Hello again,

Does anyone have an idea how to clean out the syringes. What solvent to use? I have a few sets of syringes that I have been using flex-coat rod finish in them and they are starting to get a little build up or thickening just on the inside of the end of the tube.

Thanks in advance,

Art
mrparramoure@yahoo.com


AKA: Fred Halfheimers, Norman Nesico, George Orwell

Temps cooling is causing that. I pull the plunger out and wipe the "gum" off of it, put it ack in and suck up some Denatured (full syringe full) amd let it sit for a few minutes. Then I push it out into a cup, suck it back up, push it out until it's clean.

If they are that much of a mess, use new Syringes, they only cost $2

I never clean them. I leave them stuck in the caps and have been using this set for about 3 years now

Mike

Mike - do you build rods constantly, or do you have them sitting there for a long period of time untouched? do you keep your epoxy in a controlled temperature? When I'm building and finishing rods daily, this rarely if ever happens, but when the epoxy sits there for a couple of months untouched, and the temp drops - the Resin will gum up inside the syrnges.

If the epoxy has not hardened, white vinegar makes a good effective environmentally friendly CHEAP cleaner

Billy,

I wrap in a basement and the temp fluctuates. When I work, I usually turn on a space heater but otherwise it's pretty chilly. I usually nuke my finish because it gets so thick in the cool basement. I don't go months but sometimes I go couple weeks without using finish. I keep the syringes (I like the U-40 syringes because they DON't have the rubber plunger tip that always gets stuck)
I use the drilled out caps and just leave the syringes in them. I do draw the plungers about half way out though (don't know if that makes a difference.

How's the little yellow guy doin'??

Mike

Yellow guy will be ready for Charlotte. He's all glued up, but I've been extremely busy trying to coordinate things & put stuff together, as well as prepare for the classes. I've got about 15 Inlays to do, and will do them all at once after I hop over to a friend's to use his Bandsaw.

I do the same thing, except the microwave because I havent done anything since October (until Saturday when I noticed the gum, lol). My opinion, and thi is based on nothing - is the air in teh syringe dries up the excess Resin/Hardener causing it to turn gummy. I've had it where when I mixed the 2 parts together, there were small white globs in teh cup prior to mixing - and upon further inspection - the nozzle of the Resin was gummed up with REsin. I had to pick it out with a Bodkin, then teh Denatured. I almost guarantee it's from leaving it there for a long time without using.