Touch-N-Flow; is it me?

[Cato]

After receiving a new T-N-F, I open the instructions to discover that a 'plastic filler bottle' is used in the process of loading glue. That and 'Plast-I-Weld', their brand of glue, must be worked together to load the tube.

When ordering, no where did I see that the filler bottle is required and nothing else came with the tube.

Scam? ripoff? or am I missing something?

Anyone use this successfully without the add-ons and what techniques work best?

[Ace-Garageguy]

I bought one at the LHS about 8 months ago and wasn't too happy in the beginning. I've played around with it and now I think it's a truly great tool.

First, the squirt bottle to load it is useless. The best method is to simply stick the steel end of the applicator in a full bottle of liquid cement, and it will fill itself. Flick it against the bottle to dislodge air bubbles if it's slow loading.

Mine works great with the Plastiweld brand, also Tenax and Ambriod. One key is to use a FULL bottle of liquid cement, and keep a backup on the bench to top it up with. Once the bottle gets too low, it won't fill enough to do you any good.

I also recommend placing the full bottle in a glass cup, as it's easy to knock over an open bottle on the bench and cause all kinds of havoc. I've done it.

To store it, just lay it down, but watch where it might drip. Like the directions say, when you apply glue from it, pull the tip away from the join instead of pushing it. It will clog easily with melted plastic if pushed. If it DOES clog, just put it in the bottle and tap it and swish it around....that will usually clear it.

I had one clog hopelessly, but by scoring the needle tip with a file, and snapping it off, I was able to save it.

[mr moto]

That little filler bottle is the best thing that ever happened to Touch-n-Flow! You don't need to use it for loading the TnF if you don't want to use it for that and you don't fill the little bottle with cement and squirt it into the TnF. Here are some options:

1. You can fill your TnF the old fashioned. That means that you put the glass end into the cement bottle for a few seconds and let the cement rise up into the TnF. When you're finished insert the little squeeze bottle into the glass end of the TnF and use air pressure to force the remaining cement back into the bottle. That way your TnF stays nice and clean.

2. You can put the needle end of your TnF into the cement, squeeze the fill bottle and hold it squeezed, then insert it as far as it will go into the glass end of the TnF, let go of the "squeeze" and it will draw cement into the TnF. Repeat several times if you want more cement in it. When finished, clean it out as above.

3. This is the really great part! In the past, I had two TnF's get so clogged that I couldn't use them but I saved them anyway. Now all my TnF's work again. Whenever it gets clogged place it needle down in the cement for a minute or so to help dissolve any residue in the tip and then use the squeeze bottle to blow air through it with the tip still in the cement. Blow several times until you see a strong stream of air bubbles coming out of it. It will work just like new!

I used to think the TnF was a frustrating "necessary evil". Now it always works great.

[Chief Joseph]

It took me a few uses to get the hang of my TNF. I tried to use the squirt bottle but had no luck at all. When I started just letting the cement draw up into the tube and drain out of the tube with just natural air pressure I have no trouble.

[Cato]

Great help from all three. I'm glad there are other loading methods that work. Micro Mark said nothing about needing the bottle-at least you guys knew to get one.

[Fat Brian]

If you know a diabetic that has to inject their medicine you could always get a fresh hypodermic needle to fill it, watch out they're SHARP! If you are good friends with you're doctor you might could even talk them out of one, I talked my dentist out of a dozen used dental implements a few years ago.

[Ace-Garageguy]

  On 10/10/2012 at 10:27 PM, Fat Brian said:

If you know a diabetic that has to inject their medicine you could always get a fresh hypodermic needle to fill it, watch out they're SHARP! If you are good friends with you're doctor you might could even talk them out of one, I talked my dentist out of a dozen used dental implements a few years ago.

Actually, diabetic hypos make wonderful liquid glue dispensers. It takes a little practice to get the thumb action right, but glue placement is WAY more accurate with one than with the TNF.

[Cato]

Daughter has hypos for her cat-may pinch one...

[935k3]

I used to use one allot and used some veryfine brass wire to unclog it. I started using Tamiya's thin cement and it has very small apllicator brush which negates the nee for the TNF. When it was empty I started filling it with Proweld.

Edited October 11, 2012 by 935k3

[Cato]

Good to know-thanks.

[Guest G Holding]

You can soak it in lacquer thinner if you get irrregular flow from blobs in the bottle...

[Cato]

Understood.