Loading the grease Gun with Safety And Ease
When you need to grease fittings like zerk fittings at home, in the automobile or even for heavy duty industrial applications you use a grease gun. This indispensable tool has seen wide applications in various applications and right from farmers, mechanics and the occasional home owner this tool has been used very extensively indeed. Mechanical parts of a machine undergo a great deal of rubbing and friction; naturally to keep the machine operating the way you want it to; you need to make use of tools like the grease gun.
The two main types of lubrication materials include lithium grease and silicone grease. These materials as well as the grease gun itself can be obtained from most hardware shops, auto repair facilities and other home improvement stores.
Now we shall see how to load the grease gun properly. Most grease guns have two parts, the head with the dispensing nozzle, and the barrel which has the cartridge that stores grease. The head and barrel units can be separated by unscrewing. These should be cleaned off remnants of hardened grease.
Now comes the slightly tricky part, the plunger removal. For this, you may need to tug on the handle that is attached to the other end of the barrel, which is away from the gun's head unit. Tug till the piston rod is completely outside. Now you may snap the rod in the slot provided on the inside of the barrel to ensure that the rod remains in place while you remove the cartridge. In some types of grease guns a special release tab may be provided that helps the rod stay affixed, until you press it again for it to move.
Remove the old cartridge as well as the grease that might be inside the gun. Wipe off all this old grease before re-inserting the new grease cartridges. New cartridges can be purchased from the same store where you have bought the grease gun from. The cartridges typically come in small or large sizes with 14 oz and 16 oz capacities.
After you have removed the protective plastic encasing, simple re-insert the cartridge and pump the handle a couple of times. Secure the head and barrel unit very loosely, after you have removed the metallic cap of the new cartridge. The head and barrel may only be tightened once you have pumped the gun and see some grease entering the dispensing section. Do not forget to wipe off the excess grease that might have come outside during the process. Once the head and barrel have been tightened the gun is ready for lubricating the fittings.
In case of a grease gun having a release tab, do not press the tab until the barrel and head have been reattached. The spring loaded mechanism of the gun can cause the piston rod to snap forward. Also mind the sharp edges of the cartridge once the protective metallic seal has been removed.
The two main types of lubrication materials include lithium grease and silicone grease. These materials as well as the grease gun itself can be obtained from most hardware shops, auto repair facilities and other home improvement stores.
Now we shall see how to load the grease gun properly. Most grease guns have two parts, the head with the dispensing nozzle, and the barrel which has the cartridge that stores grease. The head and barrel units can be separated by unscrewing. These should be cleaned off remnants of hardened grease.
Now comes the slightly tricky part, the plunger removal. For this, you may need to tug on the handle that is attached to the other end of the barrel, which is away from the gun's head unit. Tug till the piston rod is completely outside. Now you may snap the rod in the slot provided on the inside of the barrel to ensure that the rod remains in place while you remove the cartridge. In some types of grease guns a special release tab may be provided that helps the rod stay affixed, until you press it again for it to move.
Remove the old cartridge as well as the grease that might be inside the gun. Wipe off all this old grease before re-inserting the new grease cartridges. New cartridges can be purchased from the same store where you have bought the grease gun from. The cartridges typically come in small or large sizes with 14 oz and 16 oz capacities.
After you have removed the protective plastic encasing, simple re-insert the cartridge and pump the handle a couple of times. Secure the head and barrel unit very loosely, after you have removed the metallic cap of the new cartridge. The head and barrel may only be tightened once you have pumped the gun and see some grease entering the dispensing section. Do not forget to wipe off the excess grease that might have come outside during the process. Once the head and barrel have been tightened the gun is ready for lubricating the fittings.
In case of a grease gun having a release tab, do not press the tab until the barrel and head have been reattached. The spring loaded mechanism of the gun can cause the piston rod to snap forward. Also mind the sharp edges of the cartridge once the protective metallic seal has been removed.
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