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What do you guys do when you opened a new tube of caulk and only used 1% of it? Do you try to preserve it till you need it later or just throw it away because it’s not worth your time to try and struggle with it?
Are there any caulk stopper product that actually works?
When I say “caulk” I mean generally liquid nail, polyurethane sealant, silicone, latex tube products.
I have tried those long plastic stoppers with a toothpick size “pin”. They don’t work, you pull them out and most of the time it breaks off inside.
I just haven’t found a good easy way to keep them around to reuse.
So right now, my rule is if I don’t know when I’ll use it again, I throw it away even if it’s almost full.
If I know I’ll need it again tomorrow, or next week, then I shove a 4″ long 16D or 20D nail into the nozzle, cut a piece of nitrile glove finger to fit over it, then tape around the base of the nozzle.
If you have a bullet proof easy way, please share.
typically we use a nail or tape, there are a lot of manufactured products, but in the end, throwing away the tube is probably just as economical as buying a bunch of special caps
I use some tape and put a blob at the end to get hard and not in the tube hopeful.
Dirty
A Working Pro since 1988!
Member since January 26, 2013.
I usually use it again soon enough that it’s not a big problem. Sometimes I have to cut the tip a little bigger and pull out the hard part. Depends a lot on what it is, some types of caulk seem to take a lot longer to become unuseable than others.
Marrettes (sp?)
The electrician usually has a few to spare… Or just grab some when you’re at the store.Lurking Hit and Run poster.
I have a stopper my Dad gave me and its not bad. I have heard of using a nail a lot.
I don’t use anything.
Just remove the dried part and use the rest of it.My dad always sticks a nail into the end, for liquid nails though we let some squeeze out the end and dry up acting as a cap, when we need to use it again we just pull of what’s dry and keep using it.
I will screw a red wire nut on a partially used caulk tube. Will stay good for quite a while.
Ron
A Working Pro since 1994!
Member since March 26, 2014.
I’ve used these condom style caps I get at LV. They usually work well and are reusable as well.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=45858&cat=1,110,42967
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Kevin.
Wannabee pro.
I’ve used these condom style caps I get at LV. They usually work well and are reusable as well.
I bought some of those from LV a long time ago. They work and are reusable.
Automotive Pro
Fayetteville, NCI will screw a red wire nut on a partially used caulk tube. Will stay good for quite a while.
Wire nut has always worked for me.
It is better to remain silent and be thought stupid than to open your mouth and remove all traces of doubt.
I just let it dry! Then when I need it again, I’ll thread a coarse drywall screw into the end of the tube and pull it out like a nail. Its not foolproof, but it works pretty well.
Jon P.
Timber Carpentry & Construction
https://www.facebook.com/timbercarpentry/
InstagramI had bought a bunch of LePage caulk that had threaded removable nozzles last year. I thought the idea was that you could just have some replacement nozzles and threaded caps for them, but they didn’t sell such a thing. I thought it was a good idea, but do they in fact make and sell the replacement nozzles and caps, I don’t know.
Kevin.
Wannabee pro.
If possible move over to a sausage gun for any caulking. I never have an issues using that tool.
A Working Pro since 2004
If possible move over to a sausage gun for any caulking. I never have an issues using that tool.
You need to do some tooling after laying out a bead.
And, you can’t use with one hand. Too heavy.I stick a nail in the end, or sometime I just let the end dry and pull the glob out next time.
As far as the economics of caulk are concerned, it’s less about the cost of a tube of caulk and more about availability. If you keep throwing away partially used tubes then you may be more likely to not have any or enough when you need it.
construction adhesive, window and siding polybutyl caulking along with dap just get left open.. they typically get used up pretty quickly anyway.
open silicone tubes just get tossed, its not that often that i need it and no matter how well i seal the tube it just ends up curing anyway
heres a tip, dont fart in a space suit
BeardedCarpenter’s excellent point is something that I have run into quite a bit over the years. Adding up the cost of the lost time sending someone to the supply house, and the subsequent workflow interruption which dominos into more lost time, when a sealant needs to be applied as an intermediate step before the next step in a multipart sequence… there is a lot to be said for having the right caulk on hand all the time.
For me saving caulk is a must. Rarely use a whole tube of anything. The little rubber things work well and are reusable.
Automotive Pro
Fayetteville, NC
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