Cartridges

I usually stick a bit of duck tape over then end, but anything that seals the end from air should work

hth

DeeBee

"Cling film"

Also, if you "finish" a tube mid job, swap the nozzle onto the replacement tube. That way you build up a stock of new, unused, nozzles as spares for the times the cling film doesn't work ;-)

Brian

| Hi |=20 | I always seem to end up with half used tubes of silicone, gripfill, = bath=20 | sealant etc. |=20 | Anyone have any tips on how to keep the stuff from going hard & = blocking up=20 | the nozzles? I know they supply a cap, but it always seems to be too = small=20 | once you have trimmed the nozzle. |=20 | I read somewhere about using 4" nails?

A nail in the nozzle improves the life of these tubes. If you are using the big tubes which go in a gun. If the nozzle is still clogged, remove it and shove the hard stuff out of the wide end. The stuff in the body is often still useable.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20

Remove the nozzle.

Put a dob of grease on the end of the cartridge.

Screw the nozzle on again, so that grease squeezes out a little when it's tight.

Er, yes - use 4" nails!! Works a treat.

(Actually, use different size nails depending on the bore of the nozzle you've cut)

Some of these tubes come with nozzles with a threaded cap, which are good. When I'm using any of this stuff, and a tube runs out in the middle of the job, I always transfer the old nozzle over to the new tube, thereby maintaining an identical nozzle size and not wasting the sealant otherwise left in the 'dead space' of the old nozzle; this leaves a spare unused nozzle, which if it's a threaded type, I'll hang on to for future use.

David

I knew there had to be a simple solution!

Thanks

Dave

For silicone, I usually put a nail in the end. Next time you often need to 'empty' the nozzle by digging it out from the back with a large screw but then all is fine. I think that the bit in the end will always set once it's seen air, even if sealed afterwards, but it rarely sets more than half an inch or so back from the end.

I take a small piece of foil, fold it in 4, the wrap it around the end of the nozzle. Works the same as clingfilm, except you can take it off and replace it easily if you just need a small dot of filler.

That and saving the nozzles, as already explained.

I prefer to use masking tape - you can get it off later!

with silicone it's also worth shoving a screw in the end of the tube to help remove the cured stuff.

Chris