How to clean out an expanding foam gun?

[mike]

I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of expanding fo am. It worked well, much better than the cans with straws.

It's the silver one here although I think they've for the description/produ ct code mixed up with the black one:

I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of cleaner atta ched -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming through cle ar -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later, it's just n ot working.

The trigger and the valve at the end of the barrel move freely, there's no obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached the can of clean er and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't having it.

What is the best way to get it working again or is it a binner? Can these thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of pingfuckit s that never fit back together again?

Any useful advice welcome. It was fun while it lasted?..

[Tim Watts]

On Saturday 02 November 2013 11:29 mike wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Did you leave the cleaner in for an hour, then blast through, then leave more cleaner for another hour and repeat 3-4 times? It needs to soak...

Shouldn't be. I took mine apart and rebuilt. There are places the foam gets that do not get cleaned. You may need some Loctite thread seal (not thread lock) for one or two of the screw joints. FAiling that, some PTFE tape might suffice.

The bit that was a PITA on mine was the little green plastic ball that acted as a non return valve where the can attached.

[mike]

No, I followed the procedure in this Youtube video. It was all over in a minute and a half. He sounded so convincing:

OK, thanks. I thought the gun would be a step up from straws but soaking/disassembling/thread seal sounds like exchanging one lot of problems for another.

[Tim Watts]

On Saturday 02 November 2013 12:08 mike wrote in uk.d-i-y:

The "hour" is an overstatement for normal cleaning, but when the gun is showing problems, it is worth a try...

IIRC it was only a couple of threads had sealant on them. I happened to have some Loctite (or similar) pipe thread sealant. It too an hour or so to strip, clean and reassemble.

And a couple more hours to let the sealant harden.

Mind you I never did get the little green ball to seal properly when the can came off, but the gun worked.

[mike]

Thanks for the reply.

Google archives came to the rescue with a post from John Rumm suggesting po king the inlet ball bearing with a small screwdriver. It looked clean but a prod revealed that it had stuck with a tiny piece of foam adhering to it. Once that fell out, I ran some more cleaner through it with no problem.

Not sure how the seal is - hopefully OK but I guess they're easy to scratch /damage when coerced with a metal tool.

Anyway, I wish I'd know this the other day when it wasn't working and I had to resort to the 2-inch plastic nozzle that came with the cleaning solvent while it was blowing a gale and siling it down.

[Tim Watts]

On Saturday 02 November 2013 14:51 Phil L wrote in uk.d-i-y:

So do I.

You use yours every few days I assume?

I think the problem is with leaving it for a few months full but without use.

[John Rumm]

The usualy problem is the anti backflow valve (basically a spring loaded BB) just after the point the can attaches can get stuck- give it a firm prod with a small screwdriver to free the ball and it works again.

If using again within a few weeks, I just leave the can on the gun and don't bother cleaning it.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Yesterday I picked up the foam gun and the dregs of the last can on it squirted out fine, even though it was well over a year since it was last used. Same as you, the valve screwed down and left.

[jonathanharrisonfurniture]

foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with straws.

duct code mixed up with the black one:

tached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming through c lear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later, it's just not working.

o obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached the can of cle aner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't having it.

e thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of pingfuck its that never fit back together again?

foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with straws.

duct code mixed up with the black one:

tached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming through c lear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later, it's just not working.

o obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached the can of cle aner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't having it.

e thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of pingfuck its that never fit back together again?

Hi, if anyone is struggling with guns seizing up, I also bought a metal bod ied bond it gun which failed after a few months. I had religiously cleaned it with gun cleaner but it gradually seized up. I then bought amore expensi ve gun from screwfix which is Italian and it clearly stated to NEVER remove from foam can which is what I have been doing for the last 3 yearswith no problems. You have to always keep a can on it though so when you come to us e it after a few months for example, you scrape hardened foam off tip give it the necessery shake and you,re away!! All the best Jon

[Tennessee State University]

Hey Jonathan, what brand is the Italian one?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

This thread has indeed run a lot of years. I strongly suspect the makers want you to keep buying them, grin. Brian