the cartridge under the faucett with fingers over the openings, dried it with paper towel and it is now working)

2) the big pgi-220 cartridge looked like it went totally empty. I put 1 ml of ink onto the sponge first with the cartridge upside down (one video says this helps to reduce leaking after it is filled), then covered the hole, then injected the ink in the top 1/8" drilled hole I made (drilled the hole while holding cartridge upsidedown to avoid plastic shavings falling inside the cartridge). The ink kept draining out the bottom till the cartridge was empty again!

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[mrelmo]

you can not use the tape to seal the fill hole, the ink will just run out, go to precision colors and get the plugs from mike, what size hole did you drill the plugs take a 5/32 drill any bigger and i am not sure how well they will seal, also do not leave the print head without a cartridge empty or full for any extended period of time as any ink in the print head may dry and clog the head, where did you get the ink they should have given you plugs with the refill kit

 

[cspeter8]

Retried the black cartridge, added ink to the sponge upside down a drop at a time till it stopped absorbing, then waited 2 minutes (per a youtube video I saw), then covered it with electrical tape, turned over and filled it. Seems to have solved the problem of the ink draining out. Seems like alot of this is try/try again until success.

The holes I drilled were initially 5/64" just big enough for the blunt needle to fit in. Then went to 1/8" to allow more air to come out as I inject ink. Looks like I am ok since 1/8" is still smaller than 5/32". I googled precision colors and found a store on ebay http://stores.ebay.com/PrecisionColors is this the right place? Searched there for black plugs but nothing turned up so I will send a message to the seller chubs380. The scotch tape seems to seal the fill hole pretty well, unless I am missing something?

What about those holders/covers that the cartridge snaps into during refill to keep the output hole covered to prevent leaking? I have seen these of various designs in youtube videos but so not see them for sale anywhere? Perhaps I'll ask chubs380 about those too. Do most people find these unnecessary? Every youtube video seems to use them for the cli-221 cartridges.

I bought this kit on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...580679&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1634wt_853 from double2ink. It did not come with plugs.

About leaving the printhead empty without an empty or full cartridge covering it for an extended period of time, is 30 minutes too long? I generally have not had any single cartridge out for refill longer than that, although I gather that a 2nd set of cartridges is more ideal to let the sponge soak up the ink so all 5 cartridges can be topped off in one batch. I don't yet have a 2nd set but will look to buy or otherwise obtain some from somewhere soon.

 

[pharmacist]

Forget the top hill refill method and problems with sealing. You should use this refill method:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4315

The german durchstich refill method. No mess, no need to seal the refill hole (stays open, does not leak), no problems with plugs etc.

 

[Iprintstuff]

I took the plastic ball out by securing the cartridge (I used clams and some wood or something to secure the cartridge) and using a sharp screw (wood screw 6x 1-1/8). You need a really fine screw and a screw driver. If you feel comfortable going this route. I did it on all five of my cartridges. I havent found plugs yet but I'm using 3M electrical tape temporary.

 

[Iprintstuff]

One more thing to make a note take your time when you screw the screw in the plastic ball with a screw driver and you dont have to pressure hard mild to lightly let the screw do the work. It took me about 60 times of 180degree hand turns before the screw grabs the plastic ball and pulled it out. I my first one was sloppy and went to the side but after the 1st and 2nd, the rest were clean.

 

[cspeter8]

pharmacist,
your method looks alot neater at least from the photos! I don't see any spilled/dripping ink at all on those paper towels, so I am convinced!

As soon as I find some empty cartridges I will try out this new 'german durchstich refill method'!

thanks!

 

[stratman]

Retried the black cartridge, added ink to the sponge upside down a drop at a time till it stopped absorbing, then waited 2 minutes (per a youtube video I saw), then covered it with electrical tape, turned over and filled it. Seems to have solved the problem of the ink draining out. Seems like alot of this is try/try again until success.

Sounds like you are refilling using the traditional top hole method. Using tape to seal the top located refill hole is a disaster waiting to happen. More successful methods of filling the top refill hole are silicon plugs (such as those found at http://cgi.ebay.com/Plugs-refilling.../140498450478?pt=BI_Toner&hash=item20b65c382e), metal threaded screws, and hot wax. All of these methods are discussed on various threads in the forum and can be found using the "Search" option.

The holes I drilled were initially 5/64" just big enough for the blunt needle to fit in. Then went to 1/8" to allow more air to come out as I inject ink. Looks like I am ok since 1/8" is still smaller than 5/32".

You may need to resize your refill hole to 5/32 depending on what method you use to seal the refill hole as per above.

I googled precision colors and found a store on ebay http://stores.ebay.com/PrecisionColors is this the right place?

Yes, and is the the location of the plugs I linked to above.

What about those holders/covers that the cartridge snaps into during refill to keep the output hole covered to prevent leaking? I have seen these of various designs in youtube videos but so not see them for sale anywhere? Perhaps I'll ask chubs380 about those too. Do most people find these unnecessary? Every youtube video seems to use them for the cli-221 cartridges.

Most probably use the orange clip that came with the factory sealed OEM cartridge. A rubber band is usually used to secure the clip. Precision Colors sells aftermarket clips to secure the ink exit port for those who top refill (or used for storage of the cartridge for anyone) - http://cgi.ebay.com/Storage-Clips-S.../200569763695?pt=BI_Toner&hash=item2eb2e3b76f. I see this only fits your CLI-221 cartridges and not your CLI-220, so you'll need to ask Mikling (owner and also member on this forum) if he has clips for the CLI-220. Clips to fit both types of cartridges can be found at Octoinkjet out of Britain - http://www.octoink.co.uk/products/Cartridge-Clips{47}Holders-[Canon].html. It is run by another forum member Websnail. Both members are excellent contributors, sell quality components and are trustworthy IMO. You can find other retailers on the internet as well.

I bought this kit on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...580679&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1634wt_853 from double2ink. It did not come with plugs.

Most refillers on the forum use one of several brands of inks and retailers because of their proven record of quality and reliability. For some, knowing precisely who made the ink is also important. Generic or universal inks (those not designed for certain branded printers as well as certain models within that brand) are unwelcome because of their typical poor quality and potential increased risk for clogging of the print head. Precision Colors sells one of the respected brands of ink on this forum - Image Specialists. A search for favored inks on the forum will uncover several more such as Hobbicolors, KMP, and a couple others.

About leaving the printhead empty without an empty or full cartridge covering it for an extended period of time, is 30 minutes too long?

Probably not. No one knows exactly how long will be too long, but the shorter the time the better.

I gather that a 2nd set of cartridges is more ideal to let the sponge soak up the ink so all 5 cartridges can be topped off in one batch. I don't yet have a 2nd set but will look to buy or otherwise obtain some from somewhere soon.

Yes, a second set can be useful but is not required as you've found out. As pharmacist posted, the Durchstich method may interest you. If you do want to use this "German" method of refilling, you could seal the top hole on your current cartridges and use them.

What you'll find on this forum is there are several ways to refill - Traditional, Durchstitch, Vacuum, etc - and within each of these methods are many variations in the techniques and/or materials people use to perform that method. Not only is there liberty in refilling your cartridges but there is room for personalization in how you perform the task. Once you resolve your couple issues I think you will be pleased. If not, you can always try another refilling method.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Apparently you've already started filling from the top. There are two chambers in the cartridges, I believe. There's one over the outlet port, and there's one on the other side. I assume you put a hole in the top, on the other side, NOT above the outlet port. That's called the topfill method. It's fine. Now that you have started it and have holes in the top, I don't see why you should mess with other methods, but you absolutely MUST seal the hole COMPLETELY, without fail. Many users swear by the silicone plugs they buy at Precision Colors, but you will have to make sure the holes are clean and of the right size. Mikling on this forum, who runs that business, is very knowledgable, and you can use his method, so you will fill the cartridge with the proper amount of ink. Search this forum for his directions on how to do it. You also need to make sure your printer has clearance for the plugs on top of the cartridges.

And users please note: The word is SILICONE, not silicon. Silicon is what computer chips are made from, and it's a hard, black, brittle material. Silicone rubber is a VERY different material. It would make me very happy if you distinguish between the two .

By the way, I'm out of the country and mostly out of contact, and I can't answer questions on this.

 

[cspeter8]

I did order a set of 5 silicone plugs from Precision Colors, per the suggestion. They will arrive soon I am sure. I also did more reading/searching on this forum to satisfy a curiosity I have but came up with nothing. Likely this answer is on this website somewhere I was just unable to find it. What exactly is the problem with using scotch tape to seal the top hole? It was stated earlier that it is a disaster waiting to happen, but I have had one of my cartridges with it's tophole sealed with scotch tape with nothing bad happening yet. I refilled the other 4 cartridges yesterday morning and things still seem okay with those as well. It seems like it adheres very effectively, and it peels off easily for refill. Has anyone else had issues using scotch tape to seal the hole?

thanks