Bargain Chip Resetter for Canon CLI-221 and PGI-220 + German Method

[nhendrix]

I am very thankful to the dedicated contributors here at the forum. Recently I found a pixma iP4700 on sale and came here to find the best way to do refills. This last weekend was my first opportunity to use the German Durchstich method (step-by-step pictures by pharmacist here) and I found a bargain chip resetter at refillbay. Until July 25th there is an additional 15% off (code: SUM10) making it a great deal.

The only little glitch I had refilling was making the entry hole. I tried a needle but broke the tip off. Finally used a curtain holding pin (looks kind of like a huge paper clip) that I put in pliers and heated on the stove hotplate. Worked very well. Hobbicolors ink kit comes with 2 inch length syringe needles and although blunt they worked just fine making a channel to the filling chamber. I had newspaper spread all over the place expecting some kind of mess. None! No leaking. And the cartridges all reset to full status using the resetter so I can continue to monitor my status page to see when I need to refill again. Even better, from now on the process will be even quicker! I'm a believer! -Nick

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Nick,

I prefer a sharp awl to drill a tiny hole (just big enough for the needle to enter). a normal sewing needle is too brittle and too thin. An awl has a handle so you can give more force to drill a nice and tiny hole. A blunt needle also seems to work, but you might to rotate more often when you feel any resistance.

 

[jackson]

I used a small nail slightly larger diameter than the needle, held it over a match using a pair of pliers and when I judged it right, pushed it in, gave it a twist and it left a nice clean hole.

 

[nhendrix]

Thank you for more options dealing with that pesky filling hole. I'm glad to see websnail dedicate a thread to it. I see the "awl"/"icepick" is popular and I like the down and dirty video that ghwellsjr has posted of using one. Of course I did kind of go your way, Jackson, by heating and inserting a nail-like object.

Three things made me think making the hole would be difficult. In each case I was wrong:
1. Cartridge Delicate. I approached this like I was doing surgery. Instead, take a look at ghwellsjr's video. The cartridges are very forgiving. They are not brittle plastic, more like a stiff waxy plastic. And, though I wouldn't say use a "jack-hammer" approach, making the hole is far from being a sweat-inducing delicate operation.
2. Hole Size Matters. Wrapping my brain around how a hole at the bottom of an ink cartridge would not leak was hard enough. I figured that hole better be mighty tiny, just enough for a syringe needle to get through. Wrong. Whatever magic is involved in keeping that hole from gushing also applies to the size of the hole. Again, I probably wouldn't exaggerate the hole a lot but a nail, awl, pushpin, etc. may be a bit larger than the filling syringe but that's okay!
And, 3. Crushing Sponge. Already nervous about the delicate cartridge and not making a large hole, I now add even more drama by being afraid of what happens when I pass through the plastic wall. Will the sponge collapse and be irrevocably damaged? Not to worry. Again, take a look at hgwellsjr's video. Look closely and you will see the sponge take some impact. As best I can tell nothing comes of it. Again, I don't think we want to be overly aggressive in making the hole, but a bit of extension into the cartridge doesn't seem to matter.

The point? That pesky hole 'aint pesky at all! Enjoy the German Method!

 

[dpollock]

Did you use the resetter from refillbay yet? I heard that although they MAY work, the printer software can no longer report ink level status????

 

[nhendrix]

Did you use the resetter from refillbay yet? I heard that although they MAY work, the printer software can no longer report ink level status????

Hi, dpollock.
Have used the resetter from refillbay a bunch of times now and it works just fine. The canon software still shows fairly accurate ink levels. -Nick

 

[rreznikoff]

Why mess with drilling holes and using resetters. Look on the stratitec.com site for refillable and resetable cartridged. Just remove the rubber plug and refill. It resets the ink guage automatically! I use the CC PGI - 220/CLI - 221.

 

[The Hat]

rreznikoff wrote:- Why mess with drilling holes and using resetters. Look on the stratitec.com site for refillable and resetable cartridged.

Because using OEM cartridges with quality ink is far better and the resetter will save the print head.
The auto reset chips are great till you run out of ink and dont know about it, and then its time for a new print head ..