Filling a Re-Fillable Caulk Tube (The Easy Way...)
Occasionally, you'll find a project needing thickened resin and because of the shape and depth of the project, a caulk gun is the easiest way of making the application. West Systems makes a re-fillable standard sized caulk tube that is perfect for such a job. It's also made of plastic, tough, impervious to most solvents, and be re-used many times if cleaned thoroughly after each use. 
The biggest problem encountered comes when trying to get that thick as peanut butter resin mix into the tube. You can't pour the mix in and trying to stuff it in with a mixing stick results in a messy time consuming chore. But, there's a very easy, simple, and clean way to transfer that goop onto the tube. Take a page from a cake decorator! Cut a piece of paper about 10" x 18". Pile all of your mix into the lower left hand quadrant and roll the paper into a cone. 
Fold over the tip twice and clamp it off so that the mix doesn't start coming out prematurely while you close off and fold over the top. 
Find a way to hold the caulk tube up so that both of your hands are free. A roll of paper towels did the job here. Now, remove the tip clamp, and start squeezing the mix into the tube. Use the same technique you'd use to dispense a tube of tooth paste, by rolling the top of the cone down. 
This not only makes filling that pesky tube a snap, but also causes the mix to go straight to the bottom and relatively air free. No more jabbing a flat stick at a paste... Have fun! Feel free to download and print these drawings, but please don't use it on a website without linking it to Bertram31.com. Capt Patrick McCrary Bertram31.com 834 Scott Dr., LLANO, TX 78643 Telephone 325.248.0809 Web site questions or comments to: bertram31@bertram31.com |
