It would be nice if all caulking jobs required exactly the amount of caulk that comes in a tube, but they don’t. Instead, we are left with partially consumed tubes of caulk that are worth saving. Some people put a nail in the end of the tube, and put it away for future use. The next time they need the caulk, they pull out the nail and try to squeeze the caulk out of an 1/8-in. dia. nail hole. Unless you’ve got forearms like Popeye, this is difficult.
I also use a nail to plug a caulk tube, but I insert it head first, as shown in the drawing. I swirl the nailhead around in the caulk and then I pull the nail back out until it seats against the inside of the nozzle. The caulk on the shank of the nail will make a seal that protects the contents of the tube. When I pull out the nail, the caulk seal comes with it, and the goo inside the tube is still usable.
Norm Jespersen, Royersford, PA
