Adhesive and Sealant Applications & Tools
Experts in the tools used for specific applications. The tool may cost you very little, but it accounts for over 50% of the success in the application.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
HOW TO LOAD A BULK CAULK GUN
Many people who pick up a bulk gun for the first time get frustrated. Why? Because it is messy and it requires some practice. So, what are the keys to successful bulk caulk loading and dispensing?
1. Work to keep the process clean: Always have solvent and rags handy to clean the gun. Generally, the material manufacturers publish their solvent recommendation for clean up in their Spec Data or Technical Data Sheet (TDS).
2. Don't try to load the gun through the nozzle, unless it is a thin self-leveling sealant.
Always remove the nozzle and cap. Load with the open barrel end of the tool.
3. Always make sure your tool is producing adequate vacuum. Quick test: Place your palm flat across the front of the barrel and pull the rod back. Your palm should seal against the barrel and you should feel a strong pull. To insure proper vacuum we recommend that:
· The inside of the barrel be clean of all sealant film and lightly oiled. With our steel barrel tools you can clean out the inside of the barrel with our 800-G01 Barrel Brush. Don't use a wire brush on Teflon® coated barrels. With Teflon® coated barrels simply add solvents to the inside of the barrel and flush out with the piston - run it up and down the barrel briskly. Wet or hardened sealant should peel off. Same with aluminum barrel guns; No brass bristle brushing.
· The pistons can be cleaned and not damaged. Our bulk tools are built with leather pistons. Take the pistons out, clean them with solvent and soak them in standard automotive motor oil. Leather pistons are just like our skin, they will dry out when exposed to solvents (including water!) so "moisturize" them in oil like you do with hand lotion until they become soft and flexible. Once the pistons are saturated and clean, reload them into the tool. Some tools have synthetic (Teflon or plastic) pistons, with those all you can do is make sure the edges are not damaged. See our instructional Video “How to maintain and repair Albion bulk & sausage guns”
4. Prep the pail: Many (Poly)Urethane & Silicone sealants are moisture curing. They react with moisture in the air to cure to a rubbery state. What happens then is during the time your pail is open to the atmosphere the top surface of the material can cure or skin over. Use a Follow Plate or Skim Plate to reduce the air exposure. When placing a plate on the sealant start with an edge, press it down into the sealant and carefully flatten the plate on the sealant. What you want to do is purge all the air out from between the follow plate and the sealant.
5. Loading the tool: There are several popular techniques for filling the gun. Direct loading, using an Albion 33-10 Loading Sleeve (with or without a Skim Plate) or a Follow Plate. I will touch on each process. See our instructional Videos “How to use Slip-on Follow Plates” or “How to Load a Bulk Gun”
- Direct Loading: This is how most professionals load their tools. First apply a bond breaker (solvent, WD-40, cooking spray, etc.) to the threads on the barrel end to make cleanup easier. Then plunge the end of the barrel into the sealant a good inch, making sure the sealant is contacting all the way around the sides of the barrel. Then you pull the rod back gently and you feel the vacuum pull the sealant into the barrel. Develop a feel for the resistance as you pull the rod back. Watch out for air getting past the barrel and into the gun. Sink the barrel deeper into the pail as the material level drops. Once the gun is loaded, pull the barrel out and wipe the barrel clean before placing the cap on the barrel.
- 33-10 Loading Sleeve: By using a loading sleeve, you cover the barrel surface with the sleeve and keep the mess on the sleeve. This surely helps keep the gun clean and speeds up the process.
- 33-10 Loading Sleeve: By using a loading sleeve, you cover the barrel surface with the sleeve and keep the mess on the sleeve. This surely helps keep the gun clean and speeds up the process.
- Follow Plate: You should consider use a follow plate with Silicone based material as explained above.
To load the gun, you place the gun onto the gasket of the follow plate. Now the follow plate and gun are one, push down with the gun and pull the rod back. This pushes and pulls the material up into the gun. See our instructional Video “How to use Slip-on Follow Plates”
Now that you have loaded your tool, put the cap and nozzle on the tool and apply your sealant…. That is the easy part. Repeat this process over and over again, I promise if you do it enough times you will get good at it and become quite effective. It takes finesse. Keep your tool clean, don’t get frustrated, and visit our website if you need more help.
Labels: #build, #caulk, #caulking, #concrete, #construction, #engineering, #sausage, #TBJKGB, Albion
Monday, May 7, 2018
How to Tool Sealants in Horizontal Joints
The best advice we can pass along for tooling sealants in saw cut and
expansion joints in concrete slabs comes from Wayne BelCher from United
Professional Caulking in Seattle. He is a recognized expert in the
field and has published a reference book on waterproofing.
We recently watched him lead a team that was doing just this type of work. His advice was to use a combination of spatulas with both Passive and Aggressive tip shapes.
TOOLS NEEDED:
For more information on our 258 Classic Spatula, 958 Streamline Spatula, or 922-G01 CAT Spatula see Product Bulletin 297F and Product Bulletin 345.
We recently watched him lead a team that was doing just this type of work. His advice was to use a combination of spatulas with both Passive and Aggressive tip shapes.
TOOLS NEEDED:
- (1) Passive Round Tip Spatula: 258 Classic Spatula or 958 Streamline Spatula
- (1) Aggressive Pointed Tip Spatula: 922-G01 CAT Spatula
- Caulk Gun. Suggested caulk gun B12S20
- Sealant of choice
- DISPENSE sealant into the joints, overfill them slightly.
- PUSH forward with along the joint with a passive or traditionally shaped (rounded tip) spatula (258 Classic Spatula or 958 Streamline Spatula). Smooth and remove the excess caulk by scooping it off the substrate.
- PULL the sealant back towards you using an aggressive shaped (pointed tip) spatula (922-G01 CAT Spatula),
Giving it the hourglass shaped profile that most sealant manufacturers
recommend for the best elongation characteristics. Take note of the
shallow angle of the spatula in this step.
FINSHED - Remember to clean off your spatulas for longer lasting tool!
For more information on our 258 Classic Spatula, 958 Streamline Spatula, or 922-G01 CAT Spatula see Product Bulletin 297F and Product Bulletin 345.
Labels: #caulking, #construction, #spatulas, tooling knives
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
How to Release a Jammed Manual Gun
If you are like many sealant and adhesive users, you have probably pulled hard on the trigger of a manual gun in order to dispense the last drop from a tube. If there was a cured plug in the cartridge or nozzle you probably locked up or jammed the gun in your quest for economy.
Instead, use the trigger to take just enough of the pressure off the recoil that is can be activated by your thumb.
Following the sequence in the illustration to the left:
By "jammed" we mean that the recoil (AKA Thumb Release) is so overloaded that normal pressure will not unhang it from its usual function of keeping the rod from moving backwards after it is advanced by the gripping plates. You could hit it with a hammer or bang it against a table but DON'T! You risk bending or breaking the recoil and scoring the rod in the process.
Instead, use the trigger to take just enough of the pressure off the recoil that is can be activated by your thumb.
Following the sequence in the illustration to the left:
(1) Pull the trigger firmly. This will advance or unload the rod slightly.
(2) While maintaining the pressure on the trigger, depress the recoil.
Voila! The rod is free and you can now remove the spent tube and get back to your project with a gun that is undamaged.
(2) While maintaining the pressure on the trigger, depress the recoil.
Voila! The rod is free and you can now remove the spent tube and get back to your project with a gun that is undamaged.
Labels: #build, #caulk, #caulking, #concrete, #construction, #contractor #contracting, #engineer, #engineering, #engineeringtidbit, #firestop, #roofing, #toolbox, #toolsofthetrade, B12, dispensing solutions