Sikaflex shelf life

Hightower · 05 October 2008, 14:00

I purchased a tube of white Sikaflex a month ago. I always check the expiry date of such products and this one was in October, so not long. I knew from the other chandlery I go to that their expiry dates where't any longer either, so I purchased a tube.

Last weekend I decided to do some work on the boat (I usually save up a few jobs before opening up a tube). On Saturday I used it on a few things around the boat and house and only used about 20%, I didn't finish what I wanted to do (I did note that the applicator gun was a little harder than normal to use), so I taped up the nozzel like I always do. The next day I came to use it and the whole tube was rock solid. Needless to say I wasn't very happy. It usually lasts a couple of weeks providing to clear the nozzel every few days with some fresh stuff.

Has anyone else had experience of this? I must have used 10 tubes over the last couple of years and have never had it go off so fast.

iandl · 05 October 2008, 15:28

just bought some and the expiry is december 2008 ...so doesnt have a long shelf life .....havent had it go solid in the tube within a day or so before ..

is good stuff though

seats came out well by the way

I

Hightower · 05 October 2008, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by iandl

just bought some and the expiry is december 2008 ...so doesnt have a long shelf life .....havent had it go solid in the tube within a day or so before ..

is good stuff though

seats came out well by the way

I

Oh yeh, it is the best stuff and comes at a premium price that I'm willing to pay, providing I can use all the tube.

Can you update you seat progess thread please, you haven't posted for a while and I, like everyone else would be interested in how it all turned out.

Limey Linda · 05 October 2008, 20:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Oh yeh, it is the best stuff and comes at a premium price that I'm willing to pay, providing I can use all the tube.

Nothing to do with "shelf life" ( thought you were an Enginer

)that ended as soon as you opened it and exposed it to air and started the curing process. TIP: leave it in the gun, next use,cut a small slit it the tube in front of the gun piston, squeeze out good goop, tape over slit when done, and cut a new slit next time and repeat. No, you will not be able to "squeeze a bead" but you will have a lot of stuff available for odd jobs using your finger. Works on silicoln too.

Hightower · 06 October 2008, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Nothing to do with "shelf life" ( thought you were an Enginer

)that ended as soon as you opened it and exposed it to air and started the curing process. TIP: leave it in the gun, next use,cut a small slit it the tube in front of the gun piston, squeeze out good goop, tape over slit when done, and cut a new slit next time and repeat. No, you will not be able to "squeeze a bead" but you will have a lot of stuff available for odd jobs using your finger. Works on silicoln too.

I don't think you really read my thread did you....

I've never had a problem before with this and the tube was solid the following day, I meen Solid. I hack sawed it open.

Bigmuz7 · 06 October 2008, 18:01

On the other hand, I found a 4 year old tube (well out of date) but the sikaflex was still quite malleable inside as I opened the cyliner to get some freshest stuff, I re did my tansom bung,.. and it firmed up nicely

.. Most of the tube had 'gone off' though

Hightower · 06 October 2008, 19:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

On the other hand, I found a 4 year old tube (well out of date) but the sikaflex was still quite malleable inside as I opened the cyliner to get some freshest stuff, I re did my tansom bung,.. and it firmed up nicely

.. Most of the tube had 'gone off' though

I have to admit to buying an out of date one several years ago at a Boat Jumble for a couple of quid. That one was fine too, in actual fact I have a tube of black Sikaflex that was opened some time earlier in the year and that seems fine too.

calum mckenzie · 06 October 2008, 19:31

I used to sell a product similar to Sikaflex which is a polyuretane sealer which cures by chemical reaction with the humidity in the air, normaly it would have a shelf life of 12 months from date of manufacture and usually as it gets to the end of its shelf life it is harder to get out the tube, sometimes if the tube has a good seal around the piston it can last for a few years before curing off but this is quite rare. So when purchasing it if it is near the sell by date then it has been lying about for up to 12 months.
Calum

Bigmuz7 · 06 October 2008, 19:31

Maybe they get an odd bad batch Andy ? And something causes the whole tube to turn, or if someone put it on a shelf in a shop that was next to a window perhaps, and the tubes nearest the glass got too much sunlight (heat) through the tube ?

Hightower · 06 October 2008, 21:01

The guy in the Chandlery did offer to take the tube back so that he could show the rep when he came in, he didn't offer to supply me with another almost out of date tube of the stuff though.

Unfortunately the tube has gone missing and the missus deniys all knowledge of throwing it away

So obviously not a common problem and goes down to experience this time