Cleaning Touch-n-Flow Apllicators

 Hey Thanks everyone. I felt so reassured by your advice i immediately went and glued the hull halves together on my Hobby Boss 1/700 USS Gato and the Touch-n-Flow worked wonders and cleaned out just fine by blowing air through it. Nice when a new tool works as advertised. Sherman, thanks for the tip on the torch trick but i believe I'll save that for an emergency and an outdoor escapade. Thanks Again, JOERIX

I've only had one serious clog, from an unusual source. A small gnat or fly of some sort, apparently attracted to the smell of one of the solvents, crawled in and died. Finally got it out with an ultrasonic cleaner and fine wire. Now I keep a plastic sleeve on the glass end when not in use, but I make certain there is no solvent any where inside the thing by blowing air from my airbrush through it.

I have only had to do this once and the tip was empty and I was useing IPS Weld on #3. Gave it a try and it worked. just a suggestion.

In the past I've done that too, but the heat will transfer up the needle and soften the gray material that holds and seals the needle into the glass tube. Do that more than a few times and you'll have a rather unpleasant experience while applying solvent. Ask me how I know.

It also fuses the styrene residue to the inside of the needle...over time it permenently plugs the needle. Just like fat inside an artery. Open flames and flammable solvents DO NOT MIX.

I have had luck useing a small torch, just wave through flame but dont let the metal glow red. also remember to wear safety glasses.

First never let a TnF sit for prolonged periods with solvent inside. At the end of your building session blow into the glass end to push any remaining solvent out through the needle. This will flush the TnF clean.

Soaking the needle end of a TnF in the solvent you are use will clear the end of the needle (which is usually where the clogs occur) applicator 99% of the time. Refrain from "pushing" the needle along the surface when you are applying solvent. Always "pull" away leaving a trail of solvent behind.

In the worst case senario when the needle is hopelessly clogged, one can insert a piece of fine wire into the glass end, down into the needle applicator to push out the debris. NEVER push the debris from the needle into the glass, you'll soon find out you are clogged yet again.