Grease Gun Storage

[metaldad]

how do you store grease guns? i presently have one, stored vertically,in a carage that does get hot, in a piece of 4'' pvc with a cap on the end. seems, the grease separates over time and leaves a mess in the bottom of the pvc cylinder.
im closing up shop, and adding 4 more manual guns to the carage
whaddya suggest? store horizontally? takes up more room
remove tubes, and reinstall plastic seal cap? yeah, right. a royal pia

 

[Ton ton]

I hang them on the side of the toolbox. No big deal. It works for me.

 

[23ford]

Put them in a pvc sleeve with a threaded lower end that I can take off and clean out at times.

 

[cpttuna]

mine lay on a shelf. no problem unless I do not clean it after using it and do not put it away properly

 

[demarpaint]

I pull the plunger out, wipe them clean and store them in a plastic bag. I have no problems storing them that way.

 

[HenryAZ]

Vertically, handle down, in a 5 gallon bucket with a layer of old rags on the bottom.

 

[finn]

Vertical, mounted on the wall and held by a clamp/clip I got from Farm and Fleet. I cut the side off a used one quart oil bottle and screwed it into the wall to catch any drips, but, after two years, the “catch can” is still dry, so I guess I didn’t really need to go through the exercise of cutting the side off a bottle and mounting it on the wall.

 

[bassJAM]

I'm the same as Ton ton, I just hang mine off my toolbox handle.

 

[4 FN 27]

I got really tired of cleaning up after my Grease Guns and Funnels. So I built a drain system for all things dripping. Works great for the Grease Guns, Funnels and draining Oil Filters too. Drip right into a Drum Funnel into a 55 gallon Drum. I take the Drum when full to my buddies place where he has an Oil Burner heating his shop.

 

[driftpin]

Vertically, handle down, in a 5 gallon bucket with a layer of old rags on the bottom.

And 115 degrees ambient temperatures? That sounds-like a recipe for spontaneous combustion! Methinks an inch of sand, in abundant supply in your yard, I bet, would be a better choice.

 

[Bayday]

It's a little more trouble, but since I don't use mine often, I started a couple years ago of pulling the plunger out when I'm finished. Works pretty well so far. I still lay it in the pan I have for collecting oil.

I pull the plunger out, wipe them clean and store them in a plastic bag. I have no problems storing them that way.

I too retract & lock the plunger. You'll need to hold open the purge button while pulling the plunger/rod, and later purge before use. PITA for sure, but not unbearable since I only grease once a year. It also makes it more cumbersome to store, but it does seem to be effective (I store horizontally).

I think the long term leaks are in large part due to the spring pressure. If anyone ever learns of an inexpensive, normal sized, manual grease gun that can decompress the contents without having to move the plunger much, please let me know! Dualco's (http://dualco-inc.com/screw-prime-grease-guns/) self described "screw prime" sounds tantalizing, but by looks, I doubt I could justify the cost.

 

[demarpaint]

I too retract & lock the plunger. You'll need to hold open the purge button while pulling the plunger/rod, and later purge before use. PITA for sure, but not unbearable since I only grease once a year. It also makes it more cumbersome to store, but it does seem to be effective (I store horizontally).

I think the long term leaks are in large part due to the spring pressure. If anyone ever learns of an inexpensive, normal sized, manual grease gun that can decompress the contents without having to move the plunger much, please let me know! Dualco's (http://dualco-inc.com/screw-prime-grease-guns/) self described "screw prime" sounds tantalizing, but by looks, I doubt I could justify the cost.

I use my grease guns once to about three times a year. As I mentioned I have no problems storing them like I mentioned. I have a 5 gallon bucket behind my compressor, after they're bagged they go in that. By not retracting and locking the plunger they leak more. I don't find storing them that way a problem. There some greases that don't bleed as much as others.

 

[Ralf11]

I bought an insulated Grease Gun Roller Storage Unit from Snap On. It was easy to buy since I only pay monthly on it, and I'll be finished paying on it before the sun turns into a supernova. Every day I look at it and it shines like a jewel. The truck guy gave me a real nice hat at no extry charge too!

 

[darkzero]

I bought these things, mounted them on a piece of wood, & then on the back of my work bench. I originally planned on making a caddy using PCV pipe like many others have but ended up going this route. Works for me. Made in Canada, I bought them from Summit Racing.

 

[Walt44]

This is what I did. A little oil dry in each tube and no more mess.

 

[metaldad]

some good ideas. thank you.
never thought about pulling out the plunger and relieving the pressure on the grease.
makes sense

 

[HenryAZ]

And 115 degrees ambient temperatures? That sounds-like a recipe for spontaneous combustion! Methinks an inch of sand, in abundant supply in your yard, I bet, would be a better choice.

It is my understanding that petroleum products, while flammable, do not oxidize and self-generate heat, and thus are not subject to spontaneous combustion. Drying oils, like linseed oil, will oxidze, release heat, and self-combust. My linseed rags go directly into a bucket of water until I can dispose of them. Please correct my misunderstanding. I do have lots of sand on hand.

 

[Outlander]

PVC pipe on the wall, an idea that probably came from GJ in my early days here!

 

[Badgerstate]

how do you store grease guns? i presently have one, stored vertically,in a carage that does get hot, in a piece of 4'' pvc with a cap on the end. seems, the grease separates over time and leaves a mess in the bottom of the pvc cylinder.
im closing up shop, and adding 4 more manual guns to the carage
whaddya suggest? store horizontally? takes up more room
remove tubes, and reinstall plastic seal cap? yeah, right. a royal pia

I used to just hang mine up on a wall and not really think about. I never had issues with the grease seperating that I was aware of and it was good enough to keep snowmobiles greased up for 20 years.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Mine from a thread I started decade ago. It has a blue paper towel in the bottom to contain the leaking fluids.

 

[bas157]

I keep mine in the basement (cooler) in a heavy plastic ziplock bag that originally had Scoop-Away cat litter in it.

 

[DTE]

Mine is in a plastic tub under the bench.

 

[DeeKay]

The one on my truck mounts vertically with one of these things.

LockNLube Heavy-Duty Grease Gun Holder

Industrial strength holder can be mounted to walls, machinery, or heavy equipment. It is designed to retain your grease gun securely even in high-vibration environments. Engineered for high-vibration environments Heavy-duty spring easily holds grease gun in rough conditions Works with all...

locknlube.com

Not locknlube brand, but they're all made in the same place. And then I have a pig mat wrapped around the bottom of the tube. Temperature fluctuations plus driving from 8000feet elevation to 4000feet a few times a week...I still haven't found a grease gun that doesn't make a mess. Even with the pig mat, grease and oil still get all over the bed of the truck.

 

[Radio Flyer]

I'm the same as most.

PVC holders at work. usually doesn't separate out at work since it gets used often and its temperature controlled.

At home.....
Just sold my GMC Safari (Astro Van) and no longer have fittings on any vehicles. I wrapped up my collection of grease guns in an old towel, and store them in an old tool box. Just in case.

 

[Bogie1632]

I used a piece of PVC elbow and mounted it with my small amount of lube stuff. I dont keep much on hand in my small garage. I use Lucas Red N Tacky and while it's not used super frequently I don't run into separation issues. The elbow catches what little comes out and is easy to clean up if needed.

It used to just hand on the side of my box but I got tired of bumping into it.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Fatboy148]

Vertically, handle down, in a 5 gallon bucket with a layer of old rags on the bottom.

I'm still using a bucket as well. But I don't have anything in the bottom as an absorbent. I put the barrel of the gun and tip of the hose inside the bucket with the handle hanging over the edge of the bucket. There's at least six set ups there with room for a few more. The hoses are all 16" or longer so the bend of the hose isn't too bad.