OT- What are the options for refillable grease gun like dispensers to use for putty?

Trboatworks · Mar 22, 2021

I have a job where I need to dispense a couple of thousand feed of viscous putty into seams and need something with more balls than a caulk gun to use.

I am going to have to put the loaded gun into a boiling water to keep the mix fluid enough to dispense and there are volatile components in the mix so I am figuring the more complications in the gun the better chance some set up goo will screw up the gun.
A option though is to just buy half a dozen guns and toss them when they pack up..

Are there heavy grease gun like dispensers without the piston pump?
I don't know- a screw auger to drive the plunger in the body?

Best would be something that has disposable liners that can be filled and heated then placed in gun.
I don't know- I can place them in plastic ziplock bags in a hot water bath to keep them ready to go.

I am really shy of a battery operated rig as I don't want to be fighting charge downtime to get through the work.
Pneumatic would be ok if it has the balls to drive a stiff mix.

I am looking around and not hitting on a ideal setup- any ideals on what to buy?

I can just go the grease gun route and figure on a solvent scrub to keep it going but... what else is out there.

Thanks

DDoug · Mar 22, 2021

Some of my old house construction books show a "bulk gun" for caulking and the like.

Looks like a permanent metal cartridge, and end cap that unscrews.

Trboatworks · Mar 22, 2021

digger doug said:
Some of my old house construction books show a "bulk gun" for caulking and the like.

Looks like a permanent metal cartridge, and end cap that unscrews.

Yeah- I heard tale of this type but did a search on eBay for old gear like this and came up empty.

mnl · Mar 22, 2021

Many pneumatic ones here. Have never had a call to use one.

Pneumatic Caulk Guns - Newborn Caulk Guns

DDoug · Mar 22, 2021

Found them....:
McMaster-Carr

Or, if you want to use the air powered gun:
McMaster-Carr

moonlight machine · Mar 22, 2021

So they sell the stuff with no way to apply it?

DDoug · Mar 22, 2021

moonlight machine said:
So they sell the stuff with no way to apply it?

Could be it's made to be applied with a trowel or putty knife.
And the OP wants to innovate something better.

Look at the powered guns for one tube epoxy, they are quite viscous, and the mixing tube at the nozzle adds even more resistance.

I built a (2) tube powered gun using some all thread, and a Dewalt cordless drill.
The users were blowing the tubes, it had plenty of power.

I told them to set the clutch on the drill.....but you know how carpenters are...

henrya · Mar 22, 2021

I’d like to know more about the putty you are using. Is the hot water bath to make it flow better? Is it a 2 part mix? There are lots of room temperature sealants that do astoundingly well.

nopoint · Mar 22, 2021

I have had good experiences with air powered caulk gun when caulking expansion joints on concrete buildings. The product used kills regular caulk guns as well as your hand in short order. This is tube based product, NP1, for the relatively cheap cost give it a shot.

Trboatworks · Mar 22, 2021

moonlight machine said:
So they sell the stuff with no way to apply it?

Yeah they sell it to be applied by an act of will and hard headed determination.

Wooden ships and iron men and all that...

My upgrade is a common one but folks usually crock pot to heat the putty and then load fast and run with it.
I am hoping for a more civil gentleman like way of working but same ideal- load gun tubes and heat them then get it in the seams while it will still push through a gun.

It is as mentioned a 1" putty knife operation for the less lazy (and how the manufacturer and god intends)- cross load forcing the hard putty in then long slick the seam with an iron bar.
I can tolerate that futzing around for a few feet of seam- for the whole boat I want to roll along a bit faster..

Trboatworks · Mar 22, 2021

digger doug said:
Found them....:
McMaster-Carr

Or, if you want to use the air powered gun:
McMaster-Carr

Thanks- I have a sausage gun but don't know if it can take liners- for the one I have the rams are designed to compress the sausage bag and not swipe bore.
I do love the ribbon nozzles they sell on that page- perfect if their guns will push this stuff..

JohnMartin · Mar 22, 2021

digger doug said:
Found them....:
McMaster-Carr

Or, if you want to use the air powered gun:
McMaster-Carr

The first link goes to an 80 ounce gun, which at $246 is ridiculously priced. They do have some smaller guns of the same style which are much more reasonable.

We were building a large greenhouse years ago and bought two of them for installing the glass. One for the putty-like bedding compound, and another for the sticky sealing compound used under the aluminum bar caps. They worked well, and are quality tools.

I did laugh, though, about McMaster’s suggestion that they be filled by sticking the nozzle into a pail of the compound and pulling up on the handle. That would be like the proverbial golf ball through a garden hose. Filling was done with a putty knife after unscrewing an end cap.

Trboatworks · Mar 22, 2021

I did check- the sausage gun I have does swipe the bore- good quality kit- heavy aluminum and takes all apart so I could get it gleaned up if the stuff sets up too bad.
I would prefer a gun that takes liners so I can preload and heat them or a grease type gun which has some push to it.
The goop is ordered- I will heat some up and see it this will make a go of it.

standardparts · Mar 22, 2021

Trboatworks said:
I did check- the sausage gun I have does swipe the bore- good quality kit- heavy aluminum and takes all apart so I could get it gleaned up if the stuff sets up too bad.
I would prefer a gun that takes liners so I can preload and heat them or a grease type gun which has some push to it.
The goop is ordered- I will heat some up and see it this will make a go of it.

Used a lot of different sealers working aircraft. Variety of guns to apply, some using prepacked cartridges and then some using empty tubes.

Here's a link to Semkit...don't know if they have what you need but you might find something. Some times gets pretty pricy but often times semco stuff shows up on Ebay or used acft tooling sites.

Semco Dispensing Guns For Semkits And Semco Cartridges. | Bergdahl Associates INC.

kustomizer · Mar 22, 2021

After you find your gun, could you wrap it with a water pipe heater to keep it warm, if your draggin an air hose anyhow would an electric cord hurt?

akajun · Mar 22, 2021

two things
My buddy is in the glass business, he uses the re chargeable dewalt and rigid caulk guns for the heavy duty adhesive they glue windshields in with. he said they are way more powerful than a el cheapo caulk gun most people use.
however he said when its cold he uses heat tape like you put on your pipes simply wrapped around the tube and plugged in to an outlet. Looks ridiculous but it works. He did my windshield in the winter and it doesn't leak.

DDoug · Mar 22, 2021

You might be able to apply some of those silicon rubber heater pads
creatively on the permanent tube.

henrya · Mar 22, 2021

Fillable Caulking Tubes • WEST SYSTEM Marine Grade Epoxy

How about multiples of these and let them sit in hot water bath until you are ready to use them?

Trboatworks · Mar 22, 2021

henrya said:
Fillable Caulking Tubes • WEST SYSTEM Marine Grade Epoxy

How about multiples of these and let them sit in hot water bath until you are ready to use them?

That was what I was thinking if they can be used in a caulking gun which has some balls to push this putty.

boslab · Mar 22, 2021

I have the Milwaukee cordless gun, plenty of oomph, bit clumsy in tight spots, can take sausages in a can or tube, suppose you could refil from a pail
Altogether pleasant tool,
Mark

OT- What are the options for refillable grease gun like dispensers to use for putty?

Diamond

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Hot Rolled

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Titanium

Aluminum

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Hot Rolled

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Stainless

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Titanium

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Titanium

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