Caulking Gun Problem
HappyLady
Hi,
I have a ton of caulking to do on a large house, interior and exterior.
I read everything I could find on the subject, in books and on websites,
and in this newsgroup. I bought the suggested materials.
Problem: I can barely get the caulk to come out of the tube. Before
you start ROFL, yes, I did puncture the seal inside the tube -- and made
sure it was completely punctured, too.
Does anyone know where I can get a caulking gun with some gizmo on it
that will make the caulk come out automatically when I press a handle or
something? I think the problem is that I have very small hands (even
for a woman) and that I obviously have no strength! Meanwhile, I have
to get this caulking done somehow -- myself.
Thanks very much for your help. If you want to email me, although it's
not necessary because I check this newsgroup all the time, my email
address is
Aileen
A.E.B.
Small hands? No strength? Ton of caulking to do? Consider an air
powered caulker.
bubba
--
Taxation WITH representation
ain't so hot either!
HappyLady
Thanks! Problem solved! I hate to admit this, but I wasn't squeezing
the handle -- it says "spout cutter" on it, and I didn't realize how the
thing works. I do now, I assure you! I will get a pneumatic caulk gun
though, for when I do the exterior! Aileen
Tom Miller wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jun 1998 16:08:12 -0400, HappyLady <Happ...@ultranet.com>
>
> wrote:
>
> > | Hi,
> > | I have a ton of caulking to do on a large house, interior and
> exterior.
> > | I read everything I could find on the subject, in books and on
> websites,
> > | and in this newsgroup. I bought the suggested materials.
> > |
> > | Problem: I can barely get the caulk to come out of the tube.
> Before
> > | you start ROFL, yes, I did puncture the seal inside the tube --
> and made
> > | sure it was completely punctured, too.
> > |
> >
>
> I'd say the caulk you bought has partly dried out. Take it back and
> get a fresh cartridge. It should come out pretty easily when you
> squeeze the handle on the caulking gun. In fact, a common problem is
> that it comes out TOO easily and leaves big globs of caulk (you have
> to release the plunger on the caulking gun to stop the flow).
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> "Trudy is Beauth, Beauth, Trudy"
>
> [To send me an email, remove xxx from my address]
Tom Miller
Michael Simpson
Another Hint. I purchased a Pneumatic caulker (ABout $15) and it is realy
nice if you have lots of caulking.
Tom Miller <jeb...@xxxibm.net> wrote in article
<3596ed5a...@news.i-2000.com>...
danh...@millcomm.com
In <3596A2AC...@ultranet.com>, HappyLady <Happ...@ultranet.com> writes:
>Hi,
>I have a ton of caulking to do on a large house, interior and exterior.
>I read everything I could find on the subject, in books and on websites,
>and in this newsgroup. I bought the suggested materials.
>
>Problem: I can barely get the caulk to come out of the tube. Before
>you start ROFL, yes, I did puncture the seal inside the tube -- and made
>sure it was completely punctured, too.
>
>that will make the caulk come out automatically when I press a handle or
>something? I think the problem is that I have very small hands (even
>for a woman) and that I obviously have no strength! Meanwhile, I have
>to get this caulking done somehow -- myself.
Well, if you don't mind dropping several hundred bucks, you can get an
air-powered caulk gun and a compressor.
Dan Hicks
Hey!! My advice is free -- take it for what it's worth!
http://www.millcomm.com/~danhicks
DlbDESIGNR
>>I have a ton of caulking to do on a large house, interior and exterior.
>>I read everything I could find on the subject, in books and on websites,
>>and in this newsgroup. I bought the suggested materials.
>>
>>Problem: I can barely get the caulk to come out of the tube. Before
>>you start ROFL, yes, I did puncture the seal inside the tube -- and made
>>sure it was completely punctured, too.
>>
>>Does anyone know where I can get a caulking gun with some gizmo on it
>>that will make the caulk come out automatically when I press a handle or
>>something? I think the problem is that I have very small hands (even
>>for a woman) and that I obviously have no strength! Meanwhile, I have
>>to get this caulking done somehow -- myself.
Sears use to have a caulking attachment for a straight-handled cordless
screwdriver - dont know if it's still available nor how well it works.......
dennis
David W. Tardiff
Some caulking tips that may be new to some people:
First of all, get a GOOD gun. Look for one with an open
frame, that has a bar above the tube as well as below, and
the caulking tube is inserted from either side. These are
stiffer than the half-cylinder types, but more importantly,
have a quick-release on the feed, operated with a thumb
lever. This helps you release gun pressure quickly, with
the hand holding the gun, and that helps prevent overshoot...
which is what happens when you stop pumping but the
caulk keeps coming out.....
Another reason this happens, other than the gun-feed
pressure, is that the plastic tubes can expand a bit
under pressure, and that keeps squeezing the caulk.
If you need to avoid this (for a cleaner job) you can wrap
the tube with a spiral wrap of duct tape (half overlap) before
you use it - the result is a much more rigid tube without
flex, and the caulk should stop almost dead when you
hit the pressure release on the gun.
Michael Simpson
My air powered caulking gun works pretty good. Basically it pushes the
rear of the tube with air. There is just enough air leakage that when you
let off the air it equalizes and the caulk stops.
David W. Tardiff <tar...@mail.dec.com> wrote in article
<01bda39a$439e97c0$2ae0...@plywood.mro.dec.com>...
Warren Block
David W. Tardiff (tar...@mail.dec.com) wrote:
> Some caulking tips that may be new to some people:
>
> First of all, get a GOOD gun. Look for one with an open
> frame, that has a bar above the tube as well as below, and
> the caulking tube is inserted from either side. These are
> stiffer than the half-cylinder types, but more importantly,
> have a quick-release on the feed, operated with a thumb
> lever. This helps you release gun pressure quickly, with
> the hand holding the gun, and that helps prevent overshoot...
> which is what happens when you stop pumping but the
> caulk keeps coming out.....
Even more importantly, these don't have that horrible ratchet mechanism
that makes it so hard to do a neat job. They're not expensive ($5), and
will outlast half a dozen of the crummy ratchet types. Contractor supply
places or home centers should have them, but be careful to get the size to
fit the smaller end-user style tubes, not the large contractor tubes.
--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
http://extra.newsguy.com/~wblock
TinMan1332
>We can put a man on the moon,
>why can't we MAKE A CAULKING TUBE WITHOUT AIR MIXED IN. Does my
>frustration show?
At trade shows, White Lightning brand caulking is very proud of displaying its
tubes (cut in half the long ways) vs the other guys tubes (which have air in
them). This company is owned by Sherwin Williams and produces all of the
Sherwin Williams caulk line as well. However, everyones advice has been a moot
point since the poster admitted they thought the trigger on the gun was only
for cutting the tip of the tube (likely an open frame gun with tip cut feature
and spike for puncturing the tube)... and had no idea that it was for
dispensing the caulk (they were pushing on the rod I guess).
Not to get too far off topic... but know one (not one single person) has made
fun or demeaned this individual in anyway for not knowing this. Their mistake
was never confused with a "blonde joke" and no one was offended by a real life
experience.
J.P.
TinMan1332
One other thing I have not seen mentioned in this thread is the availability of
a decent open frame gun that has an oversized trigger (with ample leverage).
The trigger on this gun is about double the length of a standard $1.99 hardware
store gun. It will dispense urethanes and heavy bodied materials with ease. So
anyone with a weak grip or less than strength than average could easily use
this gun for simple caulking chores, to great advantage.
J.P.
Walt Mistler
All the responses to this thread are well and good but the real
solution is to manufacture a tube WITHOUT AIR MIXED IN. It's a very
rare tube that doesn't have an air pocket mixed in with it, my
experience is maybe one in 30. Once the air pocket is expelled no
more compressed air to keep feeding the tube when you stop ratcheting
or whatever you do to feed the caulk. We can put a man on the moon,
why can't we MAKE A CAULKING TUBE WITHOUT AIR MIXED IN. Does my
frustration show?
Walt Mistler
Remove "z" from spam deterring header for e-mail
danh...@millcomm.com
I had my old open frame gun break and haven't been able to find another
decent one. Can anyone recommend something mail-order?
TinMan1332
>I had my old open frame gun break and haven't been able to find another
>decent one. Can anyone recommend something mail-order?
Dan, I'll go one better. I have a tool box full of these guns and if ya send me
your snail mail address I send one out to ya.
J.P.
Jim Ryan
dlbde...@aol.com says...
> >>I have a ton of caulking to do on a large house, interior and exterior.
> >>I read everything I could find on the subject, in books and on websites,
> >>and in this newsgroup. I bought the suggested materials.
recommend it.
> >>
> >>Problem: I can barely get the caulk to come out of the tube. Before
> >>you start ROFL, yes, I did puncture the seal inside the tube -- and made
> >>sure it was completely punctured, too.
> >>
> >>Does anyone know where I can get a caulking gun with some gizmo on it
> >>that will make the caulk come out automatically when I press a handle or
> >>something? I think the problem is that I have very small hands (even
> >>for a woman) and that I obviously have no strength! Meanwhile, I have
> >>to get this caulking done somehow -- myself.
>
> Sears use to have a caulking attachment for a straight-handled cordless
> screwdriver - dont know if it's still available nor how well it works.......
> dennis
>
--
Jim
Please CC: by mail to ry...@jimryan.com