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

Sounds like you might have an air bubble in there somewhere. 

Try getting a post-it note. Hold the TnF vertical and gently dab the metal end on the post-it. Watch the tube to see if there are any bubbles. If there aren't, it should start flowing freely.

CrashTestDummy

I'm working on a kit that I think my new Touch-N-Flow would be perfect for.  I get it out, gently remove it from the tube it arrived in when I received it from MicroMark.  I loaded it up according to the instructions with Plastruct Plastic Weld, according to instructions.  That was the easy part, just like the instructions say. 

Then I tried to get it to do the 'Flow' part. WTF?!?  I couldn't BLOW on the glass end to get it to come out.  I inserted a thin copper wire in the metal end to make sure that was open, which it was, but the ONLY liquid I could EVER get to come out the metal end was pulled out when I removed the wire? 

I've read the instructions.  I've seen the online videos.  What am I doing wrong!  I was so psyched to use the thing, but it was taking all of my control to keep from beating it to a pulp with a sledge hammer in the driveway. I am so P1$$ed!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

 

Finally someone that got a TNF that works EXACTLY like mine!!! I knew I couldn't be the only one. I feel your pain.

Doogs,

I was dragging, tapping and setting the metal tip on a paper napkin with NO luck.  I even blew into the glass tube to try to force it through the metal tube with no luck.  I even slung it like a thermometer to get something out and absolutely no luck. 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

If you put a thin wire up the tube did it enter the glass area so you could see the wire? I have one and it works great. Once filled holding it vertically you should see an air bubble come to the top of the fluid, then it will flow.

Bill

wjbwjb29

If you put a thin wire up the tube did it enter the glass area so you could see the wire? I have one and it works great. Once filled holding it vertically you should see an air bubble come to the top of the fluid, then it will flow.

 

Bill

Bill,

Yes.  Several times.  That's why I used the wire, to make sure the metal tube was patent.  I could drag fluid out of the tube with the wire, but no other way.  Thank you.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

It works best as a paint mixer!. Dont waist your time do it by hand.

Thad

You've probably got an air bubble in there.  I have to hold mine vertically and gently snap my finger on the side of the glass until I see the bubble moving up the tube and diappearing at the top of the fluid level.

Also sometimes I have to hold it vertically, tip down, and bang my hand on the workbench (not letting the tip hit the bench, of course) to start things flowing. 

If that doesn't work, put it tip down in the bottle of solvent for a few minutes- there might be a microscopic bit of plastic clogging the hole in the wire and that will dissolve it.

I know what you mean- it just takes a little fiddling around each time you fill it, but it works great for me.

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.

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.

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@

I hope he is not using cyano.

Bill

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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,

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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. 

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

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.