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Food grade liquid silicone

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T O P I C R E V I E W
farmlife	Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 09:20:40 AM Does anyone know where I can buy food grade liquid silicone? I need to redo the silicone on my Quik Milker. We called to talk to them about it, but the guy who knew about it wasn't in and he hasn't called back. In essence I need something I can use to paint on a thin layer of silicone to help with the seal for the teat inflations. Ideas? I know you had to reinvent the lid on the hand milker, MaryJane. What did you use to seal it?
10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
maryjane	Posted - Jun 06 2015 : 06:34:26 AM Keeley, Yesterday I mailed one long piece (enough for both lengths you'll need) plus a smaller piece (for cutting in half) so you can try out the two inline valves I also included. I think it'll work pretty slick, just need to keep on top of cleaning that valve. It's never going to dry out as long as it is, so the only way to keep it clean is to attend to it quickly. Although, on second thought, you could take those valves off each time and clean with a small bottle brush. Anyway, I'm anxious to hear if the idea works. I have enough for me to also try it once I'm in milk again. And I'll keep looking for that other syringe "inflation" and flexible silicon tubing instead of latex.
maryjane	Posted - Jun 03 2015 : 10:35:30 PM Keeley, Can you email me your address? maryjane@maryjanesfarm.org Thanks!
farmlife	Posted - Jun 03 2015 : 8:47:05 PM No latex allergies that I know of, MaryJane. Thank you so much!
maryjane	Posted - Jun 03 2015 : 12:42:03 PM Keeley, the medical supply place just called me back to say the flex hose they sold me is latex and is technically food-grade but they've quit calling it that because of latex allergies. If no one in your family is allergic to latex, I'll get it on its way.
farmlife	Posted - Jun 02 2015 : 08:42:36 AM I took off all the silicone and put a little avocado on to help it seal. Best seal I've had since I started using it. Once I got the vacuum established I hardly had to pump at all.
farmlife	Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 7:24:58 PM My inflation is the same as yours. I wonder if they weren't trying to improve something that didn't need improvement with the silicon on the end.
farmlife	Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 7:22:44 PM I wonder if I contacted the Hand Milker people if they would be willing to sell me the tubing and syringes. I think first I will just try to take off all the silicone stuff and see if I can't get a good seal that way. Maybe I have an air leak because some places have it and some don't.
maryjane	Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 4:49:15 PM Keeley, I put in yet another call to the medical supply place today. I want to make sure the latex tubing they sent me is food-grade before I send it to you. I assume it is because I told him what I was going to use it for so he special-ordered it. In the meantime, here's a photo of the inflations and tubing on my QuikMilker. There was never any silicon glue on the top of the middle piece like I see in your pic. Mine just pushes up under the flap on the inflation. Maybe they had to change to a different inflation? I can't tell from your photo. Mine is a snug fit. There was a clear, brittle epoxy type glue holding the piece at the bottom onto the middle section so that the tubing fit onto its tapered edge. I think there's still some glue holding it on. But I got rid of the glue easy enough by using my fingernail. Even so, I was still getting a good seal the last time I used it. What we really need (and I've tried to find) are simple tapered syringes paired with soft flexible tubing like came on Ron's HandMilker. I showed this syringe to my guy at the medical place and he said he'd order a couple but when they came they weren't tapered. I think they're out there. I just need to spend more time looking. It looks primitive but my girls' teats just sucked right down in there and out came the milk. I think perhaps the people inventing these alternative machines have inflations on the brain because of the more traditional models they've used when in fact we might not need them. My ideal set-up would be the tapered 50 mL syringe married to flex tubing (simply pushed on each time) and the type of outside tubing clamp found on the EZ. Simple to clean, use, everything.
farmlife	Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 3:04:55 PM A picture is worth a thousand words. Here's where I seem to be having trouble: You can see the part hanging off. There have been multiple pieces hanging off that I have removed rather than end up in my milk or clogging up the tubes. This morning I had a hard time making a good seal both on the one I was using and also on the one I had the red plug in. I could hear an air leak on both. By twisting the inflation I was able to make a better seal, and could build more pressure, but there was still an air leak I could hear. I've thought about taking it all off and just using a little avocado oil around the rim of it to see if the inflation fits tightly on its own and creates a better seal. Do you think that would work? If it doesn't my hands will be very strong in a few days. Where the tubing fits on the thingamajig the inflations attach to on mine is not a flexible sealant. It seems to be some kind of clear cement. How did you take yours off? I'm all for trying more flexible tubing, yellow or not, MaryJane. I'd be happy to pay you for it. Mine works fine right now, but in winter I wonder how happy it would be. I had one morning that was pretty brisk and it was definitely stiffer and harder to maneuver.
maryjane	Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 10:14:41 AM Keeley, When I reinvented the lid, I didn't use a sealant because it wasn't necessary--the two came together with the lid in between and there was already a gasket in one of the fittings so I removed all the ugly silicon "glue." I think the same thing may be the case with the QuikMilker because the only place I found that had "glue" was where the tubing attached to the fittings that lead to the inflations. Since I switched out the tubing and messed around with all my milkers, I just pushed those back on tight (after removing the hardened yucky glue) and it held pressure fine. Can you describe to me exactly where you think you need to put silicon? I actually bought you more flexible medical grade tubing that would fit snug on the fittings but when it showed up (special order from our local medical supply store), it was more yellow than clear so I thought it would look yucky and I didn't send it. I also purchased two inline valves that would work with the tubing I bought. Happy to send for you to try.