silicon tool

[ren]

Does anyone know of a tool that will give a decent concave bead on silicon sealant whilst turning back in the stuff that usually squishes out at the side and makes an almighty mess?

Steve

[Andrew Gabriel]

A finger, and masking tape fitted closely either side of the groove. I also use a disposable latex glove, wetted. Remove the masking tape as soon as you've faced up the silicone, before it sets.

[Dave]

mm, that's how I do it too but when the tape comes off there's always a little step at the edge of the silicone and it's soooo difficult to resist that final gentle finger wipe without the tape, just to get rid of the step. Invariably it spoils the straight edge :-(

Dave

[ren]

That's just what I find, that's why I want a tool. I also want something to guide all that wasted stuff back into the bead.

Steve

[Rob Morley]

Apply it properly in the first place and there will be very little mess, and no need to go over it again to smooth it off.

[Ian Garthwaite]

Use a bit of half-round beading as the tool but also spray a solution of washing-up liquid onto the bead before tooling, and make sure you make the bead and surrounding area wet. Yes, you will waste the excess silicon that comes out the side but you will soon learn to be more accurate with the bead to start with. (works for me!)

[Grumps]

Don't know if it'll help but I always use cellotape!! a lot thiner than masking so gives a neater edge.. Grumps

[BillyBoy]

Steve

Try

Jointboy Set of 4 Joint Tools

Item Number 516612

QVC Price =A38.89

UK Postage & Packaging =A32.45 Save! Buy two or more & save on postage and packaging

Jointboy works without parting agents - there's no need to dampen in the sealing compound with a detergent solution! You'll be able to produce perfect seals on connecting joints and expansion joints without masking or time-consuming follow-up work. It's resistant to acids and friction and is extremely flexible. Comes with four special tools, a joint tool with special angles and grooves, an extra-thin special tool, a joint tool with a round cutting edge and a joint tool with a straight cutting edge. Tools come in a small plastic case.

You can get these at

Regards

Bill

[Ed Sirett]

You have of course filled the bath to pre-load downwards... So with you finger totally juiced up with 50/50 liquid soap/shampoo/detergent and water run quickly it with minimum pressure over the joint this will smooth the silicone nicely. Corners are difficult as are behind the taps.

[ren]

How d'ya do that then Rob?

[Bob Smith (UK)]

I have used the orange plasplugs "silicone spoons" - work fine for me. Go over the bead handle first to form the corner, then go back blade first each side to take off the visible lines.

Also, if you wait for it to be semi set, you can roll up the visible line bits (like nowplough edge piles) with your finger. The 1 molecule thick bit between the corner and the snowplough pile is not strong enough to take much with it, so leaves an invisible edge.

Bob

[Rob Morley]

Cut the nozzle at the right width for the bead, at about 45 degrees. Push the gun rather than pulling, and move the nozzle smoothly along the joint maintaining firm pressure while feeding the sealant at just the right rate that it fills the gap without bulging up behind the nozzle or flowong around the sides. Be careful that the nozzle doesn't get stuck on any irregularites such as slightly uneven tiles or lumps of plaster/grout. If there are places where the gap is deeper then fill these first so you're applying a fairly uniform thickness all the way along the bead.

[Mark A]

I use something like a plant marker. Like an overgrown lollypop stick but made of plastic. The real trick to getting a decent finish is not to put too much on in the first place, but most importantly get the right sort of goo. If it smells like vinegar you're screwed. That stuff is impossible to do anything with except seal water pipes. It's so sticky it just goes everywhere and is a pig to clean up. Make sure you get the stuff called 'Kitchen' sealant. This doesn't smell of anything and is much more accommodating. When you draw the stick across the bead it will leave two tram lines either side of the main seal. Keep cleaning off the excess on the stick, and even dunk it in some water from time to time. Then just leave it all to dry you'll find the two tram lines just rub/pull off leaving you a nice clean seal.

Regards

Mark

[Ian White]

It's in the FAQ.

Part of the trick is to wet whatever you're using to form the bead with a very strong solution of washing-up liquid, so the sealant doesn't stick.

On the advice of a professional bathroom fitter, I always use a bare finger rather than a glove or any kind of hand-held forming tool. If it's thoroughly wetted with the soap solution, the sealant won't stick and you have a much better feel for how the bead is forming.

Don't worry about excess sealant - just push it away onto the masking tape. Using too much is far better than risking leaving a low spot.

If you squeeze away the excess sealant, right down to the level of the masking tape, then the tape will peel away leaving a very clean edge. If you're using a bare finger, you can feel very clearly when you've got down to the crinkled surface of the tape. (If you're using coloured sealant, you should be able to see the a clear straight boundary between the brown edge of the tape and the solid colour of the bead.)

Obviously you should pull off the tape *away* from the bead. If there is a bit of lifting in places, that means you didn't quite manage to smooth the sealant right down to the level of the edge of the tape. With a bare finger it's actually very easy to touch down anywhere that the sealant has lifted. DON'T touch the bead itself - just barely touch any sharp points that are sticking upwards from the edge.

I haven't tried sellotape, but wonder if that might be a bit too thin? The edges of the bead need a bit of strength to stand up to the future years of cleaning.

FWIW, the bead around our bath was done using the soapy finger and masking tape method, and 10 years on it's still looking good.

[ren]

Thank you for all the help. It looks as if I'll have to spend some time practising all these methods "on an inconspicuous surface".

Steve

[merlin1956]

Hi you need a foolproof silicone finishing tool , great results ever time... Jointboy Set of 4 Joint Tools Item Number 516612 QVC Price £8.89 ... i it's bin deleted a 'karl dahm' silicone set from trade tiler (.com) .. is an alternative Regards..Merlin195

-- merlin1956

[merlin1956]

Jointboy Set of 4 Joint Tools Item Number 516612 QVC Price £8.89 ... i it's bin deleted try a 'karl dahm' silicone set from trade tiler (.com .

-- merlin1956

[merlin1956]

QUOTE=merlin1956], Hi try ... Jointboy Set of 4 Joint Tools Item Numbe

516612 QVC Price £8.89 ... if it's bin deleted try a 'karl dahm silicone set from trade tiler (.com

-- merlin1956

[Mary Fisher]

"merlin1956" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

I wish we'd known about that before re-decorating (AKA re-constructing the kitchen) :-(

But thanks, noted and will make a good Valentine's Day present for himself :-)

Mary

[John Rumm]

?SearchString=fugi&ModPage=Go(I have a set of these - they work very well when you get the hang of it)