4 Common Gun Applicator Mistakes

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a new user just starting out, using TYTAN Professional gun applicators for your adhesive and sealant needs will dramatically enhance your productivity and the quality of your work. Many of the issues we see residential framers and builders running into out a jobsites can be boiled down to four common mistakes: 1) Over-tightening the can. 2) Leaving the control knob open. 3) Taking the can off the gun too soon. 4) Never cleaning the gun.

Avoiding these pitfalls, while seemingly simple, is essential to achieving professional results every time. This article will delve into these errors and offer expert advice to ensure your next project using TYTAN Professional gun applicators is successful and problem-free.

Over-tightening the can onto the gun applicator usually results in any of the following problems: 1) Damage to the applicator’s threading. 2) Damage to the can’s threading. 3) Improper connection between the can and the gun. 4) Crushing the valve of the can so that product starts to leak out.

Check out our product manager James’ comments from this video:

We always want to make sure when we’re tightening our can onto the gun applicator, we’re using this plastic collar here to tighten. Why we use that plastic collar is we want to make sure we don’t over tighten the can onto the gun.

When you over-tighten the can onto the gun you can actually put too much pressure on the valve of the can so that whenever you take off the can from the gun, whether it’s empty or not, it will start to fizz out. And pretty rapidly it’ll have a continuous stream pretty much of product coming out because you’ve pretty much completely flattened the gasket on the inside, allowing product to just continuously flow out without any stop.

Over-tightening the can is an easy mistake to make. To prevent this, we recommend is using the plastic collar to tighten the can onto the gun. Check out the below gif showing this proper method:

The control knob plays an important role in controlling the flow of the adhesive from the can through the barrel, and leaving it open can result in multiple issues. It is easy to forget to close the control knob after applying the adhesive because it might appear that the adhesive has “stopped” coming out when you release the trigger.

If you leave the control knob open, adhesive or sealant might continue to slowly seep out of the applicator, leading to unnecessary waste and a mess to clean up. Secondly, prolonged exposure to air can cause the material in the applicator’s barrel to harden and clog, making it impossible to use the applicator the next time.

Closing the control knob helps maintain the life of your TYTAN Professional gun applicator. Taking this simple step of closing the control knob post-application not only ensures the cleanliness and efficiency of your work area, but also expands the lifespan and performance of your gun applicator.

Check out the below gif which shows how to close the control knob (turn it clockwise!):

Sometimes we see users removing a can when it is down to about 30% full in order to start with a fresh can. What we recommend is using that adhesive can until it is completely empty.

Detaching a partially full can can lead to adhesive spillage, creating a mess and result in product waste. Additionally, it may cause the introduction of air into the applicator and adhesive can, which would affect the performance of the adhesive and applicator. It also risks allowing the adhesive within the gun’s barrel to dry out and harden, potentially clogging the applicator.

Ensuring the can is completely empty before detachment preserves the functionality and longevity of your TYTAN Professional gun applicator.

Maintaining the performance and lifespan of your TYTAN Professional gun applicator hinges significantly on the regular cleaning of your gun. We see users across the country who simply never clean their gun applicator and this causes several issues for them. If adhesive cures on the tip of the gun or inside the barrel, your gun is going to have problems.

Adhesive tends to build up on the tip, which will impair the effectiveness of the applicator over time. Simply spraying the tip with our Foam Cleaner after use solves this problem. We also recommend spraying the basket after removing the adhesive can and running the cleaner through the barrel.

To put it simply, a gun applicator that is not cleaned on a regular basis may get clogged, ending the life of the gun.

Check out the below gifs which show two ways we recommend cleaning your gun applicator: