Need advice about using silicone sleeve in tube

(Moderator - please allow my photo and move to pumping forum.)

I have been having some trouble pumping with silicon sleeves purchased from AB silicone. I know that several of you pumpers out there have done this with success & I would really appreciate some help..

I purchased a sleeve to use for pumping, but it didn’t cover the shaft all the way. So to prevent lymph buildup, I would use a condom underneath to get some protection and pressure near the head. That seemed to work until one day the sleeve just tore. It had become much more pliable and soft than when I first started. I attributed the weakness and change in pliability to the fact that maybe my (lubricated) condoms had something in them that affected the sleeve.

So, I bought a couple more sleeves, and glued them end to end using a cool adhesive that bonds silicone to silicone. That made about a 12” long sleeve, which of course I didn’t need, so I cut the second sleeve to where I had enough to cover the head and a little extra for future length. That worked fine for only maybe 3 times, and this one tore also! (Hopefully you will be able to tell from the picture. The tear starts at the base.)

My routine mixes squeezes, jelqs and pumping, and therefore I am lubricated. I was using a water-based lube, but maybe even that has something in it that affects the silicon properties. Does anyone have any recommendations regarding what I should do so that I am lubricated enough to get that sleeve on there, and not keep messing them up? I really prefer to have the sleeve and use higher pressures than to just go in upholstered at lower pressures.

Thanks in advance for any advice - I am pretty much up to trying anything. (Wait, I take that back. Judging from some of the wit and humor you guys have, I will have to clarify and say that I would try “almost” anything.)

Handlebar

how is this working for you ? it eliminates fluid build up? you get great tunica expansion ?

So far, in my _very_ limited experience, when I am done with what I would call a “good workout”, I feel that I am looking really good and fat (for me anyway) when I can pump at cycling pressures of 8-7-6 with a sleeve than at lower pressures without one. When wearing a sleeve, I don’t get the “loose” soft buildup near the head afterwards like I do when pumping without anything on. There are several posts about sleeves in the Pumping forum than can explain it much better than I could.

Try water pumping at a low enough vacuum so you don’t get edema or red spots. Go lower vacuum for longer periods, that works pretty good. OR air pumping at lower vacuum levels taking breaks every 5-10 minutes to massage to prevent edema.

The only reason to go through the whole silicon thing is if you want to get length pumping and doing the lower vacuum longer times isn’t getting the job done. Even then, it may just be better to do some stretching before the pumping and see how that works for you.

Thanks sparkyx. I air pump and will just stick with it at the lower pressures and see whether I get the results I want. (Still curious about why the silicone degraded so quickly. Will probably contact AB Silicone again for ideas.)

Hi bbar

I bought one of these for the same reason you did and am about to try it. However I have been using short sleeves for some time under a DIY velcro strap with my extender and got a few tears after a fair bit of use.

The only thing I can think of is that if you get a small tear which can happen if you nick it with a finger nail etc it can quickly develop into a long tear as in your pic. Monkeybar addresses this in his autoextender webpage. If you get a small nick the solution is to clean cut the end of the sleeve to stop the tear developing.

How do you fit the sleeve before pumping?

Regards
Austfred

DONGALONG-er than before! (p. 9)

This thread by dongalong has his ups and downs until he started to do lower vacuum, gradually adding time. I jump in about post 127…take a look, I think it will give you some good ideas!

I have zero pumping experience, but perhaps, if the adhesive you are using is flexible enough it could be used to coat and in turn strengthen the end of the silicone tube?

That makes sense, but not only did it tear, but the entire sleeve became _much_ softer and more pliable than when I bought it. Thanks sparkyz for the link - that was very helpful. I will keep it up doing what I should for best PE results - combining all the helpful suggestions on TP with what works best for me. My weak suit: Keeping good notes. I will definitely have to do a better job at that with so many variables involved in pumping. Onward & Upward!

There was probably some lube on the condom which weakened the sleeve over time.

Don’t use any type of lube with it that is not water based.

BJ