# That age old great stuff conundrum



## Daddy's Little Corpse (Sep 7, 2006)

So I love great stuff... but I absolutely HATE how the straw on it is pretty much good for only one shot. The straw is what makes it truly great because you can control it. So... has anyone discovered some magical way, other than clean out the straw with wire/pipe cleaner that may or may not work? Something good to replace it with? I have two cans of great stuff with no straw. I was using a washer the other day to at least get the top compressed, but I'm hoping for something with a bit more control.

Please! Share your wisdom!!!


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## Tyler (Jul 17, 2008)

After Im done with it I put it in hot water, and then try to clean it with a toothpick, but it doesnt always work. One thing that I did after I used my straw was take one of those big thick straws, the ones you get at amusement parks for the 3 dollar lemonades, haha. If you tape that thing on to the can really good, it works. But be careful, because it can be a mess. Those are the only ways that I have figured out to beat the man, and not buy a new can.(it even rymes) Hope this helps!


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

The secret weapon is acetone. It completely dissolves away raw greatstuff. get a shallow pan and pour a half inch of acetone in the bottom. When you hit a stopping point with your foaming, immediately pull out the straw and the trigger joint and submerge them in the pan. Swish them around until the straw is clear. Invert the can and swish the nozzle around in it too. 

Remember don't smoke or do this near any possible ignition source because acetone is flammable. This volatility aids in cleanup however -- just leave the pan outside and it'll quickly evaporate away.


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## spideranne (Jul 17, 2006)

Don't know what to do about no straw, but I use acetone to clean out the straw after using it. Just a couple drops down and it eats it all away, nice and clean for next time.


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## tcarter (Aug 18, 2006)

great stuff is cheap enough, why bother? Or if you have multiple projects that require small quantities, then just do them together so you don't have to save some for later.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

would a peice of vinyl tubing work ..find one that fits on the nozzle..you can always tape a piece of coat hanger on it to keep it from bending


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## disturbed (Aug 10, 2008)

ok heres what you do..... when your done using the foam DO NOT wipe the excess foam off the end of the straw. instead let it dry and when you are ready to use it again just pull the now dried on foam off of the straw ,and there you go just like new. If by chance this doesnt work take a pair of scissors and cut of about 3 inches of of the tube or more if its clogged further down and it should work. Let me know how this works for you guys


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## Daddy's Little Corpse (Sep 7, 2006)

It sounds like acetone may be the way to go in the future. I just love playing with volatile things...
I try to do all my projects at once, but sometimes all you need is a little and there goes your straw with it.
They should sell extra straws. They'd make a killing.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Doesn't work like that. It'll harden throughout the tube all the way back to the nozzle. And once it's set, it doesn't want to dig out easily. Best way is to bomb it with acetone and clear it out immediately.


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## disturbed (Aug 10, 2008)

well i use the stuff all the time since i do construction for a living and i have never had a problem with it. what it is supposed to do is collect at the tip of the nozzle so all you have to do is pull of the dry foam at the end and continue where you left off. i will have to post some pics of my cans so you can see that it does work before and after.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

guess its a matter of how much time it's left with the stuff in it. Last two times I did that it totally solidified.


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## disturbed (Aug 10, 2008)

you might be right about that but i have been using the same can for about 6 days now and it still works with the same tube maybe i get all the good cans lol


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

I've never had it work the way Disturbed says it - but I will try that.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

If I'm using multiple cans on a project I usually take the straw off the empty can, put it on the new can and continue. This way I have a spare, clean straw or two. I have found that if you keep the can upright that the foam usually dries at the top of the straw and it can be re-used, but it doesn't always work. I do cut the straw if I can salvage it. Never tried the acetone. I'll have to keep that one in mind.


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## dna1990 (Jul 18, 2008)

JackInTheBox has great straws...good for lots of uses. Even bushings, spacers, etc.


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## disturbed (Aug 10, 2008)

*easier way to save straws*

i just found an easier way to save the tubes for these cans. let the foam dry and unscrew the straw from the can. Take the tube off of the part that you press to spray the foam, and take a scrap piece of thick wire and push it through the tube. The foam should come right out cause it has nothing to stick to. Hope this helps


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

My foam hardens all the way up the tube every time in a matter of an hour....Why go to all that trouble poking a wire through, when Rev has the best method using acetone to dissolve to raw foam....seems much easier....


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## TNBrad (Sep 10, 2007)

disturbed said:


> ok heres what you do..... when your done using the foam DO NOT wipe the excess foam off the end of the straw. instead let it dry and when you are ready to use it again just pull the now dried on foam off of the straw ,and there you go just like new. If by chance this doesnt work take a pair of scissors and cut of about 3 inches of of the tube or more if its clogged further down and it should work. Let me know how this works for you guys


This is almost the way I take care of mine but after pulling off the stuff at the end I just run a pice of wire throught the straw to clear anything that was still there. Just like cleaning a clog out of my air brush tips. and a drop or two of the acitone drops can get anything else.


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## Bilbo (Dec 13, 2007)

Must be my day to resurrect dead threads....

When you're done just remove the straw from the GS can and put in on a can of compressed air (every one I have seen uses the same straw). Quick burst of air and the straw is clean enough for government work. Most of us have compressed air cans around the office nowdays.


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

Get Aceone and pour on it and it will clean them out just like new. I do it all the time.


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## NightWalkUT (Nov 10, 2016)

Iv'e always just stuck a screw or a nail that's the same width as it in the opening of the straw. The great stuff doesn't harden and stays wet inside there, and when your ready to go again, just pull out the screw/nail and viola!


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

I'll have to try sone of these tips


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## jackrum (Sep 2, 2014)

This hasn't always work but has done me pretty well. Once the Stuff stops pouring out of rat straw...or at least slows to a crawl I stick a bamboo strewer down the straw. When the Stuff dries I pull it out. It can be a bit of a struggle be gets decent results if you don't feel like dealing with chemicals.


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## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

I haven't tried it yet, but you can now get the components for great stuff at places like Lowe's and Home Depot. It's two bags of liquid that you mix to make the foam--so you can mix as much or as little as you need. It's sold for setting fence posts. Stiltbeast has a video on experimenting with it.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

I have used it. It is harder than great stuff foam and it does come in 2 parts. I needed a small amount of it so I put the rest in two peanut butter jars. One is still ok, the other crystalized over so the whole thing is now worthless, but I had it for better than 6 months before it did that. So.... your call. 

I personally use the pro great stuff foam now as it uses a pro gun ( about 45 dollars) and the cans but I can use them for 3 seconds, then put it on the desk for the next week and use it again in a week without issue.


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## rbrittigan (Sep 8, 2008)

I've used the fence post (Sika?) stuff with fantastic results; I also picked up some stuff called Shape-Crete; it's a quick concrete mixture that acts like modeling clay, but cures to concrete. I made tombstone custom molds out of those, let them set. Then I use 1 bag of the Sika, fill both molds; get two really nice tombstones out of the mix (I use really thin plastic dropcloth lining the tombstone mold, maybe 3 mil? That way the Sika doesn't stick). I do use PVC with wire mesh as an internal structure on the tombstones for putting it in the ground, but that's likely overkill. Sika = ~$10.00 a bag; two large tombstones, or 12 skulls (also a shape-crete mold). Shape-crete was $10 for a 1 gallon bucket on sale; 1 bucket = 1 tombstone mold. Hope it helps!


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## The-Hog-Flu (Oct 21, 2013)

They just came out with a new can. It has a little shut off gadget on the end of the straw. Works ok but I still dip the end in gasoline to clean it out


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## randomr8 (Oct 24, 2009)

Not helpful maybe but I always buy the small cans and try to use them up in one session.


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