Toucn-N-Flow... Touch-N-?

If you're going to use the sucking method, I'd definitely get a length of rubber tubing that'll fit over the glass end of the TNF.  That way you have a much longer path to your mouth, and can more-easily watch the fluid migrating into the tool.  

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

The only way I can get mine to fill is to suck the glue (Tenax) in. I found out real fast that this stuff tastes worse than gasoline.

The metal tube on the plastic bottle screws off  leaving the blue cap on. The open end of the glass tube is inserted into the blue cap and now you can either load up using the vacuum from the plastic bottle or dispensing directly from the plastic bottle to the tube. The product rep tried this method several times and worked like a charm. He even intentionally clogged it by touching the tip into the melted plastic. He put the thin metal tip into the bottle of glue for a few seconds and used the squeeze bottle to clear the clog. Super glue and regular thin glue will clog it. Only thin solvent base glues like their brand and Tenax are to be used.

 thanks Gene, for the clarification. 

seriously: the idea of the Touch n Flow is a good one and I'll have to add it to the list of equipment to buy as  $$ permits

Duster,  I think the directions say to tip the end into the solvent, and let it fill that way.  I'd _never_ suck that stuff up.  It just doesn't taste good.  And to all others, I was NOT using glue, but solvents, like Tenax, Plasti Weld, Same Stuff, etc.  

I had 100% FAIL with the first one, but nearly 100% success with the second one.  The second one did come with the filler bottle, but I find dipping the open end into the bottle of solvent to work well.

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

Viper10L, above, has it right.  I have had great success with my TNF, but it can be fussy at times.  I use Tenax, Tamiya Thin Cement, or Plast-I-Weld solvent and it works good, but sometimes it gets a bit frustrating to get in flowing right.  Just takes a bit of practice.

plastickjunkie

This is an older post but worth resurrecting. I spoke today with the Touch-N-Flow rep at the IPMS Nats. in Orlando about this problem. He told me that the loading method of the tool has been updated to using a small plastic bottle with a special applicator to load up the glue. If the tool becomes clogged, it's because melted plastic has found it's way into the tip. He said to submerge  the tip in the solvent for a couple of minutes and to attach the small bottle at the open end, squeezing air to clear the clog out. I tried the bottle method and it is a better way to load and drain the tool.

sounds  a Whole Lot Healthier for the user; The idea of sucking in solvent is to reminiscent of siphoning   gas from my dads tractor before a date  and that didn't always work out well

This is an older post but worth resurrecting. I spoke today with the Touch-N-Flow rep at the IPMS Nats. in Orlando about this problem. He told me that the loading method of the tool has been updated to using a small plastic bottle with a special applicator to load up the glue. If the tool becomes clogged, it's because melted plastic has found it's way into the tip. He said to submerge  the tip in the solvent for a couple of minutes and to attach the small bottle at the open end, squeezing air to clear the clog out. I tried the bottle method and it is a better way to load and drain the tool.

The scary part is I have one of those.  Actually, I have a contour pen. The end is like what you illustrate, but the whole end will freely-spin 360-deg. so you can easily retrace surface coutours.  I might have to try using that, since I use it so little for drafting anymore.  Cool idea, thanks!

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

I personally prefer a drafting instrument vs touch n flow, and I do enjoy using both, but I am old school. I can use a ruling pen for a variety of solvents and glues without trouble and no waste as well. 

Hi !

I have been using the Touch-N-Flow (TnF) since the mid-90s, its a fabulous tool as long as you follow the basic rules.

- Choice of adhesive. The TnF is made to use a solvent, not a glue, not any glue in fact. The solvent melts the styrene plastic and make it "weld", Some model glues such as  Humbrol, ModelMaster, Tamiya (thick) are excellent glues for sure but the are incompatible with the TnF as they contain more than just solvent.  So no model glue and  no cyanoacrylates and such...only solvents .

Basically, if you put a drop of your candidate solvent on your finger, it should quickly evaporate and leave no residue whatsoever, no powdery residue, no stickiness, no gummyness...no nothing... like Tenax 7-R.

If you use any actual glue...you will clog it up in a second guaranteed.

- Filling the thing up. My preferred way to fill it is simply to immerse the tip in the solvent and suck it in. No syringes and other complicated procedures. As long as the tip is immersed you will see the liquid gradually filling up the glass portion, this can be done in an easily controlled manner, stop a few inches from the top. Of course if you lift the tip out of the liquid as you are sucking it in, air will be drawn in and you will quickly have solvent in your mouth. Been there done that... not cool ... but I'm not dead yet :-)... just kit the tip in the liquid and all will be good.

- Emptying the thing: After a modeling session I just blow the remaining solvent back into its bottle this give the tip a good backwash and clears out ant partial clog. Since its a solvent whatever wetness remains in the needle and body will quickly evaporate leaving it squeaky clean... but if one puts actual glue in it welll... thats another story...

- Dealing with clogs: As you drag it along seems and apply cement, depending on speed, pressure and angle of the tip, it can happen that softened styrene will enter the tip and harden and clog there. I just let it rest with the tip immersed in the solvent bottle for a while and that will soften the styrene plug enough for you to blow the clog out.

Between uses I leave lying flat on my bench or a a little stand I made for it to keep it horizontal between applications. If you hold it for too long in a vertical position without using it, gravity will cause a drop to form at the tip which you will have to get rid of by momentarily  touching the tip on a paper tissue.

Hold the parts together and when ready drag the tip along the joint and it will leave a nice, narrow run of solvent similar to a nice welding job. Keep the TnF at a trailing angle (glass leading the needle) so that tip doesn't clog up. Common sense leads the way.

As you get the hang of it...you will become best friends with your TnF.

I have gone through two TnFs in 18 years, the first one having died from being dropped on the shop floor.

I have also seen may fellow modelers clog theirs with glue and especially CA glue.

Understand the basics and you will love it.

Cheers.

Well it looks like the first one may have been defective.  In an around and about way, I made an order for stuff to Sprue Brothers, and the box arrived last week.  In that box was a _complete_ Touch-N-Flow kit.  I dipped the big end of the TNF into the solvent that is sold with the kit, and it picked up some solvent.  I then tipped it tip-down and noticed a drop of solvent forming at the tip.  I then dragged it across some paper towel and it left a nice wet trail behind it.  I was able to easily-blow the remaining solvent back into the bottle. 

I then pulled my first TNF out of the tube and set the glass end into the same solvent.  All that happened was I started making bubbles as my fingers warmed the air in the glass tube.  Sooo, looks like I got a defective TNF, or it's plugged.  I tried dipping the tip into the solvent and wiping it down with a paper towel, but was not successful in clearing it.  I may have another go at clearing it if I can find my fine wire. 

Oh, BTW, those Eduard Brassin' 1/48 and Vector 1/32 scale R2800s are very, very nice kits!  :-)

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

I currently use a fine brush.  The problem is, the solvent dissolves pretty much _anything_ that's used to adhere the bristles to the brush dissolves and runs down into the bristles.  I have to 'moisten' the tip of the brush with solvent, and roll it around on a paper towel first before I can use it. 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

I couldnt get mine to work either.  To date, Ive never had a brush fail to deliver liquid cement.

Evidently this is one of those love it or hate it tools.

I just used mine last night. Put the glass end in the Tamiya Extra thin and in about 20 seconds it was filled to the level of the bottle of glue. Glued my fusalage together and it worked fine.

Bill

I tried one of these and it a complete waste of time and utterly useless.  I tried it with Mr Cement S which is very thin, about the same as Tamiya Extra Thin.

I just snapped the useless thing in half and threw it away and several hours of struggling and doing all the things others described to try to get it working.

Not resolved yet.  I don't get many chances to get a lot of time at the bench, and a lot of my time lately has been cutting, sanding and painting.  I did try dipping it into Micro-Mark's SameStuff with no success.  I also did try putting it into water, and even dipping the glass end into water and sucking through the metal tube to no avail.  I guess the piece of junk is plugged.  And now, I can't find my very thin wire to try to run up inside the metal tube to verify. 

Previously, though, I _could_ run the wire into the tube, though, when I first got it.  Now, I don't know what's up.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

With this thread being almost 4 months old, the original poster has probably resolved things...but, I got my new TnF yesterday and did similar to dmk's suggestion prior to putting solvent in it...I submerged the tip of the (empty) TnF into water and gently blew air through the tube. I got instant bubbles.

If you can't blow through it when it's empty, it's plugged...either by manufacturer defect, or with too thick/dried adhesive.

Cheers,

First, try flicking the tube like you would a syringe to get all the air bubbles out.  Sometimes mine will clog at the tip and I've found the best thing to do is hold it for just a second or two in the flame of a butane lighter.  Don't hold it too long, the fitting will melt.

Bob

I'll vote for rthe viscosity of the glue being too thick. I use Tenax with no issues. I have the plastistrut in the bottle and just thought it looked to thick so never tried it.

Water or alcohol should work fine.

 With Weld-on #3, mine almost flows too much. I have to hold it at a very shallow angle or the solvent runs all over the place. I've had two (broke the glass in one) and they both flow the same.

Put the end in some alcohol or water and blow through it. Make sure air is coming out the tip.

It could have some sort of manufacturing defect, blocked tube or something.

HawkeyeHobbies

If you can pass a piece of wire through the needle and the liquid doesn't flow, even when you blow on the glass end, something tells me the liquid you are using is possibly too thick.

Hmm, I thought Plastruct Plasti-Weld was little more than MEK, but I don't know for certain.  How about water?  Is that thin enough to test this thing?  Thank you.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

it has to be something simple like a bubble or a clog or too thick a solution ... after all it's a hollow metal tube connected to a hollow metal glass.... not much can go wrong aside from that

HawkeyeHobbies

If you can pass a piece of wire through the needle and the liquid doesn't flow, even when you blow on the glass end, something tells me the liquid you are using is possibly too thick.

I'm starting to think so, too. I don't have much experience with Plastruct Plastic Weld - bought a bottle over the summer when I ran out of Tenax, used it once, thought I was going to die from the fumes, and put it away. But it did seem thicker.

I've used Tenax, Ambroid Pro-Weld, and Flex-i-File's Plast-i-weld with the TnF just fine.

You may want to try another liquid and see if you get better results. CA accelerator, maybe, if you don't have another solvent on hand.

I hope he is not using cyano.

Bill

Was the glue clean?  As my bottles start to get used up, there is always some sediment at the bottom.  I once got my TNF clogged with some gunk.  Maybe the wire you push in clears some gunk to where the glue will come out, but then it gets clogged again.

What glue are you using?

m@

If you can pass a piece of wire through the needle and the liquid doesn't flow, even when you blow on the glass end, something tells me the liquid you are using is possibly too thick.

i've had some luck in the past with taking a small piece of wire in from the glass opening and "stirring" the solvent.  sounds to me like there is an air bubble in there near the tip.  by using the wire it may free that bubble allowing it to flow.  don't know if that's it but it's helped me in the past when i couldn't get it to work.  just don't press the wire in there too hard or you'll damage the epoxy holding the needle.