How to keep RTV silicone from drying inside the tube

[kuyaChristian]

Umm, yeaah. One half of my DV888's response fell off so I wanted to silicone it again. Usually happens every two weeks...but when I tried squeezing the tube in, it felt super hard [and no, that's not what she said] and no silicone was coming out from the tube. I tried extracting them with a long screwdriver, but no hope. Considering I still had a lot inside that silicone tube, I just wasted my money >.<

Anyway, I'm going to Walmart again and buy one. To prevent the next tube from it happening again, what should I do to prevent the silicone from drying up inside? Worth mentioning that I lost the screwcap on the first one so I had to do get by on sealing the tube in.

Thanks!

[yoyospirit]

I always screw something like an axle in the hole.

[jasonwongzero]

Just use a screw

Sent from Android.

[icthus]

I always let the silicone dry in the screw on applicator. Then when I need to use it I just take out the dry stuff and viola. It's rather easy too.

[kuyaChristian]

I was doing what Ichtus said...but I think someone threw the applicator away T____T
I forgot to mention that ever since I lost the applicator, I just pour silicone from the tube's mouth. The same screwdriver I used to dig stuff in is what I used to seal it in.
Yup. :[

[AndyCandy]

two weeks and it already falls out? anyways. i have to keep my red rtv in the fridge to prevent that it drys. maybe that works

[kuyaChristian]

I have no idea why it only survives for 2 weeks for me. I practice my binds more than my actual tricks mainly because I like to experiment how many ways I can bind. :]
But I noticed this lately... The past 3 times I had to put in a fresh response, all the 'pads' broke by stretching. It didn't rip in half, it simply stretched and it's the end of its life. It's still circle, but yeah. You guys know what I'm talking about.

Before, the response would just rip from the recess. But now, it just stretches and I have to change.

Hmm, thanks!
Right now I just have a small screw stuck in the applicator. I might do that fridge thing to slow down the hardening process.

[Sol vs Terry]

RTV is a pain to keep in the response area for longer periods. I like to rough up the bottom of the response area first.

Also, when putting the silicone into the groove, make sure you spend a little longer, and fill to excess, because it doesn't just fall in like flowable.

Afterwards, I like to put the screwcap back on the tube, crimp the end, and let the excess silicone dry in the applicator.

[kuyaChristian]

But then at the same time, I really don't mind changing the response every 2 weeks or so. I like tight binds and when I feel that it's getting a bit slippy, I change it. Yeaah, I also do that. I probably go around twice or three times filling in to the recess just because. Speakig of flowable, I was just at a car maintenance store [Autozone] and I saw it there...I was going to get it because it was $2 cheaper but I ended up getting RTV. Maybe next time, I'll just get the flowable.

Any pros and cons about using flowable compared to RTV?

Hmm, Might as well roll the ends huh? Alrighty! Will do. Thanks!

[rizki_yoist]

The funny thing is I want a silicone which easier to get pulled out, because the one I use (sealant non flowable) is really hard to be taken, and I usually change the silicone when the bind gets slippy, I never let the silicone fall off, because it never do...

[wolfman]

I'm not sure what I'm missing here, but I might have a suggestion... use the lid.  Every tube of sili that I have ever bought has had a lid, and with the lid on... the silicone doesn’t harden. 

Any pros and cons about using flowable compared to RTV?

RTV is a type of flowable silicone (kind of like asking the pros and cons of playing with a yoyo compared to an 888).  Whether it's labeled or not pretty much any silicone you buy will be RTV.  RTV stands for "room temperature vulcanization", which means it will cure at room temperature.

[theTopo]

Any pros and cons about using flowable compared to RTV?

RTV is a type of flowable silicone (kind of like asking the pros and cons of playing with a yoyo compared to an 888).  Whether it's labeled or not pretty much any silicone you buy will be RTV.

I thought flowable is a type of RTV, but not necessarily the other way around.

I've only used regular RTV, but the flowable stuff is meant to be easier to apply, while the non-flowable RTV is said to last longer and also seems to come in more varieties/colours.

[wolfman]

If you try to look up any differences the only pages that show up on Google are yoyoing related.  Yoyoers are the only people who try to make a distinction and I think its mostly a misunderstanding.  Most silicone that's sold in a tube in the auto section of your local store is both room temp vulcanizing and flowable (even if it's not written in big letters), as such some people call it "flowable silicone" some call it "RTV" others just call it "silicone sealant" or "gasket maker".  I think people heard these terms and thought they were all different products, and then started arguing over which is the best.


What people should discuss when it comes to this stuff is rubber content, elasticity, shelf life, curing time/temp and NOT flowable vs. RTV.

[Graiskye]

If you try to look up any differences the only pages that show up on Google are yoyoing related.  Yoyoers are the only people who try to make a distinction and I think its mostly a misunderstanding.  Most silicone that's sold in a tube in the auto section of your local store is both room temp vulcanizing and flowable (even if it's not written in big letters), as such some people call it "flowable silicone" some call it "RTV" others just call it "silicone sealant" or "gasket maker".  I think people heard these terms and thought they were all different products, and then started arguing over which is the best.


What people should discuss when it comes to this stuff is rubber content, elasticity, shelf life, curing time/temp and NOT flowable vs. RTV.

I thought the discussion more stemmed more from the fact that flow-able 'sili' just being so much easier to deal with, people want the longevity of the RTV with the ease of removal and application of the flowable.

[wolfman]

I thought the discussion more stemmed more from the fact that flow-able 'sili' just being so much easier to deal with, people want the longevity of the RTV with the ease of removal and application of the flowable.

I'm not sure why this keeps going over peoples heads.  Without checking every single person it's hard to be certain, but with little doubt I think I can say that 99% of yoyos with sili response are using RTV silicone.  Unless you have to bake your yoyo in an oven or stick it in a deep freeze to cure you are using RTV.

"Flowable" is just a term used to provide a rough idea of the viscosity of the sealant.  It is not a specific quantitative term; it's like writing "Fresh Scent" on a bottle of laundry detergent.  It’s not even a widely used term at that, Google it, the entire first page of results are yoyo discussions.  What I think happened is that yoyoers, knowing very little about silicone, for some unknown reason attached themselves to two arbitrary bits of jargon “RTV” and “flowable”.  As time passed and people threw these terms around having never bothered to do any research and now you have people asking inane questions like: “What’s better flowable or RTV?”  It’s like some one shopping for a new car and asking “what’s better, seats or a steering wheel?”

[Graiskye]

I thought the discussion more stemmed more from the fact that flow-able 'sili' just being so much easier to deal with, people want the longevity of the RTV with the ease of removal and application of the flowable.

I'm not sure why this keeps going over peoples heads.  Without checking every single person it's hard to be certain, but with little doubt I think I can say that 99% of yoyos with sili response are using RTV silicone.  Unless you have to bake your yoyo in an oven or stick it in a deep freeze to cure you are using RTV.

"Flowable" is just a term used to provide a rough idea of the viscosity of the sealant.  It is not a specific quantitative term; it's like writing "Fresh Scent" on a bottle of laundry detergent.  It’s not even a widely used term at that, Google it, the entire first page of results are yoyo discussions.  What I think happened is that yoyoers, knowing very little about silicone, for some unknown reason attached themselves to two arbitrary bits of jargon “RTV” and “flowable”.  As time passed and people threw these terms around having never bothered to do any research and now you have people asking inane questions like: “What’s better flowable or RTV?”  It’s like some one shopping for a new car and asking “what’s better, seats or a steering wheel?”

If your calling RTV gasket sealant, 'flowable' silicone, not too be rude, but I think the only head being flown over is yours.
 I wouldn't, and wont argue it further, you can believe whatever you want, but I don't believe what you do.

[T4T3Z0R]

I have been an auto mechanic for years now and wolfman is correct.  Mainly what the difference is is that something labeld RTV is going to be used as gasket material for something like the cylendar heads and therefore end up drying harder and a bit more rubbery and tends to be thicker comming out of the tube.  The stuff labeled flowable sillicone is going to be a bit softer and is used for things like sealing front or back windshields.  They are both made of silicone (this is for sure i am staring at a bottle of black rtv as we speak) and they do both vulcanize (that means to harden and get that rubbery texture) at room temperature.  I hope this clears up any confusion.

[yoyospirit]

I thought the discussion more stemmed more from the fact that flow-able 'sili' just being so much easier to deal with, people want the longevity of the RTV with the ease of removal and application of the flowable.

I'm not sure why this keeps going over peoples heads.  Without checking every single person it's hard to be certain, but with little doubt I think I can say that 99% of yoyos with sili response are using RTV silicone.  Unless you have to bake your yoyo in an oven or stick it in a deep freeze to cure you are using RTV.

"Flowable" is just a term used to provide a rough idea of the viscosity of the sealant.  It is not a specific quantitative term; it's like writing "Fresh Scent" on a bottle of laundry detergent.  It’s not even a widely used term at that, Google it, the entire first page of results are yoyo discussions.  What I think happened is that yoyoers, knowing very little about silicone, for some unknown reason attached themselves to two arbitrary bits of jargon “RTV” and “flowable”.  As time passed and people threw these terms around having never bothered to do any research and now you have people asking inane questions like: “What’s better flowable or RTV?”  It’s like some one shopping for a new car and asking “what’s better, seats or a steering wheel?”

If your calling RTV gasket sealant, 'flowable' silicone, not too be rude, but I think the only head being flown over is yours.
 I wouldn't, and wont argue it further, you can believe whatever you want, but I don't believe what you do.

While wolfman is wrong, you're also.  Typically all silicone is RTV, yes, even flowable.  You're not determining between flowable and Gasket Maker.  Gasket maker is thicker than flowable, so it's a little harder to work with.