Great Replacement Top For Used Caulk Tube!

[-MIKE-]

Finally someone came up with a great solution re-using your half-used caulk tubes. This is a really cool product and is cheap enough to make reusing caulk worth it.

I'm going to order a 5-pack of these to keep in the work van for several reasons.

1. I'm not a fan of filling landfills with perfectly good caulk, adhesives, roofing tar, and other stuff.
2. Even though I pass the cost on to the client, I would rather be able to use one tube of caulk for several jobs, than buy a new one for each job.
3. Most importantly: whether in the shop or on the job site, I hate when I have to run to the store to get some tube-based product that I know I have a used tube of on the shelf or under the seat of my van, but I can't use because the tip is all dried up and/or it's been cut too big.
4. I've used every single "caulk saver" product out there and while some of them work ok, none of them completely solve the problem and all of them cost as much or more than this Tube-A-New.

I'm not that concerned about wasting a $3 tube of painters' caulk (even though I still don't want to have it in a landfill) but some of the specialty adhesives and most of the pure silicone products are up near and over 10 bucks a tube, now.

A buck and a half to be able to use silicone caulk more than once is a no-brainer for me. Also, the design makes it pretty easy to push the caulk out the Tube-A-New backwards and reuse it again on another tube.

Can't wait to get these. I'll report back with a review as soon as I use one.

[Leon]

Looks great but might be more expensive if you are only saving less than half of a tube. But for the expensive stuff this should be good.

[-MIKE-]

It would definitely save money for the expensive stuff, but I see it more as a butt-saver.

There are so many times when I'm on a job and the need arises for some calking that was previously unplanned for. Crap! Now I have to run to the hardware store for caulk, no wait! I have half a tube under my seat, yea! Nope, crap again! It's all dried up in the nozzle or the nozzle is cut back to 1/2" from the end. Wait, I have Tube-A-New!! :-)

Worth every penny for that considering the time it saves.

[Leon]

There is that and excuse me for forgetting the "get you out of a jam" situation. LOL

Now where is that utility knife???

[Keith Nuttle]

May not work as well but I have found that One of the large size Wire nut works well as a cap for used caulk tube.

Maybe not as well as that advertised but better that any thing I have found

[-MIKE-]

Utility knives and in the same category as tape measures in my book. There needs to one within reach at any and every location I keep or use tools. Every bench, vehicle, tool box, everywhere. :-)

[John McGaw]

Seems kind of excessive but I guess YMMV. Personally, I've been using these:

for a while and they are foolproof. I had a tube of construction adhesive that I capped back in early 2014 with one of these and opened it a week ago and it was still perfectly usable. My biggest problem was that I had bought a big contractor-size package of them and it appears that during a post-project cleanup they got sent to the landfill so I had to buy replacements (in a smaller package this time).

[-MIKE-]

I have used that trick before, too!

Even with the specialty made aftermarket caps with the long protruding sticks in the middle, or the caulk-condom types, it seems like once you break the original seal and any air gets in, the stuff in the nozzle will dry up and harden.

Believe it or not, the little snap-on/off cap that comes on the GE tubes does a pretty good job of keeping the tube usable for a week or longer. But it pops off pretty easily, and it doesn't solve the problem of needing a smaller opening on the tip.

This is one of the best replacement tips I've ever used and solves the problem of re-sizing the nozzle hole, but I spend a lot of time cleaning it out and it won't thread onto some manufacturers' nozzles.

[-MIKE-]

I've used those, too, John and they do work very well. But you are stuck with whatever size hole you cut on the tube nozzle (or bigger).

[dpb]

I'd've thunk for somebody working pretty-much continuously would use up tubes fast enough to not be such a problem as for the homeowner/handyman who may be months between (like I, for the most part as far as that kind of work)...

That said, certainly for the "high-priced spread" could well be worth the material savings and obviously if it's a livelihood rather than hobby or just personal then "time is money" will likely override other considerations.

That said also :) I've had moderately good success with using appropriately-sized wirenut to cap a tube and then place in sealable plastic baggie; can squeeze enough air out of them it seems to significantly slow the cure rate on those that are oxidation-driven...plus, keeps any mess contained if in the truck or the like and something gets dropped on the tube and smushes it instead of getting all over...

I may order the sample just to see, though; is cute idea...

[-MIKE-]

Certainly, it's not an issue for someone who, like you said, is using the same product every day for the same tasks. Window installers, for example.

But it's perfect for me. I like to have "some of everything" in the van. I usually keep a few varieties and colors of this type of tubes in the van... They are big enough for smaller jobs and touch-ups, but big enough to save for later use. Plus, the screw-on/off cap works very well.

The Tube-A-New should allow me to use left-over full size tubes for this purpose as well.

[Meanie]

A local hardware store sells hard rubber caulk caps that I started using a few years ago. I've never had a problem with hard caulk using them. Prior to that I used the pinky finger from a latex glove and electrical tape, also with no problems.

The topic product appears to waste a fair amount when cutting the top. Considering the hardness is usually within the plastic stem and rarely, just below that at the surface, cutting that much off is a waste, IMO. Wasting good material drives me bananas regardless how cheap it may be.

[-MIKE-]

That doesn't get you a smaller hole if needed.

Their demonstrations are for, well, demonstration purposes. :-) I'm sure it could be cut off closer to the nozzle. Some water-based product can harden well into the tube. Either way, cutting it off too far is still saving more material than throwing the tube away because you can't use it.

[DerbyDad03]

nozzle or the

Speaking of dried up caulk and utility knives...

A bunch of years back I came across a full tube of caulk that was dried up solid, end to end. Just for fun I grabbed a utility knife and cut the tube enough to be able to peel it away, leaving me holding a hard, rubbery cylinder of caulk.

First off, the caulk would have made a perfect "blunt instrument" that would have really confused the local Medical Examiner. Slightly rubbery, but hard enough to break a bone or crack a skull.

But that wasn't the most interesting thing. After playing around with it, I noticed that my hands smelled a little funny, although I hadn't noticed tha t caulk itself had any odor at all. I brought it up real close to my nose and took a whiff. The odor was so sharp that I recoiled almost in pain. I moved the caulk just a few inches from my nose and smelled nothing. I brought it closer and recoiled again.

There were a few guys around, so I told them to smell it. The same thing happened to them. A few inches from the nose, nothing. Right up at the nose , pain.

It was the strangest thing. The odor just clung to the caulk and didn't radiate.

[krw]

+1 ...and pencils. There has to be one within reach from wherever I am in my house or at work.

[krw]

A screw threaded into the nozzle works well.

[-MIKE-]

YES, pencils, too. (and reading glasses)

[DerbyDad03]

the nozzle or the

For me, it's a step ladder, stool or chair. ;-)

[Meanie]

I usually don't use a larger hole for most caulking jobs. It's easier to go slower using a smaller opening and fill a larger gap than to have a large opening trying to fill a smaller gap.

Agree with that but after viewing the video, I'm under the impression if one cuts near the top and apply the cap, it'll be too long for the gun. Though, I didn't pay close attention.

[-MIKE-]

There are many application for which a larger bead of caulk is required. I prefer to cut the nozzle to the require size for efficient application. In my opinion it's much more efficient and neat to cut the nozzle to the correct size for the required bead, and not build it up.

Also, Murphy's Law dictates that any used caulk tube will have a larger hole than is needed for the next application. :-)

You're right, you didn't. :-p They address that issue by instructing the user to simply cut off an the extra length from the back of the tube. Simple, quick, easy solution that would take about 20 seconds.