Filler in sealant gun tube

B&Q et al do a 'gap filler' in a tube, which is allegedly sandable, paintable, stainable and changes the baby :-)

I have some Cuprinol wood filler in a cartridge tube. Came from Focus.

Like this?

And while we're in Why-Oh-Why mode why's an empty (well, refillable) gun cartridge 25 _quid_!

-- John Stumbles

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-+ The most dangerous component in a car is the nut that holds the steering wheel

Yes, but you aren't paying for the empty cartridge - it's the air they have to ship with it that costs the money! ;)

Looking at that design suggests to me that it surely can't be all that difficult to fabricate your own "empty" cartridge. All you need do is buy a tube of regular sealant (£1.60-ish), vacate the cartridge, and then cleanse it out.

Surely job done?

PoP

For what or into what?

Mary

I've tried using empty cartridges for such things as cement when pointing between slabs. Seemed the ideal thing. However, I found that you cannot push wet cement through a nozzle. It just firms up like sand on the seashore does when you tread on it. So maybe this is what happens to Polyfilla. Also, I suspect the Polyfilla would set in the nozzle between usages.

Rob Graham

I have often wondered about making one of these for grouting tiles etc. Don't know if it would be any quicker but surely cleaner and less 'sponging' down the tiles. Anybody done this and if so what were the results like and how did you get the plunger out of the sealant tube? Does it just push out from the business end using a suitable rod etc? I will try that next time I have an empty cartridge.

Cheers

John

From a squidgey glob that takes in even squishier globs at one end (simultaneously producing squidgey globs at the other) into a real hard knock, with no rough edges?

IME it happens to anything with a lot of aggregate. Mastics and the like have a creamy consistency and are the only things suitable for a cartridge. To me the Screwfix cartridge is a non-starter. Anything you can easily load into it will suffer from the above and anything that would actually work would be impossible to load into it.

I'd save yourself the trouble. Rob's sand on the seashore effect would surely apply.

yup, just pushes out.

yeah, its a shame, as one would be ideal for pointing brickwork. There are mortars you can use that will work with them, but not sharp sand based ones.

Before cartridges I used a polythene bag. Put your stuff in, snip off the corner, off ya go. No cleaning either.

Regards, NT

I think I'd rather EXchange it ...

Mary

You can get Polyfilla in a squeezable "tube", however. Lasts for ages and is very handy. I'm not sure I follow the need for an actual cartridge.