# Storing PL Premium construction adhesive



## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

I use Lepage's PL Premium construction adhesives for small glueing jobs, and I find I use it in small quantities frequently throughout the year.

I don't want to be buying a new tube of the stuff every time I need some, so I decided to try a novel way of storing it. PL Premium is a moisture cure polyurethane, which means it needs moisture to cure. Without H2O, it won't cure.

So, about the only place I could think of where there would be NO water was inside a bath of oil. So, I cut the top off an old milk jug, poured a quart of 10W30 into it, stuck a screw into the end of an opened tube of PL Premium and let it sit like that for a few months.

I put the screw into the end because moisture cure polyurethanes will absorb moisture from the air while the tube is open, so the screw allowed me to pull out any polyurethane that cured while immersed in oil from the H2O that had been absorbed while the tube was being used last.

I just pulled out a little plug of polyurethane with that screw and the PL Premium behind that small plug was good to go.

So, if any DIY'ers want to know a good way of storing PL Premium, just store the end of the tube in a bath of oil. Without H2O, a small plug of polyurethane will cure right at the end of the tube from the H2O absorbed into the adhesive while it's being used. But, then after that there won't be any further curing while the tip is immersed in oil, so you can store the unused adhesive until needed.

In that situation, the caulk can't dry out because water can't evaporate from the caulk into the oil. There is no affinity between water and oil, so the moisture remains inside the caulk, and it doesn't dry out. Whenever I want to use any latex caulk, I just pull the tube out, wipe the oil off the nozzle, and it's ready to go, even if it's been stored for a year or more.

I figured the painters in here that use latex caulk would want to know a good way of storing it.


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

That's really clever! :thumbsup: The caulk manufacturer's may not like it, but anyone having to throw away partially used tubes of it will be happy. 

Do you have any ideas on how to store half-used cans of spray foam so they can be re-used?


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

Some other tips are:

1. Duct tape

2. Wire nut (cap)

You can dab some vasilene on the open tip before using either one of those quick coverings.


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

If there isn't one already, it would be interesting to have a thread on this forum with helpful hints and tips like these.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

gma2rjc said:


> That's really clever! :thumbsup: The caulk manufacturer's may not like it, but anyone having to throw away partially used tubes of it will be happy.
> 
> Do you have any ideas on how to store half-used cans of spray foam so they can be re-used?


I forgot to mention in that first post that I also store opened tubes of latex caulk this way as well, and just started saying latex caulk won't dry up under oil either. The oil bath works well for both PL Premium and latex (aka: "acrylic") caulks.

Gma2rjc: Do you mean the expanding foam insulation that comes in cans? If so, what I do is throw those stupid little tubes that come with the cans away and buy cheap vinyl or polyethylene tubing from the hardware store and cut that to the length I need to get the foam exactly where I need it. (If the tube gets too long, it ends up blowing off the plastic nozzle, tho.) You'll find that acetone dissolves the partially cured or fully cured foam, so after using the can, dribble a bit of acetone (or nail polish remover) into the small nozzle provided and the nozzle on the can the stuff comes out of to dissolve any foam in either one. Then, the stuff still in the can should keep well, at least it does for me.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

AtlanticWBConst. said:


> Some other tips are:
> 
> 1. Duct tape
> 
> ...


I don't have much faith in mechanical seals cuz they're not reliable. They result in ruined tubes of caulk often enough that you can't have any confidence in them.

Liquid seals are fool proof. As long as the end of the nozzle is immersed in engine oil, there is no possible way that the PL Premium is going to come into contact with moisture or that the moisture in the latex caulk is going to evaporate from the caulk.

I'll take an oil bath any day over a screw covered with a wire nut and the whole business wrapped in duct tape. The former I have confidence in. The latter is a Hail Mary play.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

ok, what do you do with a can of greatstuff that starts, but won't STOP squirting? had that happen last year and was running around finding other spots to use up the whole can...... while trying to catch the stuff flying all over......

DM


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> I'll take an oil bath any day over a screw covered with a wire nut and the whole business wrapped in duct tape. The former I have confidence in. The latter is a Hail Mary play.


The wire nut idea might be a hail mary play, but it is actually practical in the real world and it works great. I'm sure the oil bath thing works, but it is largely impractical in my opinion, and seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to save $1.00 worth of construction adhesive left in a tube.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

i'm using so much of that PL right now, i get the big tubes! i just make sure when i finish, i let a little come out the tip. this hardens and makes a nice little cork that pulls out easily the next day or 2 days later when i use it again. i let it harden down inside the tube once and had to use a drywall screw to pull it out, so i just figured leaving a plug outside would be simpler..... so.... how does everyone here roll up a 50 or 100 ft. extension cord? i use the figure 8 method myself and never have tangled cords..... the guys came yesterday to blow cellulose in the dining room addition and had a real mess of a cord to deal with. the boss guy was pretty po'd at an employee that (luckily for him) wasn't working that day.

DM


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

thekctermite said:


> ....I'm sure the oil bath thing works, but it is largely impractical in my opinion, and seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to save $1.00 worth of construction adhesive left in a tube.


:yes:


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

thekctermite said:


> The wire nut idea might be a hail mary play, but it is actually practical in the real world and it works great. I'm sure the oil bath thing works, but it is largely impractical in my opinion, and seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to save $1.00 worth of construction adhesive left in a tube.


 
No, with me it's the other way around. I might use an ounce of PL Premium at a time as a strong adhesive for a small fix once every two or three months. So, it's like using 50 cents worth of the stuff and throwing the other $7 worth away every time if I couldn't store the adhesive without it curing on me.

If you're happy with the wire nuts, keep using them. My oil bath system isn't practical for anyone who keeps their caulking in a moving vehicle anyway.


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

If I don't use all the adhesive or caulk, I just put a nail in the end, put the tube in a gallon size ziplock, and then put it in the fridge. Seems to work for me.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Except for latex caulks that would be ruined by freezing, you'd probably get even better results if you put partially used tubes in the freezer. Just allow time for the caulk to warm up before using it.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

The posts regarding people's different methods of rolling up electrical chords has been moved to it's own discussion, since this had nothing to do with the title of this thread. 
(Please try not to "thread-jack" other member's posts).

Find the electrical chord discussion here: 
http://www.diychatroom.com/showthread.php?t=34034


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

did i do that??? oops, sorry. it seemed to fit. 
owell, back to rolling up my 'musical' electrical CORDS! 
lemme see...E flat to A minor, B flat to C major... hey! i just wrote another song!
-=chuckle=-

DM


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