[:-^]
I am sure some of you have come up with a way to clean out the needle applicator on the Testor’s black glue bottle.
I have two of them here that have stiffened up (set) inside the needle and I would sure like to get to use them. They are not even close to being empty.
I have tried a wire but by the time I get a thin enough one it just bends and won’t push in.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Johnboy out…
A guitar string works well, even has a little knob on the end. Do the bottles have a plastic needle or metal? I seem to recall the bottle coming with a small wire for cleaning out the needle.
HTH, Tom
Are you sure the needle applicator is really plugged? I’m on my 3rd bottle of the stuff and I’ve never had that happen.
I have had some hardened cement on the outside (and over the tip), which I was able to clean off with a hobby knife. I agree with you, though. I can’t see any wire small enough to fit in the applicator being strong enough to do the job.
Since the cement inside the applicator isn’t exposed to air, it’s probably not plugged very far down. Try soaking it in acetone and see if that will soften it.
The recent ones I bought had a couple wires in the package for cleaning the nozzle
If you don’t have one of the little wires with a loop on it that comes with some brands, I have used a piece of piano wire that is small enough to fit into the tube. It is very stiff and won’t bend on you.
To prevent it from happening again, this is what I do. At the end of the gluing session, I squeeze the bottle and push out any glue that is in the tube. I give it several squeezes to be sure it’s clear, then wipe off the tip. Squeeze it again and you should be able to feel a puff of air. The other thing is don’t let the bottle tip over and the glue won’t go up into the tube and harden, though it shouldn’t anyhow, as no air can get to it. This also works well for CA and other glues that have a narrow tip that the glue can harden in.
Good luck,
Richard