Right soybean, it MUST be the ingenuity. I tried filling my cartridges too and all I did was create a mess.

PS congrats.soybean, on reaching 10000+ posts. After 10 years of inkjets, my last ONE was a Canon that cost me £70; the first annoyance was that a month after I bought it, a newer model replaced it and my model was reduced to £49 by a number of vendors. The Canon ink cartridges were around £40 for a full set of 5. I found a refill store that would sell refilled cartridges with the chips reset for around £6 each. Even so, I was getting bored forking out every couple of months, so I bought a laser printer. A Canon again, black only, LBP-2900, £45 including delivery, with a 5000 page full size toner cartridge. If I want colour, I put the files on a pen drive and take a trip to Boots (a pharmacy chain). I am still on that first toner cartridge 2 years later.
Soybean, An excellent observation. We too had some Canons (no longer do for the very reason you mentioned +others). I have offered to other CH members (and some have taken advantage of that offer) a U.S. based contact that i have used with much satisfaction. This source can offer not only the required syringes,etc and the ink in a multitude of volumes but also other options that will allow the refill process on alternatives to the manufacturers cartridges. A caution at this point i do not recommend following this course UNTIL the printer warranty is over.
   As examples they sell for many printers empty cartridges that are more readily refillable (to address Soybean's issue) than the original. We are using at the moment some for one of our printers that has NO sponges and are clear so you can see the ink level.They are easily refillable whereas the originals were not refillable at all. They also offer chip re setters for a multitude of ink cartridges. All this to say that yes the particular printer as it comes with the original cartridges may be either difficult or impossible to refill. But there is often another way to skin that cat (no disrespect to cat fanciers).
  I have no vested interst in this company other than as a satisfied customer. When i find a service or a product i feel confident in i readily PASS that info on to others where they may benefit.If one were contemplating the purchase of a new printer the aspect of self refilling would be high on my list.truenorth Quote from: truenorth on May 01, 2010, 11:45:33 AM

When i find a service or a product i feel confident in i readily pass that info on to others

sell the Razor itself for cheap, and make a profit from the blades.