Caulk won’t dispense – no, it’s not the foil seal !
Have a tube of silicone. I bought it 3 years ago, but it was sealed. Recently I cut the tip off, punctered the seal (could smell the vinegar smell of the fresh silicone), but then realized I didn’t have a gun. I tried sticking a hammer in the end and pushing it forward. No dice.
So I wrapped plastic wrap around the tip and bought a gun a few days later. Put it in the gun just now and it feels like I’m trying to dispense hardened cement.
I put a skewer down the nozzle end and it easily goes all the way through and comes out with silicone on it. It’s certainly not dry. I can also squeeze the tube and it gives.
So I took a knife and stuck it in the back and went all around, thinking maybe some silicone dried there and is keeping the back from pushing forward. I did that twice. Still nothing.
What the hell? This mystery is blowing my mind. The gun works fine, and is brand new, by the way.
What’s going on? Do I have a haunted tube of silicone? Is it like, half dried out? Enough that it won’t move, but not so dried out that I still see and smell fresh silicone when I poke a stick down in there?
Replies
3 years is pretty long for silicone shelf life. Could be it has a little bit inside not cured but too much cured to allow it push out.
I assume you're not just funnin' here...
Figure out how to give the piston end a good whack. Sometimes the piston glues itself to the sides of the cylinder.
Make sure it's warm enough. I just went through hell trying to apply poly adhesive on a cold day.
Brought the tubes in overnight and the next day it was as smooth as butter.
Caulk is not eternal, even in the tube. It's hardened up, throw it away and don't buy a new tube unless you're building a fish tank.
Got it. Thanks all.