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, August 2, 2016
The Best Just Keeps Gettin' Better!™
The
Best Just Keeps Gettin' Better!™
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| B12S20 Sausage Gun |
For many years, the industry standard for this class of gun was to connect the back cap to the handle with a plastic threaded barrel screw. But problems with the screw coming loose were common as users rotated the barrel during normal use and a special spanner wrench was the only way to tighten it. And the screw also had a bad habit of stripping out under heavy pumping, leaving the tool unusable.Our engineers thought outside the box on this one, designing a rigid plate and 3-screw attachment resulting in a much stronger connection and a smoother swiveling action.
While working on the inner guts of the B12S20, the Albion engineers extended the rod support area. The benefit is that the gun action is now smoother and stiffer. There is less rocking or flexing in the tool, resulting in greater efficiency. Less effort is wasted in unproductive flexing in the guns so that virtually all of the user's effort goes towards dispensing the material at hand. An additional benefit of the modification of the rod guide area is less wear.Albion B-Line tools are built to last a long time. As the double gripping plates reliably advance the rod thousands of times, dispensing many gallons of sealant, the rod naturally wears. We listened to users who told us that the recoil (thumb pressure release tab) could get hung up on these wear marks and not hold the rod from backsliding.
If you protect your tools from the accumulation of dried caulk and abuse on the job site, they will eventually experience some looseness or "slop" in the trigger action. But you can quickly tune out this wasted motion with the wear adjustment screw. Located under a protective black plastic cover just above where the rod goes through the recoil, this spring loaded screw controls the rest position of the gripping plates through the floating pin. A 1/4-turn is usually sufficient to bring a well-used tool back to like-new performance.
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We recently fine tuned the handle casting to better support this pin as it controls the critical attitude of the gripping plates. But... The improvement that excites us most at Albion is the addition of a durable steel hook pull to the B12S20, and B26S20 (High-Thrust) 20oz sausage guns - and at no extra charge! When you hang your gun on a ladder or high reach or swing stage you need to be confident that it is going to stay exactly where you place it. For some time now the threaded rod on the B-Line sausage guns has accepted our full sized 310-1 or compact 310-3 hook pulls. Now you don't need to purchase it separately. Representing another improvement over the industry standard (in this case plastic hooks) the Albion steel hook is larger and significantly more durable.
With these recent improvements coming on top of previously announced strengthened caps, thicker nozzles, stronger thread rings, and no extra charge bulk piston, we proudly say that The Best Just Keeps Gettin' Better!™
Labels: #caulk, #caulking, #engineer, #firestop, #sausage, #TBJKGB, #toolsofthetrade
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
Friday, July 11, 2014
Which is the better tool for powered dispensing, Cordless or Air?
When your sealant or adhesive dispensing project would benefit from a powered tool how do you choose between cordless, battery and air? Each has inherent advantages and disadvantages. Following is a summary to help you make a decision that will help you increase your output & efficiency while reducing hassle & frustration.
Firstly, when do you choose a powered gun? They are best for:
1. High volume applications (wide joints, etc.)
2. Where a smooth bead is desired (less tooling because there are no globs resulting from stop / start)
3. Thick materials
4. 2-component materials with static mixing nozzles
5. Applications involving long nozzles
Secondly, what are the requirements of the applications?
Mobility: With its go anywhere, do anything convenience, cordless is the clear winner here. Cordless guns have no air hose to hold you back or get dragged through wet product; No compressor to pull around; and no searching for AC outlets to plug in.
Dispensing Control: Since the trigger on an air gun is basically an on / off switch it can be challenging to do fine work, even if your pressure regulator is mounted just below the handle as we recommend. In contrast, the variable speed trigger on Albion battery powered guns, used in combination with the max speed limiting dial, gives you total control. Both battery and air powered style guns are drip-free.
Weight: A cordless tool typically weighs 4 or 5 pounds more than a comparable air tool, not including the hose.
Cost: This is a toss-up, depending on your starting point. If you include the cost of the entire setup for an air powered tool (Compressor, hoses, regulator & gun), it is more expensive than a cordless gun including battery and charger. However, since many contractors already have access to an air source and hoses they will only consider the cost of the gun and regulator which is 40% less than a cordless setup.
Power: Since the launch of our 18V platform with 950 pounds of force, this has become a minor issue. One exception is 2-component twin cartridges where the 4” diameter air cylinder can deliver more force but in some cases we are surpassing the pressure ratings of the cartridges! Air powered is still best option for twin sausage packs because the aluminum barrels safely contain all the pressure.
Durability: Battery powered guns are comprised of motors, triggers, batteries and electronics which makes them more complex than air tools, which contain mostly valves and hoses. Therefore, battery powered guns will require maintenance sooner.
Other Considerations: Because cordless tools are designed to dispense at a continuous rate they are not recommended for crack injection. Air powered guns are a much better choice for that type of application. They comfortably hold a constant pressure without over stressing the tool.
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Air Powered (Pneumatic)Pros· Lighter weight
· Simpler construction, fewer moving parts
· Less expensive (assuming that you already own a compressor, hoses and regulator)
· More powerful in some applications
Cons· Less dispensing control
· Mobility limited by air hose length & compressor’s need for power
Cordless Battery PoweredPros· Unlimited mobility – go anywhere
· Total dispensing control with variable speed trigger and speed limiting dial
Cons· Initial Purchase Cost
· Weight
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Grouting and Pointing
Many bulk caulk guns can be used to dispense grout and mortar. 20 oz capacity guns seem to be the most popular for this application, but larger and smaller guns work equally well--just consider the weight. The barrels on these guns measure 14" x 2". A standard 1/2" ID metal nozzle allows for precise placement of mortar between the stone or brick and clean up with water is minimal.
The standard metal nozzle can be replaced with other metal nozzles as small as 1/8" or as large as 3/4". Alternatively, substitute a cone-shaped nozzle and trim the opening to any size up to 1 3/4". The tapered shape of the cone will result in less back pressure compared to a straight metal nozzle.
To load the gun, remove the front cap, pull the rod completely back and load the barrel by troweling in your mix. Some polymer modified products can be loaded by sucking them up into the barrel, the same way you do with caulk. The finer the aggregate in the mortar or grout, the easier it will be to dispense.
Tap the side of the barrel frequently during loading to remove voids. Wipe the barrel and cap threads clean before replacing the cap. You may need to modify your mix slightly for dispensing by gun; a wetter mix flows better, but too wet and you can get separation of the water and aggregate inside the barrel. The addition of a latex masonry additive (know in the trade as "milk") will also make dispensing easier and help keep the mix together. Some users have reported similar benefits from the addition of liquid dish soap to the mix. Clean the gun after use with water. Periodically disassemble the leather pistons to clean and re-oil the pistons (use standard motor oil or mineral oil) and barrel to maintain a tight seal. If you are doing a large quantity of pointing and the leather pistons require frequent maintenance consider replacing the front one with a nitrile or neoprene rubber piston.
The standard metal nozzle can be replaced with other metal nozzles as small as 1/8" or as large as 3/4". Alternatively, substitute a cone-shaped nozzle and trim the opening to any size up to 1 3/4". The tapered shape of the cone will result in less back pressure compared to a straight metal nozzle.
To load the gun, remove the front cap, pull the rod completely back and load the barrel by troweling in your mix. Some polymer modified products can be loaded by sucking them up into the barrel, the same way you do with caulk. The finer the aggregate in the mortar or grout, the easier it will be to dispense.
Tap the side of the barrel frequently during loading to remove voids. Wipe the barrel and cap threads clean before replacing the cap. You may need to modify your mix slightly for dispensing by gun; a wetter mix flows better, but too wet and you can get separation of the water and aggregate inside the barrel. The addition of a latex masonry additive (know in the trade as "milk") will also make dispensing easier and help keep the mix together. Some users have reported similar benefits from the addition of liquid dish soap to the mix. Clean the gun after use with water. Periodically disassemble the leather pistons to clean and re-oil the pistons (use standard motor oil or mineral oil) and barrel to maintain a tight seal. If you are doing a large quantity of pointing and the leather pistons require frequent maintenance consider replacing the front one with a nitrile or neoprene rubber piston.
Labels: bulk guns, grouting, pointing
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Why does my caulking gun drip?
• Viscosity of the material—thicker material tends to drip less
• Compressibility of the material—less compressible material tends to drip less
• Swelling of the cartridge—rigid cartridges tend to drip less
• Piston Friction inside the cartridge—pistons that retract slightly after the pressure is released tend to drip less
• Air Bubbles in the material which occur during the filling process—material without any air bubbles tends to drip less
If any of these five factors are present, the gun is not to blame. You can prove this by removing a cartridge from a gun immediately after finishing a dispensing cycle. Some cartridges will continue to ooze while standing upright outside the gun!
Dispensing guns can be designed with certain non-drip features to help reduce the potential for run-on. Non-drip guns are useful for when a smooth bead is not required, as in filling small cracks in a number of different locations. Since no-drip guns tend to increase the number of starts and stops during the application, they come in handy when only one or two pumps of the gun at most will fill the crack. Continuous flow guns, on the other hand, should be used when a smooth bead is required over many pumps of the gun, as in filling long or continuous joints. On continuous flow tools, always remember to press the recoil plate with your thumb to release the pressure when you finish your application. Pressure on the rod is instantly removed by releasing this tension.
Albion gun models B1, H10D and H10XD have no-drip features. In addition:
- all of our cordless guns are no drip as the motors reverse whenever the trigger is released
- all our pneumatic guns are no drip as the air cylinder is exhausted when the trigger is released
- our Special Deluxe Drive guns (DL-45, DL-59) have a no-drip mode - just hook the recoil
A caulking gun with a full time non-drip feature is, by design, inefficient. The first 1/4 to 1/3 of each trigger stroke is wasted motion, as it is required to release the non-drip mechanism and reengage the gripping plates to the rod, thus repressurizing the material before new material flows out the nozzle. When comparing non-drip and continuous flow tools, you will notice that less material is dispensed per pump when using the non-drip tool.
The graph below displays pounds of force as a function of the distance traveled by the drive rod. As you can see, a major disadvantage of a dripless system is that force goes all the way back down to 0 after each pump. In addition, the standard drive system exerts force over a greater distance interval than the dripless system.
Finally, a quick historical note: Ratchet guns were the first caulking guns to hit the market and in theory they functioned as non-drip tools. In 1933, Albion Engineering Company patented the first smooth rod caulking gun to provide a more continuous flow of material. This is what launched smooth rod drive caulking guns into the marketplace. The first non-drip smooth rod design was introduced by Dripless, Inc. in 1992. Since then there have been many variations using this technology.
To conclude, dripping or run-on occurs primarily due to issues with the material or package used to contain the material. Dispensing tools can be designed in such a way to reduce run-on, but guns with a full-time non-drip feature are generally less efficient than continuous flow guns. In most cases, choosing the right tool for a particular application will ultimately come down to whether or not a long, smooth bead is required.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Equation F=PA
Why do we have so many different types of tools, and how do we select the right tool for the right application? This is one of the hardest questions and one we don't give much thought to. Heck, a caulking gun is a caulking gun, right? Wrong, and here is why.
Force = Pressure x Area
This is a basic engineering formula that you can apply to dispensing tools. Simply put, it takes pressure in the cartridge, sausage, or bulk barrel (a material containment unit or MCU) to get material to flow out of the nozzle. Different amounts of pressure are required depending on:
a. How thick the material is.
b. The nozzle opening. Think of the pressure required to push material through a static mixer. A static mixer is a mixing nozzle which mixes two component materials before the material reaches the substrate.
PRESSURE makes things happen.
To determine the FORCE required of your dispensing tool you must calculate the area of the piston pushing on the material in the MCU. Lets compare the simple 1/10 gallon cartridge and the common quart cartridge. You don't generally see thick material in a quart cartridge. Why?
1/10 Gallon Cartridge Area = (Diameter Squared * Pi/4) = (1.8*1.8*3.1416)/4 = 2.55 square inches
Quart Cartridge Area = 5.19 square inches
5.19/2.56= 2.002
The Quart Cartridge Area is double that of a 1/10th Gallon Cartridge Area. This basic engineering formula reveals that it will require double the force to develop the same pressure in a Quart Cartridge versus a 1/10 Gallon Cartridge.
What can we draw from this?
1. Thin material requires less pressure and thus less force... and a lower-end dispensing tool.
2. Thicker material or very small or long nozzles require more pressure and thus more force... and thus a stronger or more forceful dispensing tool.
3. If you increase the diameter of the MCU you will need to develop more force from your dispensing tool. Most materials packaged in a Quart Cartridge are low pressure materials which require large nozzle openings and little accuracy in applying. A good example is subfloor adhesive. Your objective there is to get material down quickly.
In the next blog segment we will talk about how to measure force on a dispensing tool. Also, we will discuss what rod displacement means and how it needs to be factored in when selecting the right tool.
Force = Pressure x Area
This is a basic engineering formula that you can apply to dispensing tools. Simply put, it takes pressure in the cartridge, sausage, or bulk barrel (a material containment unit or MCU) to get material to flow out of the nozzle. Different amounts of pressure are required depending on:
a. How thick the material is.
b. The nozzle opening. Think of the pressure required to push material through a static mixer. A static mixer is a mixing nozzle which mixes two component materials before the material reaches the substrate.
PRESSURE makes things happen.
To determine the FORCE required of your dispensing tool you must calculate the area of the piston pushing on the material in the MCU. Lets compare the simple 1/10 gallon cartridge and the common quart cartridge. You don't generally see thick material in a quart cartridge. Why?
1/10 Gallon Cartridge Area = (Diameter Squared * Pi/4) = (1.8*1.8*3.1416)/4 = 2.55 square inches
Quart Cartridge Area = 5.19 square inches
5.19/2.56= 2.002
The Quart Cartridge Area is double that of a 1/10th Gallon Cartridge Area. This basic engineering formula reveals that it will require double the force to develop the same pressure in a Quart Cartridge versus a 1/10 Gallon Cartridge.
What can we draw from this?
1. Thin material requires less pressure and thus less force... and a lower-end dispensing tool.
2. Thicker material or very small or long nozzles require more pressure and thus more force... and thus a stronger or more forceful dispensing tool.
3. If you increase the diameter of the MCU you will need to develop more force from your dispensing tool. Most materials packaged in a Quart Cartridge are low pressure materials which require large nozzle openings and little accuracy in applying. A good example is subfloor adhesive. Your objective there is to get material down quickly.
In the next blog segment we will talk about how to measure force on a dispensing tool. Also, we will discuss what rod displacement means and how it needs to be factored in when selecting the right tool.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Age before Beauty
This is bragging rights.... a tool came back to Albion just the other day in need of a new trigger. The tool was built in June of 1992 and has been used rather heavily. We did notice that the user replaced the drive rod so it is safe to assume that the tool had at least 100,000 cycles on it.
It is always nice to see an old tool and it is even nicer to see that it still has value.
Labels: Albion
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Basic Cartridge Gun
The caulking gun gets a bad rap because of the occasional user of the cartridge gun. Someone who has to fix a leak around their bath tub or kitchen sink goes to the hardware store and picks up caulk and a “cheap” caulking gun to get the job done. Generally speaking they are successful, for they do get the caulk out of the cartridge and they use their finger to tool the joint. But they get frustrated when the material ends up all over themselves and everything around them. When they are finished, they put the tool away and rarely use it again.
There are tools designed for such an individual. There are also tools for contractors who use sealants periodically, and for contractors who use the tools all day every day. The user needs to be matched to the right tool for the application in order to ensure success. One way to measure quality in a tool is based upon price. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
From a dispensing tool solutions provider - someone who knows tools and can look at a tool and see its value - sometimes you don’t quite get what you pay for. It is very easy to make tools appear better then they truly are. We will get further into the more professional cartridge guns, but for the inexperienced, occasional user, here are a few tips to insure the tool you select is acceptable:
• Is the drive rod parallel to the carriage and on the center line of the carriage? And is the front cap of the carriage perpendicular to the drive rod? Poorly assembled carriages tend to droop downward. This will cause a problem.
• Does the pusher (the disk that pushes against the back of the cartridge) fit nicely on the front cap when the rod is in the forward position?
• Push the pusher up against the front cap and squeeze the trigger.
o If the unit clamps itself together, then the drive functions correctly.
o If the tool creaks, then there could be faulty spot welds. A creak means something is moving.
• Slide a cartridge into the carriage. The cartridge should be held in the back and fit nicely in the front cap of the carriage. Holding the cartridge in the back keeps the cartridge secure in the carriage while dispensing material.
• For smooth, long applications, look for a smooth rod without the dripless feature.
• For short, fill-in-the-crack type applications, consider a simple ratchet driven tool or a smooth rod gun with the dripless feature.
• If your material is thick in any way, then you will be applying more loads on the tool and you will have better luck purchasing a higher end more durable tool.
Always remember to tool the joint after you apply the sealant to insure proper bonding of substrates. To tool the joint, use a tool which mimics your finger pushing the material up against the substrate (ee sell a 958-G01 Streamline Spatula Kit). The units that cut away or trim your joints and make them look nice do not insure proper adhesion.
To close, the caulking gun cost is insignificant if the tool does not perform well during the application. When in doubt, we would always recommend you buy a better tool then you think the application requires, for it is the success of the application which truly matters.
We will address the features of a Professional Cartridge Gun and how that matters in future segments.
Labels: cartridge guns
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bulk Loading Low Viscosity Material
It is not difficult to load very liquid materials into a standard bulk gun. The biggest issue is that once loaded, removing the tool from the pail quickly enough to minimize material loss results in a mess.Loading low viscosity sealants and adhesives, often referred to as self-leveling or pour grade, can be almost like loading water into a dispensing tool. Fortunately, many of these products can be loaded directly through the gun nozzle. The front cap and nozzle do not need to be removed from the gun for loading. The benefits of loading through the nozzle are that the gun can be loaded more quickly and with less mess.
The smaller the nozzle diameter, the harder it will be to draw the material in. However, smaller diameters make it easier to keep the material inside the tool. A conscientious mechanic will find the ideal balance between the two. In our experience, smaller is better. The diameter of the nozzle does not need to be closely matched to the joint width as with non-sag sealants because tooling is usually not necessary.
Albion also builds Push-Pull tools. These are bulk guns without a drive system. You simply pull the rod back to load the tool, and push the rod to dispense. Some contractors find this quicker and easier for large jobs using self leveling material.
Watch our instructional Video.
Labels: bulk loading, videos
Mixing Two (or more) Component Sealants Efficiently
At the World of Concrete trade show, Albion provided live demonstrations showing some of the tricks to the trade. A helpful trick which we want to share is how to keep a pail from rotating when mixing color packs or two component urethane kits.
Using an Albion #381 series Catalyst Mixer and a 1/2" drill insures a good mix. See the photograph, by using a RAG KNOTTED AROUND THE PAIL HANDLE AND STANDING ON IT you stabilize the pail. This is a simple and quite reliable method used by many professionals in the field. It ensures a proper mix and cuts down on mess.
Most material manufacturers want to insure the material is thoroughly mixed, especially when mixing two component urethane material. We have heard customers encouraged to look for dents on the outside of the metal pail caused by the edge of the mixing blade to insure the mix is complete. From a tool manufacturer's perspective, we want you to be careful not to puncture the pail. The edges of the Albion mixing head are rounded to minimize denting and reduce the risk of puncturing the pail. It is more effective to follow the sealant manufacturer's recommendation for mix time - typically 3 to 6 minutes - but read the pail or spec sheet to be sure.
Labels: mixers
Sausages Part III: The mess!!!
Simply put, you have to take care of your tool when dealing with material packaged in a sausage. We have found that it is easier for someone who deals with bulk material (material packaged in a 5 gallon pail) to convert to sausages then it is for someone who deals with cartridges. Why? Because a bulk gun user is used to dealing with exposed material and the issues associated with not keeping your tool clean....while a cartridge user simply cuts the tip of the cartridge and pumps.
Material packaged in sausages expose you to the material; the nozzle, for one, is full of the material. You need to develop a technique to deal with spent sausages so that you don't get the left over material all over.
A couple of things to remember:
1. Sealant hardens when a solvent evaporates. Find out what that solvent is, purchase some, and use that solvent to clean up the tool and/or any mess you have. Keep in mind this solvent is very aggressive; handle it properly and be safe, and understand it could dissolve more then just your sealant. For example, if you are cleaning something that is painted, it could dissolve the sealant and the paint.
2. Always load the tool before opening the end.
3. If sealant or adhesive gets inside the barrel of the tool, clean it immediately. If you reload the tool with a new sausage over the sealant, when you start pumping the tool the sausage will become pressurized and the skin will be forced up against the sealant... bonding it to the barrel. It will force the piston to act like your ice scraper when scrapping ice off your windshield on a cold winters day, or peeling a label off that simply doesn't want to come off. All it does is cause problems.
4. Damaged pistons MUST BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. If a piston is damaged due to any kind of issue it will then have a harder time pulling the sausage skin off the barrel of the tool. It is far easier and it will save you more time to simply replace a questionable piston before the problems happen than to wait till a problem does happen.
5. Don't try to save the plastic nozzle, for hardened sealant in a nozzle could deform the beed and hurt the application.
Labels: sausages
Sausages Part II: The Go/No-Go Gauge
Albion provides material manufacturers a set of go and no/go gauges FREE OF CHARGE to insure that sausages are made consistently and will fit dispensing tools. The gauges are meant to provide a baseline. The two gauges check the diameter and the length of a sausage.
If there are issues with sausages that fit this gauge, then we can work to improve the process.
If there are issues with the gauges, please let us know and we will discuss them. Their purpose is to begin to establish a "STANDARD" to which all sausages for sealants and adhesives are manufactured to.
For more details on these gauges see the instruction sheet associated with the gauges on our web site HERE.
Labels: sausages
Friday, January 29, 2010
Loading a Sausage Gun with an oversize sausage pack
Production is never perfect. Periodically there is a malfunction within the process and the sausage is oversize. Generally speaking the manufacturer does his best to catch this, but some do get to the end user.
An oversize sausage is nearly impossible to load into the tool the normal way, simply dropping it into the barrel. What you need to do is draw the sausage into the tool. Albion's DL-45-T14, DL-45-T15, DL-45-T24, and DL-45-T25 all have the ability to pull the sausage into the tool. These are the professional tools.
The Aluminum Barrel, low cost tools.... which includes Albion's B12S20... are not built with that feature. With these tools all you can do is set return the sausage. (If anyone does have a way to load an oversize sausage in a tool like this, please share.)
Watch this video on how to draw an oversize sausage into a dispensing tool.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sausages Part I: How they are made.
Watch this interesting video showing you how a Sausage is filled. The process is significantly faster than the process of filling a cartridge, and thus has a lower cost per ounce. This savings is passed onto the customer.
Machine is built by Poly-clip Systems Corporation.
The Sausage is a package used to contain sealant and is customarily supplied to the market place. We will talk further on this subject.
Sausage Package For Dispensing Sealants
A Sausage (also known as a Chub or Sachet) is sealant or adhesive packaged in a Mylar bag. They are dispensed with full barrel tools. The sausage has its benefits and drawbacks. In this section I am listing some of both...
Benefits over a standard cartridge:
More cost effective
Shelf life is typically longer
Fewer changeovers – Sausages typically hold twice as much material
Reduction in waste, when totally dispensed they are just ½” tall
With sausage guns you get access to a wider variety of nozzles (longer, wider, narrow slots, bendable, multiple beads, etc.)
Potential Drawbacks:
Requires a different gun
Tends to be messier for the end of the sausage is open at the nozzle end (meaning you must be more careful in loading and unloading sausages from the tool.)
Benefits over Bulk, Material packaged in pails:
Cleaner and easier to load
More portable if the application is in a difficult location. You can simply take a couple sausages and the gun to the location.
Drawback:
When tooling the joint, you must discard the excess material verses putting it back into the pail and reusing the material.
For the next few segments we will be talking more about unique things related to the sausage.
Labels: sausages
Sunday, January 24, 2010
I have heard numerous excuses to not attend the World of Concrete Trade show and none of them seem justifiable. When you don’t come, you miss connecting with the people and key/new products within your industry.
Yes, I admit it does get old coming year after year but it brings the industry together. People talk, business is conducted, and contacts are made.
Yes, I understand money is tight, but is it so tight that you miss a key gathering of professionals within your industry?
Yes, I feel strongly that the World of Concrete is worth the time and money. What is two days of your time, a cheap ticket, and hotel room in Vegas? That's right, the flights are cheap and the rooms can be too, if you are smart.
I want to encourage you to seriously consider attending. If you are on the fence, do it. Go to the World of Concrete.
Labels: World of Concrete
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Smooth Rod Caulk Gun & "Dripless"...... What happens
This graph is interesting to talk about. It illustrates the measured results of a standard smooth-rod drive tool versus a similar dripless style tool. The blue line shows the force generated by the standard drive system. Note the small drop in force between each pump. It also shows the displacement (amount of material dispensed) of the drive system with each pump.
The purple line shows the exact same action using an equivalent drive system with a dripless feature. Note that the force drops to zero at the finish of every stroke and the displacement is about 20% less per pump.
What happens? The smooth rod drive tool allows the operator to pump efficient, smooth, long beads of sealant. Conversely, with the dripless drive, at the conclusion of each pump there will be a dramatic bump or lump in the bead.
Conclusion: Choose the right tool for the job! Smooth rod tools are excellent for applications where the bead requires more then one stroke. Dripless is better for small beads or multiple, repetitive dabs such as interior paint prep where you are filling short cracks, nail heads or depressions intermittently.
There is a reason and an application for both types of drive systems.
Labels: dripless
Friday, January 8, 2010
Trade organizations which may bring value to you….. next is FCIA
What is Firestop? It is sealant that hopefully is never used but when it is needed (during a fire) it does its job and saves lives. It is sort of like an airbag in a car, you never want to use it but when it is needed it had better spring to life and do its job. Firestop is designed to expand and seal off openings in walls to prevent smoke and fire to spread into another part of a building. This enables those in that space to escape. Unlike sprinklers which help to contain the fire, firestop is used to help keep people within the building safe while they work to get out of the building.
From FCIA’s website --- www.fcia.org ---- “The FCIA's mission is for member organizations to be recognized throughout the construction industry as preferred quality contractors of life safety firestop systems. FCIA Member Contractors are committed to providing consistent, high quality firestop systems as a critical part of Effective Compartmentation.
Through active participation in the FCIA and related forums, members contribute to the advancement of the firestop and compartmentation industry and maintain exceptional knowledge of this specialized service.
Through this professional commitment to fire and life safety, member contractors bring considerable value to their customers by enhancing public safety and property protection.”
We surely have learned a great deal from those within this organization. Our part is to help educate them with respect to dispensing tools but to also help deal with difficult applications. The firestop contractor may have to climb up inside a building in a crowded space and apply material. Short guns, bendable long nozzles, supper thin nozzles and on occasion spray tips may be required.
Another excellent resource.
Labels: FCIA, firestop, trade organizations