Clearing a clogged hot melt glue gun
Robert Green
long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just a
little trickle of glue. Have burned the crap out of my hand three times,
though!!!!
0-: >
I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end. The glue
stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other ideas?
--
Bobby G.
Tegger
news:ia6a6u$tva$1...@news.eternal-september.org:
A large drill bit, fed in by hand from the back, with a pair of pliers.
Even then don't expect a high probability of success. You're best to just
buy a new one.
Do you leave the gun on its side when it's on?
--
Tegger
Robert Green
news:Xns9E1D4CC1...@208.90.168.18...
> "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in
> news:ia6a6u$tva$1...@news.eternal-september.org:
>
> > My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in
> > too long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much
> > success - just a little trickle of glue. Have burned the crap out of
> > my hand three times, though!!!!
> >
> > 0-: >
> >
> > I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end.
> > The glue stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other
> > ideas?
> >
>
>
> A large drill bit, fed in by hand from the back, with a pair of pliers.
Cracked three dowels trying to clear it. Best tool was a bare piece of #12
copper wire twisted into a tight hook. Yanked out oodles of black and brown
crud. Still no joy .
> Even then don't expect a high probability of success. You're best to just
> buy a new one.
Got a couple more burns, probably with carcinogenic material in the cheap
glue sticks. FWIW, it was left on for a week nose down in a can that
blocked leakage from the tip. This was my spare. I'm going to have to go
three deep in spares now. Or get a timer that shuts off after 60 minutes.
I believe there are some pushbutton timer wall switches that can do the job.
--
Bobby G.
Wayne Boatwright
Can't you remember to simply unplug it when your finished using it?
--
~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~
~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~
**********************************************************
Wayne Boatwright
willshak
I'll have to write that down with all the other things I have to write
down to remember.
Now, where is that list of things I have to remember?
--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
Stormin Mormon
wonder what solven softens the glue. I'd not suggest to soak the glue
gun in gasoline, and then plug it in. The glue might be too soft.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
news:ia6a6u$tva$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Stormin Mormon
to your next task, the plug will come out automatically.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Wayne Boatwright" <waynebo...@xgmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9E1D92B1DA775wa...@69.16.185.247...
Tegger
> FWIW, it was left on for a week nose down in a can
> that blocked leakage from the tip.
That's one way to kill a hot-melt glue gun. The glue cokes-up and creates a
hard blockage.
--
Tegger
Tegger
>
> Can't you remember to simply unplug it when your finished using it?
That's really, REALLY easy to forget to do!
At work we have a number of 3M Polygun ECs. These cost about $350 each, and
are the very best available. They even have an on/off switch, which is
really nice. And they last forever, unless somebody leaves them on for a
week unattended...
We tried Stanley/Bostitch guns and a few other brands, but nothing
-- nothing -- even came close to the 3M Polyguns and 3M JetMelt adhesives
in quality.
--
Tegger
Tegger
$mhn$1...@news.eternal-september.org:
> I presume you plugged it back in, and PULLED on the glue stick? I
> wonder what solven softens the glue. I'd not suggest to soak the glue
> gun in gasoline, and then plug it in. The glue might be too soft.
>
Not a great idea. It's not the glue itself, but the hard coke that's formed
in the nozzle area when the gun's left on too long without glue-flow.
Another form of damage is "backmelt", which occurs when an active gun is
left on its side for too long. That damage can occasionally be corrected by
drilling-out the backmelted glue.
--
Tegger
Stormin Mormon
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Tegger" <inv...@example.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9E1DCB68...@208.90.168.18...
Tegger
$2ee$2...@news.eternal-september.org:
> "Tegger" <inv...@example.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9E1DCB68...@208.90.168.18...
>> "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in
>> news:ia7ful$632$1...@news.eternal-september.org:
>>
>>> FWIW, it was left on for a week nose down in a can
>>> that blocked leakage from the tip.
>>
>>
>> That's one way to kill a hot-melt glue gun. The glue cokes-up and
>> creates a hard blockage.
>
>
> Glue gun needs a laxative?
>
Only if you can get different temperature-grades of Ex-Lax...
--
Tegger
Robert Green
<stuff snipped>
> Can't you remember to simply unplug it when your finished using it?
> ~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~
> ~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~
> Wayne Boatwright
Well, I'll admit that I was blinded by the neon "ON" lamp (that the gun
*doesn't* have) and that's why I forget to flip the switch (that the gun
*doesn't* have) when I got distracted by something that cause me to forget
about something because of the not-so-early onset Alzheimer's which
apparently I *do* have. So the answer to your question apparently is that I
can't remember. It's also clear that things aren't going to get much better
for me in the future so you'll have to gird your loins because you're likely
to see more and not fewer such "what do I do now" questions from me.
As for things to come, your point is well-chosen concering a theoretical gun
I might own in the theoretical future, but this thread is dealing with a
very tangible dead glue gun I have in the very real present. Maybe we need
to rename the group:
alt.home.repair.ethics.theoretical.futurist.physics.human.behavior.scold
to cover all the bases. And here I was, thinking you were one of the smart
ones, Wayne. What sort of response did you expect?
If you were one of my junior officers and I was doing your OER, I would
write: "Boatwright demonstrates an uncanny and immediate grasp of the
obvious."
(-:
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:4ZidnSsK3f_Sw1rR...@supernews.com...
> Wayne Boatwright wrote the following:
<stuff snipped>
> > Can't you remember to simply unplug it when your finished using it?
>
> I'll have to write that down with all the other things I have to write
> down to remember.
> Now, where is that list of things I have to remember?
Yes, it's like that. (-: Along with the helpful reminder "ON" lamp and
switch that the unit lacks.
Now what were we talking about?
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
news:ia7oup$mvq$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> Take a strap of some kind, from the plug to your trousers. When you go
> to your next task, the plug will come out automatically.
Actually, the reason it was idling was that it's got to be on for at least 5
minutes before glues flows, so without ON light or OFF switch, it's very
easy to walk away from the gun and get involved in something else.
I've now decided to plug it into a old GraLab timer from the darkroom so
that it can never run for more than 60 minutes without a manual reset. Same
general idea as the strap but a little more elegant and less likely to
accidentally yank a hot glue gun toward the family jewels by the cord.
The ideal solution, of course, would be a built-in autoshutoff based on lack
of motion for 60 minutes. The timer is much easier to implement.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
> Wayne Boatwright <waynebo...@xgmail.com> wrote in
> news:Xns9E1D92B1DA775wa...@69.16.185.247:
>
>
> >
> > Can't you remember to simply unplug it when your finished using it?
>
>
>
> That's really, REALLY easy to forget to do!
Amen. No lights, no switch and a 5-10 minute warm-up time are all
contributors.
> At work we have a number of 3M Polygun ECs. These cost about $350 each,
and
> are the very best available. They even have an on/off switch, which is
> really nice.
And really unusual to find in a consumer level gun.
> And they last forever, unless somebody leaves them on for a
> week unattended...
Yep. I've burned up glue guns before, and I will again, but I kind of liked
this one because it had not, as of time of death, ever backed up a dribbled
hot glue on the web part of the hand between the thumb and forefinger.
> We tried Stanley/Bostitch guns and a few other brands, but nothing
> -- nothing -- even came close to the 3M Polyguns and 3M JetMelt adhesives
> in quality.
I also suspect that Home Depot's finest store brand of glue contributed to
the problem. It really formed an incredibly hard, black calculus inside the
nozzle. While feel I might eventually clear it out with dowels and fresh
glue, I've already passed the "I want to smash it to bits with a
sledgehammer" mark and am ready to buy a new one. But I always ask first in
case there's a miracle cure I am unaware of out there.
Thanks for your input, Tegger!
I will put the new gun on a 60 minute maximum timer to help avoid such
problems in the future.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
Yep. You can only draw so much of it out through the feed tube. At $10,
it's going get a cordectomy and then a trip to the garbage can. There's not
much to salvage except the cord. I tried to recover it for the educational
value. I've learned all I think I am going to learn from anally probing a
glue gun with a bent wire. (0:
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
Yes, when I bent some bare copper wire into a hook, I hauled out darker and
darker material - from dark brown, still molten glue to tiny hard black
particles that were too large to pass through the nozzle.
--
Bobby G.
Smitty Two
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote:
Stanley does make an auto-off gun.
Tegger
>
> I also suspect that Home Depot's finest store brand of glue
> contributed to the problem. It really formed an incredibly hard,
> black calculus inside the nozzle. While feel I might eventually clear
> it out with dowels and fresh glue, I've already passed the "I want to
> smash it to bits with a sledgehammer" mark and am ready to buy a new
> one. But I always ask first in case there's a miracle cure I am
> unaware of out there.
>
> Thanks for your input, Tegger!
>
> I will put the new gun on a 60 minute maximum timer to help avoid such
> problems in the future.
You can greatly improve the gun's longevity by using glue specifically
meant for that gun, sold under that gun's brand name, even if it costs
more.
Much experience has taught us that the wrong glue can coke-up really
quickly, as well as having the wrong characteristics for that gun's heat
range and feed volume. The correct glue will have more tendency to tolerate
long periods of inactivity while at full-heat.
--
Tegger
Bob F
Heat it up, then blow it out backwards with compressed air?
Bob F
> "Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ia7oup$mvq$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>> Take a strap of some kind, from the plug to your trousers. When you
>> go to your next task, the plug will come out automatically.
>
> Actually, the reason it was idling was that it's got to be on for at
> least 5 minutes before glues flows, so without ON light or OFF
> switch, it's very easy to walk away from the gun and get involved in
> something else.
Sounds like a clear case of A.A.A.D.D.
http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2005/august/jest3.html
Robert Green
news:iaa36u$iqo$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Yep, pretty much the same. The car keys started playing hide and seek a few
months ago and haven't stopped. I got various keychain locaters, put a hook
on the back of the door for them to be hung on the moment I come in, etc.
But the sad truth is that if some other event occurs between when I walk in
and when I stow the keys, that's where the keys might end up - such as the
phone ringing, hearing the "you forgot to punch in the alarm code" warning
tone, etc. Every time I think I've idjit proofed a process, I find that I
am a bigger idjit than I thought.
I knew getting old was going to be bad, but I didn't know it would be THIS
bad!
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
> "Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in
<stuff snipped>
> You can greatly improve the gun's longevity by using glue specifically
> meant for that gun, sold under that gun's brand name, even if it costs
> more.
>
> Much experience has taught us that the wrong glue can coke-up really
> quickly, as well as having the wrong characteristics for that gun's heat
> range and feed volume. The correct glue will have more tendency to
tolerate
> long periods of inactivity while at full-heat.
>
>
I am sure you are right. Next glue gun will definitely last longer than
this one did and the one before it, that spewed overflow out the feed tube
on the inside of my forearm while trying to glue some X-mas stuff to the
tree. Flew out of my hand at 100mph and cracked up on the tile floor. That
was the last thumb feed gun I ever bought (or will buy). Hot glue burns are
outrageous because it sticks like napalm. If I am doing industrial
quantities of gluing, I keep a bowl of water around to dunk my hand in just
in case.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
You're tempting me. That could work or it could blow back and cover my face
with burning hot glue. At $10 for a new one (and like a dope, I forget to
pick one up at the HW store I was at tonight) I think I am going to let
sleeping dogs and clogged glue guns lie. Thanks for the input though. If
I were on Mars and that was the only glue gun . . .
--
Bobby G.
TimR
>
> Heat it up, then blow it out backwards with compressed air?
Nah. You need pure oxygen. You have a welder, don't you?
And a video camera. This one is definitely going to make the Darwin
awards!
Wayne Boatwright
Seriously, if you're having memory problems, I apologize. The idea
of using a timer is a really good idea.
Robert Green
I accept your apology and really wish I could just be offended instead of
incipently senile. )-:
> The idea of using a timer is a really good idea.
I bought out some guy's online inventory of GE 12 hour twist timers that I
am mounting in electrical boxes in a number of areas where a "left on"
situation could be dangerous. I'm finding I have to do a lot of things that
assist me. It takes two electronic timers to remind me to take my pills
every eight hours, and even then I bugger it up. I can't imagine what it
could end up as. There's already family history. My aunt Columbine didn't
know where she was unless she was in a hyperbaric chamber. It was like
Jekyl and Hyde.
I probably should start a thread about senility-proofing your home, but I am
too depressed to want to think about it much. In the beginning, they say,
it's like you feel your brain becoming filled with holes, like Swiss cheese.
Then you only remember things from long ago, then not much at all. My
friend's mom went from the signs of early onset to full blown in less than a
year. That's atypical, they tell me, but it's hard to ignore a case you
know about.
I probably should do what I can before the symptoms get to the point where I
can't do anything to help myself. The timers should at least limit some
damage potential. I have many of my charger-based devices on timers since
the newer ones can catch fire if over-charged. I suppose I should get the
rest of them there soon. Much of my memory loss is showing in the very
short-term memory. Which is why I find myself starting my car twice (I
check the tachometer first now) or taking my pills twice or not at all.
Short term memory is a very tricky thing to have an "insufficiency" in.
It's especially troubling to patients (like me) who used to have very good
recall of small details. It makes you do things twice or not all because
you can't remember if you did them or not. I carry a small pocket recorder
all the time now, and even have it running during doctor's visits, etc.
because I simply can't recall what was said. New stuff just bounces off,
but I can remember episodes of "Men in Space" that I saw on TV in the 50's
vividly.
FWIW, I ordered two new Surebonder guns that are "pseudo cordless" - they
sit in a base that has prongs that allow 110VAC to heat them, and you can
detach them from the base and use them for at least a half a glue stick's
worth before they cool down too much to melt glue. That's what I had before
the Stanley, but my local HD didn't have any so I bought the Stanley. The
cordless design will make it even harder to accidentally leave them on since
I have to remember to put them back on the stand to reconnect them and I
always forget to do that! There's a thread subject: "Making senility work
FOR you!"
--
Bobby G.
Wayne Boatwright
> "Wayne Boatwright" <waynebo...@xgmail.com> wrote in message
>> Seriously, if you're having memory problems, I apologize.
>
> I accept your apology and really wish I could just be offended
> instead of incipently senile. )-:
>
>> The idea of using a timer is a really good idea.
>
> I bought out some guy's online inventory of GE 12 hour twist
> timers that I am mounting in electrical boxes in a number of areas
> where a "left on" situation could be dangerous. I'm finding I
> have to do a lot of things that assist me. It takes two
> electronic timers to remind me to take my pills every eight hours,
> and even then I bugger it up. I can't imagine what it could end
> up as. There's already family history. My aunt Columbine didn't
> know where she was unless she was in a hyperbaric chamber. It was
> like Jekyl and Hyde.
It's good to know that you're being proactive about problems that
could occur. It's amazing how many potential dangers there are in a
home where we tend to think we're safe.
> I probably should start a thread about senility-proofing your
> home, but I am too depressed to want to think about it much. In
> the beginning, they say, it's like you feel your brain becoming
> filled with holes, like Swiss cheese. Then you only remember
> things from long ago, then not much at all. My friend's mom went
> from the signs of early onset to full blown in less than a year.
> That's atypical, they tell me, but it's hard to ignore a case you
> know about.
I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to have this
happening. My only experience was with my dad who did not actually
have either senile dimentia or altzheimer's. He did begin suffering
with short term memory loss which worsened with time, but it was
cauwed by severe blockage of the carotid arteries. This was at a
time when they hadn't begun clearing or stenting those arteries. He
was well aware of what was happening and I know that it increased his
anxiety and depression.
> I probably should do what I can before the symptoms get to the
> point where I can't do anything to help myself. The timers should
> at least limit some damage potential. I have many of my
> charger-based devices on timers since the newer ones can catch
> fire if over-charged. I suppose I should get the rest of them
> there soon. Much of my memory loss is showing in the very
> short-term memory. Which is why I find myself starting my car
> twice (I check the tachometer first now) or taking my pills twice
> or not at all.
It's good that you recognize the problem and are taking as many
measures as you can to avoid problems down the road.
> Short term memory is a very tricky thing to have an
> "insufficiency" in. It's especially troubling to patients (like
> me) who used to have very good recall of small details. It makes
> you do things twice or not all because you can't remember if you
> did them or not. I carry a small pocket recorder all the time
> now, and even have it running during doctor's visits, etc. because
> I simply can't recall what was said. New stuff just bounces off,
> but I can remember episodes of "Men in Space" that I saw on TV in
> the 50's vividly.
This was also very frustrating to my dad. He was both an electrical
and mechanical engineer working in the concept and design phase of
products, and had always had a terrific memory for minute details.
He ultimately reached a point where he thought blueprints were just
pictures of something. Very sad.
> FWIW, I ordered two new Surebonder guns that are "pseudo cordless"
> - they sit in a base that has prongs that allow 110VAC to heat
> them, and you can detach them from the base and use them for at
> least a half a glue stick's worth before they cool down too much
> to melt glue. That's what I had before the Stanley, but my local
> HD didn't have any so I bought the Stanley. The cordless design
> will make it even harder to accidentally leave them on since I
> have to remember to put them back on the stand to reconnect them
> and I always forget to do that! There's a thread subject: "Making
> senility work FOR you!"
The Surebonder guns sound like a good choice, especially since it
will be more difficult to acidentally leave them on.
>
Best of luck, Bobby. I hope this progresses *very* slowly for you.
Robert Green
There is some consolation that eventually I won't be aware of what's been
lost but it doesn't seem like much of a state to live in. I can kind of
fake it with writing because I am free to get the "1000 yard stare" without
anyone noticing that 20 minutes elapsed between when I started this sentence
and when I finished it and I can't for the life of me tell you what I was
thinking about. I think it was how much it's like being in a zombie movie
and knowing you've been bitten and are just waiting to turn into a zombie
yourself.
> > I probably should do what I can before the symptoms get to the
> > point where I can't do anything to help myself. The timers should
> > at least limit some damage potential. I have many of my
> > charger-based devices on timers since the newer ones can catch
> > fire if over-charged. I suppose I should get the rest of them
> > there soon. Much of my memory loss is showing in the very
> > short-term memory. Which is why I find myself starting my car
> > twice (I check the tachometer first now) or taking my pills twice
> > or not at all.
>
> It's good that you recognize the problem and are taking as many
> measures as you can to avoid problems down the road.
The problem is that denial is so powerful that it takes a "landmark" event
to change behavior patterns. How many of us know of elder adults that knew
they had to stop driving long before the accident that *made* them stop
driving?
> > Short term memory is a very tricky thing to have an
> > "insufficiency" in. It's especially troubling to patients (like
> > me) who used to have very good recall of small details. It makes
> > you do things twice or not all because you can't remember if you
> > did them or not. I carry a small pocket recorder all the time
> > now, and even have it running during doctor's visits, etc. because
> > I simply can't recall what was said. New stuff just bounces off,
> > but I can remember episodes of "Men in Space" that I saw on TV in
> > the 50's vividly.
>
> This was also very frustrating to my dad. He was both an electrical
> and mechanical engineer working in the concept and design phase of
> products, and had always had a terrific memory for minute details.
> He ultimately reached a point where he thought blueprints were just
> pictures of something. Very sad.
That happens very quickly in some people. Programmers can no longer write
programs or even type, chess players can hardly handle checkers and so on.
The emotional toll is especially hard for men because we define ourselves by
our occupation, in large part. The oddest experience is the anxiety caused
by fast-moving TV shows with moving cameras, changing angles, etc. I can
finally understand why reruns of Matlock are so popular with the senior set.
Nice, linear plots with people who hardly ever yell. (-:
> > FWIW, I ordered two new Surebonder guns that are "pseudo cordless"
> > - they sit in a base that has prongs that allow 110VAC to heat
> > them, and you can detach them from the base and use them for at
> > least a half a glue stick's worth before they cool down too much
> > to melt glue. That's what I had before the Stanley, but my local
> > HD didn't have any so I bought the Stanley. The cordless design
> > will make it even harder to accidentally leave them on since I
> > have to remember to put them back on the stand to reconnect them
> > and I always forget to do that! There's a thread subject: "Making
> > senility work FOR you!"
>
> The Surebonder guns sound like a good choice, especially since it
> will be more difficult to acidentally leave them on.
That's the theory, anyway. What I hate most is all the things I do
incorrectly now. I, too, watched my Dad deal with his dementia. He was
extremely frustrated and agitated at his own failures, especially perfoming
tasks that require many steps and/or attention to detail. I'm trying to see
it as just a natural progression of things, at least for some people. My
grandfather died at age 39, so I'm doing *way* better than he did.
> Best of luck, Bobby. I hope this progresses *very* slowly for you.
Thanks. I though I had better mention it so people understand when I start
spouting more than my usual amount of gibberish.
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
Bought 2 Surebonder CL800 cordless (sort of) glue guns to replace the failed
Stanley. The Surebonder is a FAR superior unit. It not only has a neon ON
indicator, but an ON/OFF switch, a rubber insulated nose to ostensibly cut
down on burns, a base that plugs into the wall (with a little silicone drip
pad) which the glue gun plugs into to make it portable and a built-in fold
down stand.
I've got in plugged into a huge Gralab darkroom time (looking for something
much smaller that would allow me to easily set a 10 to 60 minute ON time) so
that it can't easily be left on for a week like the Stanley. The connection
between the gun and the base is a little twitchy, but that's good because
unless you wiggle it just right, the gun won't make an electrical connection
and will shut down. As some of you might remember, that's a minus for
people with good memories but a plus for me.
Also has a built in fuse (or so says the advert on the package) and large
"wings" on either side of the glue entry hole so that if the glue backs up
when pushing the trigger it spills out onto the wings and not directly onto
your hands as the Stanley and a few other glue guns do. The only downsides
so far is that the base is so long that the whole assembly no longer fits on
the shelf above the workbench and the gun tends to "run on" meaning that you
have to be careful where you point it after gluing something because there's
always a little extra flow leaking out of the nozzle. The trigger
lever/pump is larger than most and that gives extra leverage to pump the
glue through. Lacks the dual temperature switch of the Stanley, but since I
never used it, I don't miss.
Tried to recover the line cord and strain relief on the Stanley but one
screw out of the six holding it together is a triangular anti-tamper screw
and I can't seem to locate my special set of oddball bits.
--
Bobby G.
"Robert Green" <robert_g...@yah00.com> wrote in message
news:ia6a6u$tva$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in too
> long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just
a
> little trickle of glue. Have burned the crap out of my hand three times,
> though!!!!
>
> 0-: >
>
> I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end. The
glue
> stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other ideas?
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>
Jim Elbrecht
-snip-
>
>I've got in plugged into a huge Gralab darkroom time (looking for something
>much smaller that would allow me to easily set a 10 to 60 minute ON time) so
>that it can't easily be left on for a week like the Stanley.
I always keep one of these in my 'electrical stuff' drawer. About
$5 & handy as all get-out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/lamp-and-appliance-timer-40148.html
I set it to however long I want & just spin the dial to turn things
on/off.
I've also got one on my $15 Mr. Coffee so coffee is done when I get
up. Another on the grow-lights. . .
Jim
Robert Green
news:a6mld6hbd3gshd3ek...@4ax.com...
Thanks! I'll look into it. I've got a trip scheduled to the local HF so
I'll take a look. I think what I will end up doing is using a Lutron switch
that has four pushbuttons that I saw the other day. 1 button gives 30
minutes, the next 1 hour, the third two hours and the fourth 4 hours. If I
have to remember to spin a dial, well, we'll be back to coked up glue again.
(-: Allelectronics sells Mr. Coffee timers for a little less than a whole
new coffeepot. The nice thing about the Gralab is that you just push the
minute indicator once to get it off zero and it counts down and shuts off
from whatever minute setting you had pushed it to. Very easy but very big.
About 10" by 10" by 3" deep. Something smaller is definitely called for and
there has to be a similar, smaller timer out there somewhere where you just
twist it to the number of minutes you want it on, and it does the rest. Now
that I think about it, I know exactly what I need and where to get it. A
sleep timer for TV's and other appliances with a simple twist dial like my
very old Litton microwave oven. Good work!
--
Bobby G.
Robert Green
> -snip-
> >
> >I've got in plugged into a huge Gralab darkroom time (looking for
something
> >much smaller that would allow me to easily set a 10 to 60 minute ON time)
so
> >that it can't easily be left on for a week like the Stanley.
>
> I always keep one of these in my 'electrical stuff' drawer. About
> $5 & handy as all get-out.
> http://www.harborfreight.com/lamp-and-appliance-timer-40148.html
FWIW, I ordered this timer
http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Minute-Springwound-Countdown-Timer/dp/B00013K69G/
to mount on the workbench in a duplex outlet so that when I use the glue
gun, I have to twist it on to a time up to 1 hour. This most closely
simulates the action of the Gralab darkroom timer in that it always shuts
off without my having to remember anything. If anyone knows of a similar
twist timer that's self-contained (not needing mounting in a electrical box
but) with a two pronged outlet outlet on the side or the bottom, that would
be better (read: takes less space, takes less work to implement). I
realized something interesting looking at the specs. If someone wanted to
use these to control something like an outside light it seems that the
spring-powered twist timers don't require a neutral at the switchbox (lack
of a neutral at the switch is quite a common occurrence) and thus present
fewer problems than the electrically powered clock versions.
Thanks for your input!
--
Bobby G.
Tegger
>
> Tried to recover the line cord and strain relief on the Stanley but
> one screw out of the six holding it together is a triangular
> anti-tamper screw and I can't seem to locate my special set of oddball
> bits.
>
But surely you can locate an old screwdriver of some sort... then apply the
effects of a bench-grinder and a hand-file.
I make all sort of odd tools this way, thus successfully circumventing
whatever limit the fastener's maker intended.
--
Tegger
Robert Green
Thanks. I could, but it's a dead glue gun, and I don't *really* need
another line cord but it makes me feel better to recover at least
*something* from anything I trash. For now, it's sitting in my "Salvage"
box so that when I do find my set of bits that has a triangular shaped one I
can grab the cord and get a look at the heating element. I am actually glad
it failed because the replacement Surebonder guns are far, far superior and
less expensive then the damned burned up Stanley.
I am familiar with making tools. I just had to make a special jig to
unscrew two halves of a stuck CCTV camera - a piece of shelving with
finishing nails set so that they fit into the tiny holes in the base.
Fortunately, I've watched Tom Silva on TOH make templates, jigs and whatnot
so often, it was a walk in the park. I put some paper over the base of the
unit, used a pencil sideways to shade out the hole location. I transferred
the paper to the wood, put nails through the holes and voila, now I had a
wrench that would give me the torque needed to separate the two halves.
aemeijers
(snip)
> Thanks. I could, but it's a dead glue gun, and I don't *really* need
> another line cord but it makes me feel better to recover at least
> *something* from anything I trash. For now, it's sitting in my "Salvage"
> box
Chuckle. I resemble that remark. My relatives and co-workers keep
threatening to do a OCD/hoarding intervention on my sorry posterior.
Piles of good-but-will-never-be-used-again parts sort of run in my family.
--
aem sends...
Robert Green
You too? I keep trying to explain that in order to be able to fix broken
things, you need broken things around to take parts from. And tools. Lots
and lots of tools. Even one-shot tools that were still cheaper to buy than
to take the car to a dealer. Of course, when the special tools and manuals
are still around and the car isn't, that's a harder (but not impossible!)
argument to make.
I, too, have been threatened with an intervention, but I think there's a
difference between keeping around stuff that you own that's gone south and
actively looking for more string for your 9' diameter string ball. Or 6'
stacks of newspaper. Or anything that you drive by on the street that you
see on trash day and bring home with you. There really are some bright
lines between hoarding and just keeping stuff around. At least that's what
I tell my wife.
I really messed up this year because she was working overseas on an
assigment and had to come home early before I could corral all my stuff
that had spread out into her areas in the house. Breaker panel cover off,
dryer spread out all over the basement floor, PC's in the sewing room. I'm
still hearing about it. One thing I've cut out is web-based experiments
where X says this, Y says that and I decide it's easy enough to measure if I
design the right experiment. Dropping that meant far less wire nests
around.
Oh, I had to get a separate little fridge for my storage of batteries,
chemicals, and what not. I can't remember what it was that I was cooling,
but it was not something with very high SAF (spouse approval factor). Oh, I
remember, I was testing windshield washer mix freeze points. (-: SAF so
low it went negative.
--
Bobby G.
FatterDumber& Happier Moe
Keep something for 7 years and you will find a use for it. Throw it
away and well, you know..........
Wayne Boatwright
Yes, there are many ways that a person with any form of dimentia can
"cope" with the inherent problems they face...up to a point. From my
limited observation, it's that turning point when one is no longer
able to cope where the future becomes extremely difficult.
>> > I probably should do what I can before the symptoms get to the
>> > point where I can't do anything to help myself. The timers
>> > should at least limit some damage potential. I have many of my
>> > charger-based devices on timers since the newer ones can catch
>> > fire if over-charged. I suppose I should get the rest of them
>> > there soon. Much of my memory loss is showing in the very
>> > short-term memory. Which is why I find myself starting my car
>> > twice (I check the tachometer first now) or taking my pills
>> > twice or not at all.
>>
>> It's good that you recognize the problem and are taking as many
>> measures as you can to avoid problems down the road.
>
> The problem is that denial is so powerful that it takes a
> "landmark" event to change behavior patterns. How many of us know
> of elder adults that knew they had to stop driving long before the
> accident that *made* them stop driving?
My dad was in, at least presenting to others, in deep denial.
However, I think he actually knew and didn't want his family to worry
more than they already did. He never did stop driving before he
passed away, but his distance of travel grew smaller and smaller, as
well as limited to areas that he had been extremely familiar with for
many years.
>> > Short term memory is a very tricky thing to have an
>> > "insufficiency" in. It's especially troubling to patients (like
>> > me) who used to have very good recall of small details. It
>> > makes you do things twice or not all because you can't remember
>> > if you did them or not. I carry a small pocket recorder all
>> > the time now, and even have it running during doctor's visits,
>> > etc. because I simply can't recall what was said. New stuff
>> > just bounces off, but I can remember episodes of "Men in Space"
>> > that I saw on TV in the 50's vividly.
>>
>> This was also very frustrating to my dad. He was both an
>> electrical and mechanical engineer working in the concept and
>> design phase of products, and had always had a terrific memory
>> for minute details. He ultimately reached a point where he
>> thought blueprints were just pictures of something. Very sad.
>
> That happens very quickly in some people. Programmers can no
> longer write programs or even type, chess players can hardly
> handle checkers and so on. The emotional toll is especially hard
> for men because we define ourselves by our occupation, in large
> part. The oddest experience is the anxiety caused by fast-moving
> TV shows with moving cameras, changing angles, etc. I can finally
> understand why reruns of Matlock are so popular with the senior
> set. Nice, linear plots with people who hardly ever yell. (-:
My dad taught me a lot as I was growing up and even as an adult. I
would often spend time with him during his mental decline and remind
him of these things, which he generally remembered, since it was
mostlyh long term memory. I think it made him feel more "with it".
>> > FWIW, I ordered two new Surebonder guns that are "pseudo
>> > cordless"
>> > - they sit in a base that has prongs that allow 110VAC to heat
>> > them, and you can detach them from the base and use them for at
>> > least a half a glue stick's worth before they cool down too
>> > much to melt glue. That's what I had before the Stanley, but
>> > my local HD didn't have any so I bought the Stanley. The
>> > cordless design will make it even harder to accidentally leave
>> > them on since I have to remember to put them back on the stand
>> > to reconnect them and I always forget to do that! There's a
>> > thread subject: "Making senility work FOR you!"
>>
>> The Surebonder guns sound like a good choice, especially since it
>> will be more difficult to acidentally leave them on.
>
> That's the theory, anyway. What I hate most is all the things I
> do incorrectly now. I, too, watched my Dad deal with his
> dementia. He was extremely frustrated and agitated at his own
> failures, especially perfoming tasks that require many steps
> and/or attention to detail. I'm trying to see it as just a
> natural progression of things, at least for some people. My
> grandfather died at age 39, so I'm doing *way* better than he did.
My dad was 81 when he passed away, and his death was actually from
congestive heart failure, not dimentia related. I'll be 66 in
January. I have some well-managed arterial blockage, but otherwise
fairly healthy.
>> Best of luck, Bobby. I hope this progresses *very* slowly for
>> you.
>
> Thanks. I though I had better mention it so people understand
> when I start spouting more than my usual amount of gibberish.
I think you did a damn fine job of helping people to understand what
turns your life is taking. The average person needs more knowledge
about these issues.
Best alway!
Robert Green
As you note, coping only gets you so far. Right now, it's just scary and a
little bit annoying, but it's clear it's getting worse and that the
consequences keep mounting. About the only positive thing I can see so far
is that I have become a lot more tolerant of dumb people if only because I
am becoming one. Last week, I couldn't remember the name of the American
Bandstand host, Dick Clark and it really bothered me. This morning, I woke
up hearing the music from AB in my head along with Dick Clark's name. A
trivial thing, to be sure, but a reminder that my ability to recall things
is deteriorating. It's scary and depressing at the same time.
> >> > I probably should do what I can before the symptoms get to the
> >> > point where I can't do anything to help myself. The timers
> >> > should at least limit some damage potential. I have many of my
> >> > charger-based devices on timers since the newer ones can catch
> >> > fire if over-charged. I suppose I should get the rest of them
> >> > there soon. Much of my memory loss is showing in the very
> >> > short-term memory. Which is why I find myself starting my car
> >> > twice (I check the tachometer first now) or taking my pills
> >> > twice or not at all.
> >>
> >> It's good that you recognize the problem and are taking as many
> >> measures as you can to avoid problems down the road.
> >
> > The problem is that denial is so powerful that it takes a
> > "landmark" event to change behavior patterns. How many of us know
> > of elder adults that knew they had to stop driving long before the
> > accident that *made* them stop driving?
>
> My dad was in, at least presenting to others, in deep denial.
> However, I think he actually knew and didn't want his family to worry
> more than they already did. He never did stop driving before he
> passed away, but his distance of travel grew smaller and smaller, as
> well as limited to areas that he had been extremely familiar with for
> many years.
Boy oh boy do I know that scenario. After living a life where I often found
myself unable to trust other people to do things they promised or to do them
correctly, I am finding I can't trust myself.
I console myself often by remembering that it wasn't very long ago that the
average life expectancy was 35 years. We've extended that substantially,
but as a result, face a host of new health issues that hardly every plagued
the first colonists.
> >> > FWIW, I ordered two new Surebonder guns that are "pseudo
> >> > cordless"
> >> > - they sit in a base that has prongs that allow 110VAC to heat
> >> > them, and you can detach them from the base and use them for at
> >> > least a half a glue stick's worth before they cool down too
> >> > much to melt glue. That's what I had before the Stanley, but
> >> > my local HD didn't have any so I bought the Stanley. The
> >> > cordless design will make it even harder to accidentally leave
> >> > them on since I have to remember to put them back on the stand
> >> > to reconnect them and I always forget to do that! There's a
> >> > thread subject: "Making senility work FOR you!"
> >>
> >> The Surebonder guns sound like a good choice, especially since it
> >> will be more difficult to acidentally leave them on.
> >
> > That's the theory, anyway. What I hate most is all the things I
> > do incorrectly now. I, too, watched my Dad deal with his
> > dementia. He was extremely frustrated and agitated at his own
> > failures, especially perfoming tasks that require many steps
> > and/or attention to detail. I'm trying to see it as just a
> > natural progression of things, at least for some people. My
> > grandfather died at age 39, so I'm doing *way* better than he did.
>
> My dad was 81 when he passed away, and his death was actually from
> congestive heart failure, not dimentia related. I'll be 66 in
> January. I have some well-managed arterial blockage, but otherwise
> fairly healthy.
Well, here's to hoping you outlive your dad and avoid the problems he went
through with mental decline. There's a lot of research going on in this
area, but unfortunately, much of it hasn't panned out. A recent study was
stopped in mid-stream when it was discovered that not only was it not
helping memory, it was having bad cardiac side-effects.
>
> >> Best of luck, Bobby. I hope this progresses *very* slowly for
> >> you.
> >
> > Thanks. I though I had better mention it so people understand
> > when I start spouting more than my usual amount of gibberish.
>
> I think you did a damn fine job of helping people to understand what
> turns your life is taking. The average person needs more knowledge
> about these issues.
Oddly enough, I am not sure I would have even noticed the decline had my
wife not insisted I get a checkup. I've always been slightly forgetful, but
she's noted some serious issues of late. I imagine it was the same with
your Dad and people around him noticing the problem long before he did.
--
Bobby G.
nsroc...@gmail.com
> My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in too
> long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just a
> little trickle of glue. Have burned the crap out of my hand three times,
> though!!!!
>
> 0-: >
>
> I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end. The glue
> stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other ideas?
>
> --
> Bobby G.
I noticed the plugged glue gun subject turned to the plugged brain subject. Dementia and Alzheimer's, nasty critters. I am 69. I learned several years ago that consuming extra virgin coconut oil, 4TBS daily will stop and reverse that sad condition. Research it, while you can.
Robert Green
news:2327a9de-f62d-4f73...@googlegroups.com...
> My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in too
> long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just
a
> little trickle of glue. Have burned the crap out of my hand three times,
> though!!!!
>
> 0-: >
>
> I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end. The
glue
> stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other ideas?
>
> --
> Bobby G.
<Hello Bobby G., and the other guys posting here. today my Stanley
professional glue gun stopped up. I fooled with it about ten minutes, boiled
water and soaked the nozzle, that did nothing. I threw it in the trash. I
have an old Craftsman EZ glue gun, I finished my project with that. I hope
they(Sears) still carry the glue sticks, they are oval instead of round.>
I trashed mine, too and bought three $10 Surebonder units since I now
consider glue guns "disposable" tools not worth screwing with when they
clog. I also put mine on a sixty minute timer that's plugged into the
shoplite outlet so it can't easily get left on for long periods of time.
They last about two years under such conditions.
I liked the older unit because it was somewhat portable - the gun didn't
have a cord - it had a 110VAC laptop cord type connector at the end of the
handle that sat in the base. You could remove it an it retained enough heat
to do a small job away from the base - or you could just plug in a cord and
use it away from the base. Got some small battery powered glue guns that
are OK for little things - they use thin pencil glue sticks. I can't see
why Craftsman would use non-standard glue sticks. Seems like proprietary BS
meant to force people to buy their sticks.
< I noticed the plugged glue gun subject turned to the plugged brain
subject. Dementia and Alzheimer's, nasty critters. I am 69. I learned
several years ago that consuming extra virgin coconut oil, 4TBS daily will
stop and reverse that sad condition. Research it, while you can.>
tests, I seem to have plateaued and now suffer from *other* aging maladies.
Oh well. I use coconut oil in my coffee, BTW - gives it a nice "kick."
Maybe that's what stopped the decline. It certainly wasn't all the meds
they prescribed which mostly made me nauseated and gave me chest pains. The
joys of modern medicine.
--
Bobby G.
rbowman
> Oh well. I use coconut oil in my coffee, BTW - gives it a nice "kick."
> Maybe that's what stopped the decline. It certainly wasn't all the meds
> they prescribed which mostly made me nauseated and gave me chest pains.
> The joys of modern medicine.
olive oil sometimes for frying effs but haven't figured out what else to do
with it. It doesn't help that around here coconut 'oil' only resembles oil
in August.
sharon...@outlook.com
> My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in too
> long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just a
> little trickle of glue. Have burned the crap out of my hand three times,
> though!!!!
>
> 0-: >
>
> I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end. The glue
> stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other ideas?
>
> --
> Bobby G.
cl...@snyder.on.ca
wrote:
Colonel Edmund Burke
> On Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 5:07:44 AM UTC-5, Robert Green wrote:
>> My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in too
>> long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just a
>> little trickle of glue.
LOL
theworldi...@gmail.com
> Wayne Boatwright <waynebo...@xgmail.com> wrote in
>
>
> >
> > Can't you remember to simply unplug it when your finished using it?
>
>
>
> That's really, REALLY easy to forget to do!
>
> At work we have a number of 3M Polygun ECs. These cost about $350 each, and
> are the very best available. They even have an on/off switch, which is
> really nice. And they last forever, unless somebody leaves them on for a
> week unattended...
>
> We tried Stanley/Bostitch guns and a few other brands, but nothing
> -- nothing -- even came close to the 3M Polyguns and 3M JetMelt adhesives
> in quality.
>
>
>
> --
> Tegger
I left mine on for a week.... I go back to my dads where I left it on since.... sunday * I go back Friday/tomorrow.* I am scared its going to be either melted, burnt/ broken... EYEYEY
theworldi...@gmail.com
> My trusty old Stanley glue gun got clogged after being left plugged in too
> long. Reamed it with nails, paper clips, etc. without much success - just a
> though!!!!
>
> 0-: >
>
> I'm going to cut a wooden dowel next to ream it from the back end. The glue
> stick flexes too much to make a good reamer. Any other ideas?
>
> --
> Bobby G.