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How to clean out an expanding foam gun?
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mike
Nov 2, 2013, 7:29:47 AM11/2/13
to
I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of expanding foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with straws.
It's the silver one here although I think they've for the description/product code mixed up with the black one:
http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/heavy-duty-professional-foam-gun/
http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/professional-expanding-foam-gun/
I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of cleaner attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later, it's just not working.
The trigger and the valve at the end of the barrel move freely, there's no obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached the can of cleaner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't having it.
What is the best way to get it working again or is it a binner? Can these thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of pingfuckits that never fit back together again?
Any useful advice welcome. It was fun while it lasted…..
It's the silver one here although I think they've for the description/product code mixed up with the black one:
http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/heavy-duty-professional-foam-gun/
http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/professional-expanding-foam-gun/
I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of cleaner attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later, it's just not working.
The trigger and the valve at the end of the barrel move freely, there's no obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached the can of cleaner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't having it.
What is the best way to get it working again or is it a binner? Can these thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of pingfuckits that never fit back together again?
Any useful advice welcome. It was fun while it lasted…..
Tim Watts
Nov 2, 2013, 7:38:59 AM11/2/13
to
On Saturday 02 November 2013 11:29 mike wrote in uk.d-i-y:
> I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of expanding
> foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with straws.
>
> It's the silver one here although I think they've for the
> description/product code mixed up with the black one:
>
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/heavy-duty-professional-foam-gun/
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/professional-expanding-foam-gun/
>
> I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of cleaner
> attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming
> through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later,
> it's just not working.
Did you leave the cleaner in for an hour, then blast through, then leave
> I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of expanding
> foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with straws.
>
> It's the silver one here although I think they've for the
> description/product code mixed up with the black one:
>
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/heavy-duty-professional-foam-gun/
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/professional-expanding-foam-gun/
>
> I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of cleaner
> attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming
> through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later,
> it's just not working.
more cleaner for another hour and repeat 3-4 times? It needs to soak...
> The trigger and the valve at the end of the barrel move freely, there's no
> obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached the can of
> cleaner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't having it.
>
> What is the best way to get it working again or is it a binner? Can these
> thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of
> pingfuckits that never fit back together again?
that do not get cleaned. You may need some Loctite thread seal (not thread
lock) for one or two of the screw joints. FAiling that, some PTFE tape might
suffice.
The bit that was a PITA on mine was the little green plastic ball that acted
as a non return valve where the can attached.
>
> Any useful advice welcome. It was fun while it lasted…..
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/
http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage
mike
Nov 2, 2013, 8:08:06 AM11/2/13
to
On Saturday, November 2, 2013 11:38:59 AM UTC, Tim Watts wrote:
> On Saturday 02 November 2013 11:29 mike wrote in uk.d-i-y:
>
>
>
> > I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of expanding
>
> > foam.
> On Saturday 02 November 2013 11:29 mike wrote in uk.d-i-y:
>
>
>
> > I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of expanding
>
> > foam.
> > I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of cleaner
>
> > attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming
>
> > through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later,
>
> > it's just not working.
>
>
>
> Did you leave the cleaner in for an hour, then blast through, then leave
>
> more cleaner for another hour and repeat 3-4 times? It needs to soak...
>
No, I followed the procedure in this Youtube video. It was all over in a minute and a half. He sounded so convincing:
>
> > attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was coming
>
> > through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a week later,
>
> > it's just not working.
>
>
>
> Did you leave the cleaner in for an hour, then blast through, then leave
>
> more cleaner for another hour and repeat 3-4 times? It needs to soak...
>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZ478GtilQ
> > What is the best way to get it working again or is it a binner? Can these
>
> > thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full of
>
> > pingfuckits that never fit back together again?
>
>
>
> Shouldn't be. I took mine apart and rebuilt. There are places the foam gets
>
> that do not get cleaned. You may need some Loctite thread seal (not thread
>
> lock) for one or two of the screw joints. FAiling that, some PTFE tape might
>
> suffice.
>
>
>
> The bit that was a PITA on mine was the little green plastic ball that acted
>
> as a non return valve where the can attached.
Tim Watts
Nov 2, 2013, 8:46:12 AM11/2/13
to
On Saturday 02 November 2013 12:08 mike wrote in uk.d-i-y:
> On Saturday, November 2, 2013 11:38:59 AM UTC, Tim Watts wrote:
>> Did you leave the cleaner in for an hour, then blast through, then leave
>>
>> more cleaner for another hour and repeat 3-4 times? It needs to soak...
>>
>
>
>
> No, I followed the procedure in this Youtube video. It was all over in a
> minute and a half. He sounded so convincing:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZ478GtilQ
The "hour" is an overstatement for normal cleaning, but when the gun is
> On Saturday, November 2, 2013 11:38:59 AM UTC, Tim Watts wrote:
>> Did you leave the cleaner in for an hour, then blast through, then leave
>>
>> more cleaner for another hour and repeat 3-4 times? It needs to soak...
>>
>
>
>
> No, I followed the procedure in this Youtube video. It was all over in a
> minute and a half. He sounded so convincing:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZ478GtilQ
showing problems, it is worth a try...
> OK, thanks. I thought the gun would be a step up from straws but
> soaking/disassembling/thread seal sounds like exchanging one lot of
> problems for another.
some Loctite (or similar) pipe thread sealant. It too an hour or so to
strip, clean and reassemble.
And a couple more hours to let the sealant harden.
Mind you I never did get the little green ball to seal properly when the can
came off, but the gun worked.
mike
Nov 2, 2013, 9:26:23 AM11/2/13
to
Google archives came to the rescue with a post from John Rumm suggesting poking the inlet ball bearing with a small screwdriver. It looked clean but a prod revealed that it had stuck with a tiny piece of foam adhering to it. Once that fell out, I ran some more cleaner through it with no problem.
Not sure how the seal is - hopefully OK but I guess they're easy to scratch/damage when coerced with a metal tool.
Anyway, I wish I'd know this the other day when it wasn't working and I had to resort to the 2-inch plastic nozzle that came with the cleaning solvent while it was blowing a gale and siling it down.
Phil L
Nov 2, 2013, 10:51:32 AM11/2/13
to
used one regularly for about 4 years that has never blocked and never been
cleaned with foam cleaner, I simply turn the valve off after each use so
that the trigger cannot be depressed.
A small amount of foam will leak out, about an inch or two long, this is
snapped off prior to next use, the valve opened slightly and away we go
again, that said, the can of foam is never removed from the gun until it's
completely empty, this is where your problem may be, the set foam could be
in the top of the can rather than the actual gun, although this doesn't
explain why the cleaner won't come through
Tim Watts
Nov 2, 2013, 11:22:12 AM11/2/13
to
On Saturday 02 November 2013 14:51 Phil L wrote in uk.d-i-y:
> I don't know how people manage to block foam guns with such regularity,
> I've used one regularly for about 4 years that has never blocked and never
> been cleaned with foam cleaner, I simply turn the valve off after each use
> so that the trigger cannot be depressed.
So do I.
> I don't know how people manage to block foam guns with such regularity,
> I've used one regularly for about 4 years that has never blocked and never
> been cleaned with foam cleaner, I simply turn the valve off after each use
> so that the trigger cannot be depressed.
You use yours every few days I assume?
I think the problem is with leaving it for a few months full but without
use.
> A small amount of foam will leak out, about an inch or two long, this is
> snapped off prior to next use, the valve opened slightly and away we go
> again, that said, the can of foam is never removed from the gun until it's
> completely empty, this is where your problem may be, the set foam could be
> in the top of the can rather than the actual gun, although this doesn't
> explain why the cleaner won't come through
John Rumm
Nov 2, 2013, 5:35:37 PM11/2/13
to
On 02/11/2013 11:29, mike wrote:
> I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of
> expanding foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with
> straws.
>
> It's the silver one here although I think they've for the
> description/product code mixed up with the black one:
>
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/heavy-duty-professional-foam-gun/
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/professional-expanding-foam-gun/
>
> I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of
> cleaner attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was
> coming through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a
> week later, it's just not working.
>
> The trigger and the valve at the end of the barrel move freely,
> there's no obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached
> the can of cleaner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't
> having it.
The usualy problem is the anti backflow valve (basically a spring loaded
> I recently bought a "Bondit" branded gun for used with cans of
> expanding foam. It worked well, much better than the cans with
> straws.
>
> It's the silver one here although I think they've for the
> description/product code mixed up with the black one:
>
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/heavy-duty-professional-foam-gun/
> http://www.bond-it.co.uk/product/professional-expanding-foam-gun/
>
> I cleaned it out afterward with the appropriate aerosol can of
> cleaner attached -- kept the trigger pressed and waited until it was
> coming through clear -- but the second time I came to use it about a
> week later, it's just not working.
>
> The trigger and the valve at the end of the barrel move freely,
> there's no obvious obstruction at the inlet valve and I've reattached
> the can of cleaner and tried to blast it through again, but it ain't
> having it.
BB) just after the point the can attaches can get stuck- give it a firm
prod with a small screwdriver to free the ball and it works again.
>
> What is the best way to get it working again or is it a binner? Can
> these thing she disassembled and cleaned successfully or is it full
> of pingfuckits that never fit back together again?
>
If using again within a few weeks, I just leave the can on the gun and
don't bother cleaning it.
--
Cheers,
John.
/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/
Grimly Curmudgeon
Nov 11, 2013, 7:26:37 PM11/11/13
to
On Sat, 2 Nov 2013 14:51:32 -0000, "Phil L" <neverc...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>that said, the can of foam is never removed from the gun until it's
>completely empty, this is where your problem may be, the set foam could be
>in the top of the can rather than the actual gun, although this doesn't
>explain why the cleaner won't come through
Yesterday I picked up the foam gun and the dregs of the last can on it
squirted out fine, even though it was well over a year since it was
last used. Same as you, the valve screwed down and left.
wrote:
>that said, the can of foam is never removed from the gun until it's
>completely empty, this is where your problem may be, the set foam could be
>in the top of the can rather than the actual gun, although this doesn't
>explain why the cleaner won't come through
squirted out fine, even though it was well over a year since it was
last used. Same as you, the valve screwed down and left.
jonathanharr...@gmail.com
Jan 1, 2016, 10:49:55 AM1/1/16
to
Hi, if anyone is struggling with guns seizing up, I also bought a metal bodied bond it gun which failed after a few months. I had religiously cleaned it with gun cleaner but it gradually seized up. I then bought amore expensive gun from screwfix which is Italian and it clearly stated to NEVER remove from foam can which is what I have been doing for the last 3 yearswith no problems. You have to always keep a can on it though so when you come to use it after a few months for example, you scrape hardened foam off tip give it the necessery shake and you,re away!! All the best Jon
Tennessee State University
Oct 31, 2020, 11:33:33 AM10/31/20
to
Brian Gaff (Sofa)
Nov 1, 2020, 6:20:54 AM11/1/20
to
This thread has indeed run a lot of years. I strongly suspect the makers
want you to keep buying them, grin.
Brian
--
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Tennessee State University" <webm...@tnstate.edu> wrote in message
news:a1f2de17-b86d-46da...@googlegroups.com...
want you to keep buying them, grin.
Brian
--
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Tennessee State University" <webm...@tnstate.edu> wrote in message
news:a1f2de17-b86d-46da...@googlegroups.com...
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