I just bought a Plews mini grease gun that takes 3 ounce cartridges. Can it be loaded with bulk grease instead of using those expensive little cartridges? (Yes, I'm a cheapskate. Tell me something I don't know.) The instructions don't say anything about it, and I don't see a good way to bleed the air out. Thanks.
Bob
Yes, BTDT but its messy (get out the rags and nitrile gloves)
I vaguely remember my dad filling his by hand. It involved a piece of shingle, a lot of patience, and shaking the gun to get the grease settled. It was tough to eliminate the air pockets that would keep the grease gun from working. He bought one of these: >
I hate grease guns. Only one I've ever had that didn't require fiddling to keep working was a Lincoln that I bought online, after being frustrated with all the ones available at my FLAPS and inherited from older relatives... best $30 or so I ever spent.
Don't exactly know the answer to your question, but I assume you can, the question is "how difficult is it?" I am pretty sure that most of the FLAPS ones I've had have been Plews and at least one of them ended up in the trash can.
nate
Just look for sales on the cartridges. If you go through too many, get a bigger grease gun. You could get a good deal on Amazon or Ebay. I don't think the make cartridgeless grease guns any more. I used to have one. There was an air bleed plug at the top to release air. They worked fine until you got to the bottom of the grease pail. You just stuck them in the grease and pulled the handle to suck it full, then scrape and wipe off the excess. Just don't bump the handle or it would puke the entire contents out. I think you can refill the cartridges the same way, just stick it in the grease and pull the handle and lock it. Leave the head loose until all the air is released. I have done that too, just too messy for me now. I just buy the cartridges.
There is always a problem with such guns. Remember the story of Greasy Pete and the showdown at the Not So Hot Corral. Also there was Wily Earp and Doc Slipandslide, plus some other gunhands.
Tension had been building up all day, but when they fired, they were
20 feet apart but the grease only came out about 3 inches. It got all over the street and the horses tracked it all over the county. That's when they banned grease guns in Tombstone, Arizona.I've filled the little cartridges with an old spoon. Works reasonably well, for me. Put a ring on the plunger handle, and leave the grease gun hanging, nozzle down. So the air (slowly over a period of years) goes up to the plunger.
re: "leave the grease gun hanging, nozzle down. So the air (slowly over a period of years) goes up to the plunger."
Stormin's got the right idea.
I determined that it takes 6 years for the air to evacuate itself, so
6 years ago (2004) I bought a grease gun, hand-filled it and hung it on a hook.Then 5 years ago I bought another one, hand-filled that one and hung it up.
I did the same thing for the next 4 years and finally, starting this year, I have a grease gun (the 6 YO one) ready to use.
I'll use it this year, re-fill it (by hand of course) and hang it on it's hook. Next year I'll use the 2005 model, and so on until 6 years from now the 2004/2010 gun will be ready again.
I just hope I don't lose track of which gun is which.
=3D=3D Either keep on buying those itsy bitsy cartridges or go buy the guns that take the regular size cartridges (the best bet). Trying to fill those little cartridges is an exercise in futlity. =3D=3D
You need to buy different color grease guns. And then encode the data on IBM punch cards, so the data can be retreived later.
Many people have very strong futility, from lots of exercise.
I haven't used my punch card machine in years. It seems sluggish. Maybe it needs some grease.
I hope I grab the right grease gun so I can lube the machine so I can write the program that will help me grab the right grease gun.
just reload the cartridges by hand then use them.
gloves? for grease? I'll bet it fun to watch you pack bearings.
I was kind of wondering about that procedure..... I go through a regular sized cartridge or two A DAY. i have no problems keeping my grease gun working. You just have to understand how they work and how to operate them.
Before you do anything, are you licensed to use guns? You need to be certified to use all guns in all 50 states these days. You better check or you could spend the weekend in a federal prison, and possibly many years to come. You also need to carry your license ON you at all times when you're using any guns. This even included caulking guns.
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