stupid question time

farmerpsv · Apr 29, 2005

hey all,
i've had occassion to load grease guns for about 20 years now, and i have this nagging feeling that i'm doing it all wrong. i've always been by myself when doing this, so never been shown the 'trick'. seems like you need 3 hands to pull this off. i load from the supply side of the gun. it seems to me that the spring loaded plunger should have a catch so that you could retract it, turn the handle, and it would hold. well if there is one, i've never found it...maybe all my grease guns have been broken (ok, i've only had 2 and i inherited them). anyway, i put the open end of the grease cylinder in first, pop the pop top on the other end, put the lid over that open end and begin the process of trying to smush the grease cylinder into the gun while pulling on the plunger with my third hand.
so...this can't be right, and now that i'm older and know i'm stupid, i can finally ask..how do you do this??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

slowrev · Apr 29, 2005

The grease guns I have had did have a notch in the piston shaft that locked in a little side notch in the rear of the gun end cap.
If yours does not have that , yes it will be very agravating.

Ben

Indydirtfarmer · Apr 29, 2005

( this can't be right, and now that i'm older and know i'm stupid, i can finally ask..how do you do this??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

And if you don't already have them, wait until you have a teenager or two, then you'll not only know, but be TOLD DAILY just how stupid you are............. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Your grease gun should have a "catch". Look just where the ramrod goes throught the end cap. There'll be a small notch. Pull the ramrod out far enough, and it'll click into that notch untill you have the gun back together.

bczoom · Apr 29, 2005

( seems like you need 3 hands to pull this off.)

And you don't have 3 hands??? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I would say that if your grease gun doesn't have the notch to hold the plunger back, throw it away and buy a new one that does. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

farmerpsv · Apr 29, 2005

thanks ,
indy, my kids are 26 and 24 and getting to that magical age where dad is maybe smarter than he appears. i'll look for the notch

Spiffy · Apr 29, 2005

That fact you get a cartridge in at all blows my theory out of the water.... but thought for a fleeting moment you had one of the "cartridge-less" style. That's right, take the top off, jam it in a bucket of grease and "slurp" it full. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Still have one around somewhere; oh well, it looks the same from the outside anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Indydirtfarmer · Apr 29, 2005

( thanks ,
indy, my kids are 26 and 24 and getting to that magical age where dad is maybe smarter than he appears. i'll look for the notch )

My pair is (coincidentally) 26 and 24... I'm not that much "smarter" now, just not as stupid as I used to be. My son (26) has an 8 year old now.. He's beginning to discover just how the game works....

LIFE IS GOOD!

Jimbrown · Apr 29, 2005

I am betting that the grease gun has a notch at the end of the plunger when pulled all the way out but if not just lock down on it with some vice grips put the cartridge in and let go with the vive grips.

farmerpsv · Apr 29, 2005

jimbrown,
whoa, vice grips, now there's a 'well duh', and here i've always prided myself on being mechanically inclined!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

bczoom · Apr 29, 2005

( jimbrown,
whoa, vice grips, now there's a 'well duh', and here i've always prided myself on being mechanically inclined!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

Good idea but I'm mentally going through the process and I still see the need for 3 hands. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
1 to pull plunger
1 to hold canister
1 to clamp on the vice grips.

Hold the canister or plunger in a vice?
Pinch the plunger handle under your foot and lift on canister?