# Glue gun hack



## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Ran across this today. Nothing I would use, but if you buy glue in gallon bottles, I suppose it would appeal to some. 
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/L0TTZ4_U6zM


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Head spinning*....never happened in my lifetime. I mean a silicone cartridge emptied completely with virtually no residue left behind.
Hell will be holding Winter Olympics before I spend a morning trying to resurrect an 'empty' cartridge and nozzle!
The one litre squeeze bottles work just fine for me. 
I wish I had $5 for every time I've gone back to a recently used silicone cartridge_ which I thought I'd sealed carefully_, only to discover that the Silicone Fairy had visited and turned the stuff in the nozzle into congealed Fairy snot.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Dan , I’ve never even successfully cleaned out a nozzle before . Maybe this was originally an April fools joke ?


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

First off I would not ever have any silicone caulk anywhere near my wood shop, And secondly, mixing silicone with my glue in any amounts would not be a good idea. I buy my Tite Bond II in gallon or 1/2 gallon jugs, but I just refill the smaller squeeze bottles for working. 
This tip might be helpful to someone making lots of cutting boards where a lot of glue must be applied in a short time span. If I did that it would be with a different caulking tube. Thanks for posting Theo.
Just saying,
Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

over thinkers at work...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

But if you MUST...
https://www.amazon.com/FILLABLE-CAU...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000225P9C


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I like the little bottles with the flip top tip, but I buy quarts, which caps block up easily. But for some reason that doesn't happen with the flip top pint and half pint bottles. Hate to admit it, but I hadn't thought of refilling the smaller bottles.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

We use the heavy duty fillable ones (similar to the West System epoxy ones) for injecting fire stop compound in cable ways, etc. I had a handful of them laying around one day, and about 20 almost empty cans of Never Seize compound and an idea hit me.

With the never seize, they deliberately make the brush so short that it leaves a third of the can unusable. So to prevent wasting it, we use an acid brush instead, but this means the cans sit open on the shelf and crap gets into them... not a good thing if you are putting them on threaded fasteners as well. 
the aerosol version of never seize is awesome and convenient, and is horrendously expensive. 

Solution? Put all of the mostly empty cans into the caulking tubes, then use it to apply. Instead of taking 5 minutes to brush the anti seize compound on a flange, or waste half a can of aerosol version in over-spray, just pump a bead out of the caulk gun. Put the cap on the tube when you're done and it stays nice and clean.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

DaninVan said:


> I wish I had $5 for every time I've gone back to a recently used silicone cartridge_ which I thought I'd sealed carefully_, only to discover that the Silicone Fairy had visited and turned the stuff in the nozzle into congealed Fairy snot.


Ha, got that beat. A few months ago I needed some sillycone for something, but when I cut the top (on a brand new tube), nothing. Didn't need a lot, but needed it immediately, so cut open the tube, and wound up with a brand new tube of totally cured sillycone. At least it didn't stick to my fingers.


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## spike1 (Sep 24, 2015)

Herb, I know silicone is a problem in a shop if it comes in contact with metal surfaces and wood being finished but I use silicone caulking as a replacement for "space balls" to prevent panels from rattling inside the grooves of my frame and panel or cope and stick doors. The space balls I have are 1/4" and overwhelm the 3/8" thick grooves preventing the panel from fitting in. I cut a slice off the tip of the caulk tube I think is appropriate to my groove, squeeze out a long line of caulk on surface it won't stick to (laminate strips) and let it dry overnight. Then I cut the long 'worm' into sizes I think will work allowing the panel to sit in the groove and won't rattle after assembly but still allow for wood expansion/contraction. Works well for me.


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