Perhaps someone here can enlighten me on how to use Dow’s Great Stuff (insulating foam sealant) more than once? I’ve had no luck going back and trying to get a second, third, etc. use out of the can after the initial one? Or do contractors simply throw away the can after using it only once? Seems irresponsible (and wasteful) of Dow that there are no instructions on the can for clearing the straw assembly and clearing the airway. Turning the can upside down (as you would do with spray paint) doesn’t work.
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I ALWAYS plan to use the whole can, find something, somewhere to use it...yup, there aint no going back.
Plan the work and use it all up.
maybe, just maybe, you could stand it in lacquer thinner or acetone to soak, but that would be as expensive, wasteful and dangerous and it can be.
There are guns available that are cleanable and use screw-on cans for professionalls or other frequent users. The control valve can be closed when storing it, and screw on cans of cleaner can be had to spray through it. This is a far more efficient way for pros or a DIY who has lots to do with it.
I have gone through a gun about every two years.
When I use the disposable cans, I set the case in a warm location and wait until end of the day when the crews are all leaving, and then do my filling around the job. That way, it is all set up by morning for trimming back excess, and there is nobody else around to step in it, get their hands in it, etc
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There is a trick that sometimes works:
Get a pipe cleaner, cut off about 2 inches, wet the 2-inch piece, and shove it in the can nozzle (after removing the screw-on part). Wet the rest of the pipe cleaner and shove it down the "straw".
Wow! No going back! Dow's making a killing off of this product and contribing to a great deal of waste as well! They should at least state on the can that it can only be used once! Or market smaller cans for those who can't use it all at once. Anyone else suggest an alternative product for smaller jobs that don't require a full can of sealant?Thanks to Sphere, Piffin, and you for responding.
I'll tell what really suxx, when ya get a new can and the freaking threaded part snaps off before ya even get started. I had 4 out of 6 do that last year. Took em back and got my $$ back at least.
Then I went and got the BIG (Propane BBQ size) tank, and hose and applicater...I went the other way, than you want to go. That will last 30 days or so, if you put a nail in the brass tube and wrap with Ele. Tape.
Sorry, no help with smaller "spot" applications.
They do market a smaller can, which I think is a waste of metal and valve myself. There is the can that is about 9" tall, and the smaller one that is about what - 6" like a can of shaving cream
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Did you have any idea that they've named a screw after you (or at least your screen name)? Cf. Post #16 below.
Yes, old joke - it's a sheet rock screw. There is a website and a t-shirt, but alas, no royalties checks yet
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Tried googling this to find the etymology, but couldn't even come up with the word! I
DID come across one usage though: piffin, used as a verb. For example: "So, we was piffin raw eggs at the cars 'til the cops caught us."
Edited 7/9/2007 2:00 am by redoak
Yeah, that is from over in the British Isles. I think the verb is for smoking a doobie over there. Google will also bring you to a fantasy sci-fi thing that has a Piffin as a character.For me, my initials are PFN which I write on my tools and ladders and such with a Scripto marker. So occasionally somebody has asked "What is a piffin?" That is what led to my choosing Piffin as a screen name.The Piffin screw is a result of the guys here having good humour. I hate to see cheap brittle sheet rock screws used to hang wall cabinets or anything else structural where they are dangerous. So in this forum sheetrock screws have come to be known as piffinscrews
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I'm going further now with my education on this spray can thing too.I was thinking about this and remembering that one of the cans I get for cleaner for my pro spray gun comes with a screw on trigger nozzle. If you can find that you could just spray out your throw-away nozzle and can tip easily instead of soaking or dripping the acetone in.But IMO,it is still too much trouble for a disposable. I'm curious, what do you use this stuff for that only requires a little bit? It takes just about a full can per window. Maybe around where you drill holes for pipe?
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While I'm not the original poster, I can give examples of times when I need to use the can more than once. I'm currently remodeling my kitchen, and spraying the electrical boxes, etc. These sometimes require just a few squirts.
For electrical boxes, sometimes a wad of "duct seal" (electrician's putty) works about as well, if not better.
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Thanks for the background on how you ended up with your screen name and how sheetrock screws got to be known as piffins. Pretty funny. No wonder I couldn't find anything on the web!So, you're saying you can use the cleaner can's trigger nozzle to clean out the throw-away nozzle, etc.?I'm getting ready to lay down some VCT in my kitchen, etc. It's an old house and I've had to replace some of the ply underlayment. I'm having to do it one small area at a time (due to time constraints, work, etc.). The floorboards under the ply aren't butted up tighty against each other (is that standard on an old house?) and in some instances have rather wide gaps between the boards (some 1/2" or more). It's probably overkill, because I'm covering it over with new ply, but while it's exposed, I've been filling the holes. Maybe some small benefit as far as insulation is concerned? Ergo the small use of sealant as I go from section to section.
Well, when I overlay old floor boards with underlayment, I glue it down.And spray foam products are often used as glues for this sort of thing. Enerfoam has one specific for this even. So if you are sparying, then laying while still gummy, you are gaining adhesive out of the deal too. use a little more and screw it all downwith structural screws tho - not SR screws - tho I guess that would be fine if you use enough of them to offset for the ones that break off.;)
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Thanks for your post. So, Is gluing down the ply better than using structural screws? Or do you use both? I was planning on just screwing them down. Do you use a construction adhesive?I'll look into the Enerfoam; I haven't seen it around here.Thanks for all your help; much appreciated.
bothIf you only screw the ply down, you can have squeaks introduced that are hard to remove later. by using glue and fasteners, the whole becomes as one unit so individual pieces don't move against each other and and up squeaking
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Ah yes, the issue of squeaks. Must confess that squeaks eluded me (they're small things, but can drive you crazy in no time). Thanks for pointing this out. I'll use both on the floor.
They do state on the can that "in most cases" it's a one shot deal.George Patterson
Didn't catch that. So, I guess Dow Chemical is covering it's ####.
redoak
Save the tube! What happens is the foam dries in the tube
If buying several cans at once use one tube and switch it between cans.. that will leave all those other tubes new and reuseable. If you have only one can you have to clean the tube.. let it dry twist off the trigger assembly, pull the tube and then shove a piece of wire thru the tube I always keep a piece of 12 guage copper wire around for just such an occasion.
Rarely the actual spout itself will clog up and in that case I always found it best to simply chuck the can.. if you should unclog it there is more than a good chance that in doing so you will ruin the shut off valve and now you have a can of spotting foam
frenchy,Thanks for your post. Besides a pipe cleaner, this also sounds like another way to use the can multiple times.
I'm surprised this little trick for great stuff hasn't been mentioned yet:
When you're done stick a 16d sinker in the end about 3/8" to 1/2", which should essentially fill the hole tightly. Then turn the can as if you're dispencing foam and give it a little pressure until clear (amber) unexpanded foam just enters the tube.
Done! How's that for rocket science? *chuckle*
The liquid polyurethane keeps the valve from clogging and a little poly will harden around the nail sealing the tube.
When you want to use it again simply snip off the tube where the nail is. We've kept cans a month or longer this way, and have even resealed cans 3 or 4 times. Maybe 1 in 10 or 1 in 20 will harden enough to clog the valve in a weeks time, but that's not half bad.
edit: This tip is so uncommonly used and seems like it shouldn't work, but does, so bet a guy on the crew $20 you can reseal a can for a week. Send my 50% in unmarked, nonsequential bills.
Good foaming!
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Edited 7/8/2007 6:04 pm ET by IdahoDon
IdahoDon,Great tip! Many thanks. You should pass this on to Dow so they can put it on the can!Thanks again.
I'll try thaat, but I think it will not do as well in the humidity here since the foam is a moisture cure
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It will be interesting to see if the humidity sets up the stuff. We are pretty dry here and can't say that I can remember ever doing it on a rainy day or other high humidity condition.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
If you find yourself wanting to use foam here and there on a regular basis, just buy a gun. The Great Stuff 14 (about $45) gun works great and can be disassembled for cleaning if you need to. You have alot more contol of the foam, and alot more foams (20 to 22oz cans, $8 to $15 per can) to choose from. Great Stuff also comes with a gun foam cleaner can - basicly acetone with a screw top you can clean out the inside of the gun with. The advantage of their can of cleaner is that it has a spray nozzle attached so you can clean off foam spills and clean of the tip before it cures.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Parenting has always been a mix of sage life advice and inexcusable laziness.
The simplest method of using it more than once is:
remove the screw on schnorzel tube and flush a little acetone or lacquer thinner through it till clean and also put the solvent in the tube on top of the can and flick the can to throw out the solvent in the tube. Do this a couple of times to make sure the can tube is clean.
Re attach or not, the dispensing tube and it is ready to go the next time. It can last a few months that way,
A while back someone made a water-clean-up latex foam insulation product that you could use more than once. I've looked and looked, but I think that they sold more by making the product unusable after 1 shot.
I don't see that a solvent based product would be any more durable than latex would be when deployed in a sheltered space.
take the straw off and blow out as much as possible, also the valve. What you can't get will dry and you can push it out with a wire. Take a Piffin screw and screw into the top of the can, the plastic part, and pull out the hardened stuff. This has worked for me in the past.
ok, what in hell is a Piffin screw?
Try this, when you are done just leave the nozzle attached. When you need it again pull off the tube, run a #14 wire down the tube (2-3 attempts) clean out the screw-on-nozzle, use a #8 wood screw to remove the plug from the can, reassemble the entire mess and finish the can. In some cases the can will have foam left in and it will not come out in which case I remove the applicator assembly and turn the can upside down and strike the white tip on a board. DO NOT do this on the livingroom carpet. It will spray out a little. This last trick also works when you purchase a full can and it will not come out. I also save the extra nozzles and tubes from when I spray multiple cans at one time. Reuse the same tips and store the extras.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=90201.1
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Still making these T's? They're great.
not me...
it's all PaulB's doin'Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
more than you reaalize....
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Now that's funny.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
it was PaulBinCT's doing...
he gets all the credit...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
leave the end on,let it set up. next time your at mcdonalds eating lunch grab a handful of straws,you now have multi use disspensers!!! larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
The cans I buy say that acetone is the solvent. Unscrew the tube from the can, and drip a little acetone in the top of the nozzle on the can; set that aside for the moment. Now, turn the tube upside down and pour acetone in until it's full. Hold that patiently. After 30 seconds or so, you'll see the acetone start to dissolve the foam. Usually, you have to pour that first batch of acetone out and refill, but then it will dissolve the foam all the way down the tube. Pour some more through until the tube is pretty well empty.
I've re-used a can two and three times following this regimen. It's still not like acrylic latex caulk, where you can go back to the tube six months later and still get action from it, but you should be able to get a couple of weeks of use from it.
I can see from your post that I wasn't patient enough with the acetone. When I didn't see it working immediately, I wrongly assumed it was ineffective. Thanks for the tip.
Pinch or fold the straw to prevent contact with the air. Some of the new cans have a little nipple at the top of the can that you can shove the open end of the straw on to. Works like a charm.
Dave
This is a great question for the forum.
I haven't used "Great Stuff" for years now, and won't use it anymore since they stopped selling the smaller cans.
The smaller cans sold for a few dollars and worked well. A small amount went a long way, so you got a lot of bang for your buck. But Depot stopped selling the smaller cans a while back so I stopped buying the bigger cans and I haven't missed the stuff since. Have you ever noticed how sticky it is? And how messy it can be to clean? You don't need to deal with that in my opinion. A small gap can be filled with caulk. A bigger gap can be filled with product called "foam rope".
The only place anybody really needs to use that stuff is around a window or door jamb. My new solution is to keep a small batt of fiberglass insulation in my arsenal (wrapped in a little bag) and if I'm installing a door or window, I tear off small bits and shove it in with a wide putty knife........ no can, no mess, no $7.00 loss.
Thanks for posting, Mike. I never imagined I'd get so many posts on this thread, quite a few of which offer creative work-arounds for getting multiple applications out of one can. I should send Dow a copy of this thread! Their reply to me was that it DOES state on the can's label (somewhere) that you're likely to only get one application out of the product, BUT, that some contractors use a pipe cleaner soaked in WD-40 to shove down into the straw assembly unit and keep the air from solidifying the foam. Of course, this was just heresay and they didn't want to be responsible (liable) for this tip. You DO get to some juicy issues: why did Dow stop selling the smaller can? Was the bottomline profit? That would be my guess.It IS weird stuff and I'm like you; I'd prefer to keep it simple and stay away (if possible) from complex chemical products that could end up in a landfill somewhere. But expediency sometimes wins out. I COULD have filled the gaps between the floor boards with caulk or foam rope, but it was so much easier and faster to use the stuff out of the can. Still it pisses me off to buy a product that you can only use part of (unless you have a work-around). There are times, however, where I'm simply not willing to compromise. As a paint contractor, there are all sorts of short cuts (and s*** products) you can use to get through a job faster, but the quality of your job suffers and you end up doing a disservice to your customers. So, that's a route I don't go down, period.
Dow still sells the small can, I saw in at the local building supply store on the weekend. Likely that not all stores carry that size, as I imagine the sales volume on them is low compared to the larger cans.
Angus
edit: http://greatstuff.dow.com/greatstuff/diy/products/index.htm
Edited 7/11/2007 3:17 pm ET by Island Angus
I still see it too. Probably a function of how many feet of shelf space and different product sizes, styles, and colors can the store afford to carry. EWspecially if there is no demand for the poor value small can.It costs the same to containerize and ship and price and stock the small or the large cans except a couple pennies worth of product
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you can save what's remaining by quickly cleaning the nozzle with a wire or something similar. (orange cord for grass trimmers works well too.) run the wire through the plastic tube several times run some compressed air through it. On the can you need to clean out the stem (this assumes you can detach the plastic tube from the can). If the can gets clogged up you can pick the dried stuff out of the stem with a small screwdriver.