Tricks for laying a clean bead of sealant needed

[Finallybuyingaboat]

I was down at my boat trying to laydown a clean bead of sealant on the rubrail using Siakflex. Darn, that stuff gets messy quickly! Does anyone know of any tricks for layingdown a nice clean bead of sealant so it doesn't go everywhere, but still looks nice and smooth?

WHile waitingfor any response, I will goand try and clean this goo offof my hands, face, clothes,....

[erps]

I use masking tape on either side of the bead, smooth it down with my finger then pull the masking tape off.

[14432]

Assuming you're using a calking gun, some caulks/sealants work better when you "push" the calking gun rather than "pulling" it.

[QuickMick]

and make sure you dont cut the tip too big, and cut it at an angle. ive (like erps mentioned) found my finger to work well for most gooey applications.

[Faster]

Putting some dishsoap on said finger makes for a very smooth finish... masking as erps suggested is pretty much mandatory.

[QuickMick]

what did you do on your boat today?

gave her the finger.

har t har

[n0w0rries]

All good advice... only thing I could add is if you won't be using the whole tube... practice on some scrap first.

[southshoreS24]

they make little plastic tools for this purpose but sikaflex might be a little thick for it. as stated above, tape off and use finger, have lots of paper towels or rags handy and a garbage bag to put them in, as it will get everywhere very quickly.

[arf145]

I like Sikaflex, but have found it to have almost magical transfer properties. I start off with a clean paper towel that I plan to periodically wipe my smoothing finger on, swearing that I'll always work on a clean surface to avoid mess. Two wipes later and I've got Sikaflex in my ears, down my pants, and my favorite, on the bottom on my shoe. Magic.

[RhythmDoctor]

DO NOT use your finger if you're using polyurethane sealant. Isocyanates are very dangerous. You might do OK with it for while, but over time you could build up a sensitivity that causes a severe allergic reaction (rash all over your body, respiratory distress, etc.). Yes, it could happen from just getting your finger exposed.