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Best way to fill touch n flow


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So the other day I'm soaking the tip in a jar of Tenax to unplug it. As it soaks I'm blowing on it to clear it out when it comes to me. Why do I use the little filler when all it does is spill glue all over? Now I just suck it up right out of the bottle with the touch n flow. Usual disclaimers apply....

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I suck the cement into the Touch & Flow like it's a straw, halfway up. Way the heck faster than waiting for it to fill the thing up, especially when the cement is coming from a half-full bottle of Tamiya Extra Thin. The Touch & Flow is in my Top 10 modeling tools easily.

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Just started using the touch n`flow applicator with the "samestuff" from micromark. It seems to be very practical in many situations. I don`t know if samestuff is the same as the Tenax some people are raving about. Another thing i don`t know anything about is if the touch n`flow is "patended" to go with the samestuff, or just meanth to be used with any random thin cement. Maybe i should give the Tamiya thin cement a go to! The sealing on the exterior of the touch n`flow quickly dissolved when placed in the samestuff bottle, but it seems to leave the rest of the seal intact. Kinda feels like the hypodermic needle of the touch n`flow easily gets clogged, so take care when using it! The strawsucking seemms like a good way of getting the cement in there in due time. Say, should i get that tenax stuff to?

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The folks that make the TnF also make a squeeze bottle that one can fill with the solvent of their choice, you simple insert the needle on the squeeze bottle into the glass tube and give it a firm pinch...the solvent is dispensed into the TnF. The needle tipped bottle is also great for places when and where you need more solvent than the TnF can dispense. Alpha Abrasives sells this as part of a TnF starter kit.

P1540534e5.jpg

Edited by Hawkeye's Hobbies
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Find a rubber bulb from an eye dropper and attach it to the end of the Touch N Flow to draw up your solvent. I found the capillary action too slow to refill the TnF and decided to use the rubber bulb. Works great!

Mouth pipetting (sucking it like a straw) is dangerous, we don't do that stuff at work especially with biohazardous fluids, LOL.

Edited by PlasticWeapons
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That's why I only go halfway up the tube. I don't want to know what the stuff tastes like! You do have to make sure the tube is submerged in the cement so that you don't inadvertently suck up some air. That would cause the cement in the tube to shoot up the tube, and then you'd be tasting it for sure!

Mouth pipetting (sucking it like a straw) is dangerous, we don't do that stuff at work especially with biohazardous fluids, LOL.

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I use an old sample bottle of normal saline (about 2 ounces) with the dispensing tip drilled to slip fit the TnF. Plastic eyedroppers work too.

Never leave the solvent cement in the TnF when not in use. Empty it at the end of each modeling session or the solvents will dissolve the hypodermic needle cement used to hold the needle.

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I use a pipette with a very small end and stick it in the glass end. I squeeze the bulb of the pipette while the needle is in the solvent. This clears the metal tube and then I release the bulb and draw the solvent up the glass tube. As it nears the top I remove the pipette.

I never leave solvent in the touch 'n flo. When I'm done and there's solvent left in it I use the pipette to blow the remainder back into the bottle and also help clear the metal tube of the touch 'n flo.

easy peasy...

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The folks that make the TnF also make a squeeze bottle that one can fill with the solvent of their choice, you simple insert the needle on the squeeze bottle into the glass tube and give it a firm pinch...the solvent is dispensed into the TnF. The needle tipped bottle is also great for places when and where you need more solvent than the TnF can dispense. Alpha Abrasives sells this as part of a TnF starter kit.

P1540534e5.jpg

I use the squeeze bottle for CA accelerator. Great way to control flooding the area you are gluing with CA.

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I fill mine with a hypodermic needle. I have an endless supply from a neighbor. They are the small used by diabetics. I have, on occasion, simply used the needle.

Added: I haven't seen this on any of the posts, but don't try and use CA (super glue) in your Touch -N-Flow. The directions say use for thin cements and "CA Activators." I believe CA Activators are CA accelerators, such as Zip Kicker.

Edited by balls47
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I would like to ask how to clear a clog in the TnF? I don't have anything thin enough to insert into the needle.

Thanks,

Tom

Usually if you let it sit in the bottle of glue for a few minutes it will melt the clog and then you can blow it out.

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The Touch-n-Flow squeeze bottle works perfectly to suck the solvent into the applicator. Just squeeze the bottle, stick the metal tube into the rear of the applicator so the plastic on the bottle seals against the end and un-squeeze the bottle; voilá. No idea why this isn't the recommended way to do it as it works much better.

Cheers!

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This is exactly the same method I use for my TnF and I absolutely love it. I used to suck the glue up into the TnF, but after a couple of real close calls, I decided it just wasnt worth doing it that way.

I use a pipette with a very small end and stick it in the glass end. I squeeze the bulb of the pipette while the needle is in the solvent. This clears the metal tube and then I release the bulb and draw the solvent up the glass tube. As it nears the top I remove the pipette.

I never leave solvent in the touch 'n flo. When I'm done and there's solvent left in it I use the pipette to blow the remainder back into the bottle and also help clear the metal tube of the touch 'n flo.

easy peasy...

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The folks that make the TnF also make a squeeze bottle that one can fill with the solvent of their choice, you simple insert the needle on the squeeze bottle into the glass tube and give it a firm pinch...the solvent is dispensed into the TnF. The needle tipped bottle is also great for places when and where you need more solvent than the TnF can dispense. Alpha Abrasives sells this as part of a TnF starter kit.

P1540534e5.jpg

I was at Hobby Lobby and they had this kit. They also have just the TnF tubes. Picked one up since I didn't have one. Can't wait to use it. :thumbsup:

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Ok, I have the fill kit and I have to say it is not working for me. If I try to use the squeeze bottle, much ends up getting spilled on my workbench, despite being super careful and trying different fill angles. When I do get it filled, it gives me a constant drip when turned down, even though I have my thumb over the end. I need more control than that. I have tried Tenax, Tamiya extra thin, and the liquid cement the sell with the kit in it. The best bottle/applicator I have seen so far for this style of glue is the Tamiya extra thin bottle and brush.

Edited by DutyCat
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Ok, I have the fill kit and I have to say it is not working for me. If I try to use the squeeze bottle, much ends up getting spilled on my workbench, despite being super careful and trying different fill angles. When I do get it filled, it gives me a constant drip when turned down, even though I have my thumb over the end. I need more control than that. I have tried Tenax, Tamiya extra thin, and the liquid cement the sell with the kit in it. The best bottle/applicator I have seen so far for this style of glue is the Tamiya extra thin bottle and brush.

The rate of flow of a touch n' flow is determined by the angle at which you hold it. Hold it horizontally, and it should not release any solvent. Increasing the angle results in an increased flow. Hold horizontal, touch seam, return to horizontal.

The tip of a TnF is a capillary tube. It will fill slowly regardless of method used. Trying to force liquid into it too fast will just create a mess. I suspect you are trying to fill it too fast.

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The rate of flow of a touch n' flow is determined by the angle at which you hold it. Hold it horizontally, and it should not release any solvent. Increasing the angle results in an increased flow. Hold horizontal, touch seam, return to horizontal.

The tip of a TnF is a capillary tube. It will fill slowly regardless of method used. Trying to force liquid into it too fast will just create a mess. I suspect you are trying to fill it too fast.

Well, I will give it another go and see.

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