Tidy Seam-Sealing Tips
Applying seam sealer neatly is easy with the right applicator.
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Tired of glopping unsightly seam sealer all over your handsome tent? Sick of slug tracks traced on your expensive rainjacket? A simple change of applicators will eliminate messy streaks and help you get the goo into those tight, tough-to-coat corners. Two options:
- Buy a “head cement applicator” at a fly-fishing shop. This small plastic syringe with a needlelike applicator tube is used by fly-tiers to cement the tiny parts of artificial flies. The syringe has a stopper that fits the applicator tube precisely, so the cement (seam sealer in our case) won’t dry out. Fill with seam sealer and apply. Clean the syringe with a proper solvent when done. Cost: about $5 per syringe.
- Buy a small caulk applicator tippet with threads that fit your tube of seam sealer at a hardware or painting supplies store. Cut a very small opening in the tippet, and use a pin as a stopper when you’re done. Clean the applicator and cap the tube if you aren’t going to use the sealant for a month or more. Cost: about 25 cents.