caulking in tight spaces?

[mackmack]

I have been trying to caulk a bead of silicone into some tight spots. I can't fit the gun and tube down there so I have been using some on my finger and trying to do it that way. Needless to say it is pretty messy and I can't always get a consistent bead.

Does anyone know of anything that I can use to inject the silicone easier? Like a type of syringe or something?

I saw at HD they have disposable tubes of silicone which has a smaller body and nozzle, but I can get a full tube(4 times the silicone) for what I will pay for it.

Thanks for any and all help.

[Tequila]

I'd suggest cutting the corner off of a ziploc bag, filling it with caulk from the tube, and using it like a pastry chef uses a bag to put icing on cakes. I've had a lot of success with that method in the past. You can even add a little duct tape to the outside of the bag if you want to make a stiffer nozzle.

[mackmack]

I'll try that, thanks.

[Tree Farmer]

I agree on the ziploc bag method. You may also want to try loading caulk into a plastic soda straw, then cutting it to whatever length you need. Use your fingers to squeeze the caulk as your guide the straw "nozzle".

[jaybee]

On the cake decorating front - I went to a dollar store and bought a frosting bag with tips and used it to apply stucco into cracks in some old stucco before repainting it. Cheap enough to toss when done. Lot less messy than trowelling it in. Might be able to seal the tip and bag and then reuse if filling with silicone.

[mackmack]

All great tips guys, thanks!

[Jeffrey Schronce]

How about the smaller tubes of caulk that you squeze by hand versus by gun?

[cartdog]

I just ran into the same problem. I pushed a length of clear tubing on the tip of the cartridge and guided the open end of the tubing with one hand while squeezing the handle with the other. It was a little harder to squeeze and it wasted the caulk left in the tubing. Other than that, it worked really well.

[Tom Slick]

they do sell caulk in a toothpaste sized tube.

[gugie]

Using latex gloves with caulking...

When I do caulking, especially the paintable latex type, I grab several pairs of latex gloves, put one pair on, caulk for awhile, then run my finger along the edge to smooth it out. If the finger gets loaded up, I just wipe it off on the backside of my other gloved hand. I switch fingers as they get tacky, and when they're all a bit too messy, I just peel off both gloves and put on a new set. Makes trimwork very easy.