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  #1  
Old 05-25-2013, 11:16 AM
David-aviator David-aviator is offline
 
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Location: Chesterfield, Missouri
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Default SIKA with wet soapy finger?

I've seen one reference to smoothing a SIKA bead with a wet soapy finger.

Seems like a good idea but is there a concern of contaminating the product with water and soap?

Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 05-25-2013, 11:50 AM
lorne green lorne green is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Oliver, B.C. Canada (Okanagan valley)
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Default

If you've masked the joint and have full coverage, then all you are doing is tooling. Shouldn't be a problem with a soapy finger. Although it's a b***h to get off your hands.
I had success tooling with nitrile gloves. Put on three pairs at a time.
As one glove got excessively soiled (beyond cleaning up with paper towel) I would just pull off a layer. Quick and efficient.
regards
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Last edited by lorne green : 05-25-2013 at 07:15 PM.
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  #3  
Old 05-25-2013, 12:10 PM
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Bugsy Bugsy is offline
 
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Tape off a wide swath, first smooth with Popsicle stick if desired, fine smooth with soapy gloved thumb.
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  #4  
Old 05-25-2013, 02:23 PM
David-aviator David-aviator is offline
 
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Location: Chesterfield, Missouri
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Default

Thanks for the input.

My gut feeling is the origin of the wet, soapy finger is with the boat industry.

The video at Jamestown says go easy with the stuff coming out of the tube and the spread is then easy and neat. The big messes come from using too much sealant.

This is old hat for many guys and should be here also very soon, its not like the process was invented yesterday. The earliest bits of advice on the subject go back 8 years to 2005.

In any event, I am waiting 30 minutes for the primer to dry and, for better or worse, will be applying the 295 very soon.
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  #5  
Old 05-25-2013, 07:17 PM
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Ron RV8 Ron RV8 is offline
 
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Location: Okanagan Valley BC, Canada
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I got really good results by taping the edges and using a medical tongue depressor to radius the corners. Peel the tape while still wet. Nice stuff to work with.
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  #6  
Old 05-25-2013, 08:25 PM
David-aviator David-aviator is offline
 
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Location: Chesterfield, Missouri
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron RV8 View Post
I got really good results by taping the edges and using a medical tongue depressor to radius the corners. Peel the tape while still wet. Nice stuff to work with.
I have a tape line on the glass but did not get it removed. I spoke with Mr. Todd today (he always answers a call as he carries his phone in his pocket) about this and some other stuff and he said he lets it cure and then removes the tape carefully cutting along the edge line with a razor.

I got behind the time power curve doing this today and the stuff was getting might sticky and would not have come off clean.

Chalk up to a beginner beginning something new.
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  #7  
Old 05-25-2013, 10:25 PM
justplanecrazy justplanecrazy is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 30
Default Socket sets

I used my socket set for tooling a nice radius. Plenty of choice in regards to radius diameter for various different areas. Worked perfectly and I would do the same again. Simply wipe off excess immediately from the sockets to clean up. Simple!!!
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  #8  
Old 05-26-2013, 06:47 AM
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agirard7a agirard7a is offline
 
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Location: Newport, RI
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Default Ice cube

A trick I learned in the boating world for
smoothing out silicone and silka is and ice cube.
Works great, very smooth results.
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  #9  
Old 05-27-2013, 07:10 AM
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db8 db8 is offline
 
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Location: Jeffersonville, IN
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Default Ditto

I also found the tongue suppressor worked the best. You can take a belt sander and shape it anyway you want.

If things don't work out the way you want, let it dry, sand with 120 grit, reapply sika and smooth again and so on. I found the stuff to be excellent and you can keep messing with it till you get it the way you want.....over and over.......ask me how I know You can use very very fine sand paper in the end to get it perfectly smooth. Just takes a lot of elbow grease and it's best to do the whole thing so it will look uniform.
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  #10  
Old 05-27-2013, 07:23 AM
aerhed aerhed is offline
 
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Location: Big Sandy, WY
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Ice cube?.....Nice. Now where would a guy in Wyoming find an ice cube?
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