silicon tube storage

[someonelse]

I have a small plumbing job requiring some silicon sealant so have bought a tube for use in my sealant gun.

What is the best way to keep the tube afterwards to minimise the amount that solidifies/gets wasted, and to ensure easy use next time?

If I leave the conical screw-on device in place, the silicon inside always solidifies, involving wastage as well as a horrible job digging it out next time.

If I take it off, what do I cover the top of the tube with? (why don't they supply a screw-on cap....?)

Any professionals got any useful tips?

 

[xr4x4]

Put a longish, tight fitting screw down the nozzle.

Works for me.

 

[joe-90]

Doesn't work for me. The stuff is self sealing and just needs poking out when you next use it. (Take the nozzle off and poke from behind.) (Ooer missis).

 

[ladylola]

If you have a spare nozzle leave the one with cured mastic on the tube and when you come to use it swap to the spare nozzle. After that the original nozzle will be easier to clean out and less messy.
That said the stuff will go off in an unopened tube, I came to use a tube that had been in the workshop for a while (well quite a while) and found that I've now got something resembling a white sex toy after I cut the tebe open

 

[Bosswhite]

I save the bit that one cuts off the cartridge, place it back on the cartridge and screw the nozzle back down tightly

 

[opps]

If you leave it for long enough the whole tube will go hard..

I just use a new nozzle if the stuff in the old one i going off. You can buy spare ones. I normally have dozens left over when masticing.

 

[ladylola]

If you leave it for long enough the whole tube will go hard..
.

like this you mean

 

[Tigger90]

I take the nozzle off, place a piece of plastic over the opening and then screw the nozzle back on. When you come to use it next time the dried silicone can just be pulled out nozzle

 

[someonelse]

Wow! Lots of ideas.

Those nozzles are fairly big & hold a lot of silicon. If it all gets hard, that's a lot of wastage no?

You'd think by now someone would have come up with a design that was more practical....

Hmm.. thinks.... £££

 

[Tipper]

Why not buy the cartridges that have the screw on cap on them precisiely for this purpose?

Or indeed keep the nozzles that do for use on your next tube.