Wasting gasket maker tubes

[Badasssapper67]

Does anyone have a tip on how to stop the unused part of RTV from turning hard in the tube?
I like to have the right rtv for the right job, like copper for exhaust and ultra black for oil pan gaskets and ultra blue for intake manifolds.
But dang it if I cant figure out how to keep the tubes from just getting hard once they're open. That stuff isn't cheap any more.
Also, do you guys clean out the long plastic cone tips after using them?

 

[Buckgnarly]

I do not clean out the tips, just a screw/nail or the cap that comes with them. I take off the long caps and pull out the dried silicone actually, provides a good seal to keep the stuff in the tubes good.

 

[MrGiggles]

Let some run out onto the threads, it will seal the cap. I've got a tube that's 6 months old and still liquid.

 

[G_P]

I've started putting a bit of the sealer on the tube threads and then putting the cap on.

On a side note, what is the shelf life of an unopened tube of these types of gasket makers? I bought about a dozen or so tubes of various Permatex at a yard sale last year dirt cheap. Its likely going to take close to a decade for me to use them all. I have no idea how old they were when I bought them.

 

[CJM8515]

I usually just goop the overflow on the threads and seal if. If I cant get it to come out after that I just poke holes in whatever area is still soft. If you need to use it out of the cone tip dont buy the tubes. Buy the cans called the right stuff, they work better.

 

[sberry]

I use orange for or black for all. Only need one tube open.

 

[Gotcha640]

At $5 a tube, I'll keep 50 on the shelf. At the hardware store.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

At $5 a tube, I'll keep 50 on the shelf. At the hardware store.

I think We are on the same page.. I like to have adequate supplies on hand; but not over-buy and have stuff get old... I shy away from the king size tubes unless I have a bunch of jobs to use it on.. Super glue is another thing,,, I buy tiny tubes and use at once.... Tuff-stuff "home foam" has a shelf life.. I have thrown out "new" cans that I stored a couple years too long....

I thought about saving money in the long run by taking advantage of sales and buying the bigger or multiples of this stuff,,, but just don't always turn out that way...

 

[gungatim]

I just let a gob ooze out the tip, them mound it up with wet fingers. the blob dries, and you pull it out like a rubber "golf tee". one thing we do in woodworking with an open can of polyurethane is fill the can with co2, displace the oxygen. keeps it from hardening up.

if you want to experiment for us, I suppose you could store them in a big Tupperware container and blow some co2 in there (assuming you have a mig or beer keg setup to use) and see if it helps...

 

[ChevyEFI]

Push an excess out.
Slide the cap sideways over the threaded tube neck.
Push the cap onto the threads and thread it on.

This will prevent (but not 100% eliminate) whole-tube curing.

 

[djb2]

If the tube has a cap, the cap should seal better without any gunk on the threads. Try wiping off the tip first to check that the sealing area is clean and flat.

RTV generally cures with exposure to moisture. Until it cures, moisture will transfer through the bulk material. Minimizing the surface area of uncured material, and any path from outside air to the interior, should reduce the problem of curing in the tube.

 

[zakmartin]

At $5 a tube, I'll keep 50 on the shelf. At the hardware store.

I totally agree with you there. The amount of money I've wasted throwing away old home stock caulk, gunk, goop and grease from never-opened containers (after finding out they've gone bad) would make my wife club me if she ever found out.

 

[skipnay]

The best way for me is to get all of the air out of it. When I squirt some out on the threads and put a screw or nail in it, it only last a little bit for me. Couple months later it's totally all hard. What I do is get all the air out of the tube and then but the cap on. Seems to work for now.

 

[rayh91]

I used to squeeze some out past the nozzle and on my next use, I just pull that little nub out and go. Now i just cap it and forget about it.
If I really want to save it, I usually just cut a slit on the bottom of the tube and squeeze from there.

but I have the luxury to go through one or two a week at the shop so I don't have the problem of storing it.

 

[WhiskeyRanger]

As others have mentioned, it's probably going to cure anyway. For sealants or adhesives, I usually buy smaller containers unless I know I'm going to use it all.

 

[Provincial]

I find that these "condoms" help keep the contents of caulking tubes (including silicone) from hardening as fast. Nothing seems to keep them from hardening forever.

http://littleredcap.com/

I find that squeeze tubes stay usable longer if I put the long snout on them (with the tip opened and a "condom" on it), I think because there is a smaller area exposed to the moisture and the long distance in the tip allows the material to harden where you can remove the tip and just push it out the big end. Be sure to squeeze the material and fill the tip when you are done so it can harden in there, rather than in the body of the squeeze tube.

 

[anndel]

Take the long nozzle (the one you have to cut the tip off) and screw back the cap with some product in the threads. It lasts about 8-9 months but I usually use the rest of it up before it hardens.

 

[boiler7904]

I find that these "condoms" help keep the contents of caulking tubes (including silicone) from hardening as fast. Nothing seems to keep them from hardening forever.

http://littleredcap.com/

I find that squeeze tubes stay usable longer if I put the long snout on them (with the tip opened and a "condom" on it), I think because there is a smaller area exposed to the moisture and the long distance in the tip allows the material to harden where you can remove the tip and just push it out the big end. Be sure to squeeze the material and fill the tip when you are done so it can harden in there, rather than in the body of the squeeze tube.

I would suggest those too. I probably have them on a dozen tubes of various caulks and adhesives in the basement right now. Even with these, you will get a cured plug of material in the spout from time to time which can be a real to remove.

Fastcap has a replacement tip available for standard size caulk and adhesive tubes. I haven't tried them but seems like it could do the trick.

http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=46359