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Franco Darioli
(Franco) - M

Locale: Melbourne
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 15:04:14 MDT Print View

I posted this in the gear forum, but provably here it will be more useful.
Nothing really new, it is that I keep seeing people having problems mixing silicone and mineral spirits so this is an easy and quick way of doing it.
This is a 2 minute video clip :
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/7248563/18899600

Franco
Snap Judgement
(kthompson) - MLife

Locale: Eel River Valley
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 15:23:54 MDT Print View

Franco. love the music. Nice video. Could you show us a close up of the job done. I just finished doing my Duomid. It's in the yard being tested as it is raining again.
Franco Darioli
(Franco) - M

Locale: Melbourne
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 16:05:27 MDT Print View

Hi Ken
This was all done very quickly. One take and it is live video.
I just grabbed some detail from one of the last frames from that video. You should be able to see the sealer trickling down from the paintbrush. It is , at this stage, very runny, about the consistency I use .
I never measure the mix , just go by feel.
Franco
Seam sealer cu
Snap Judgement
(kthompson) - MLife

Locale: Eel River Valley
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 16:29:11 MDT Print View

Franco, I'm sorry, I meant on the tent.
Franco Darioli
(Franco) - M

Locale: Melbourne
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 17:34:46 MDT Print View

There was no tent to seam seal. I just did that to show how simple it can be to dilute silicone.
As for why, see , for example, page 2 of the "silnylon misting" thread, my comment there.
Franco
Snap Judgement
(kthompson) - MLife

Locale: Eel River Valley
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 18:08:06 MDT Print View

Thank you.
Greg Mihalik
(greg23) - M

Locale: Colorado
Re: Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 18:29:23 MDT Print View

Ken,
Here is a Spinn seam, with bivy loop stitching at the center. My silicone was about the same consistency as Franco's. I applied it with a syringe. When I flip the tarp over, I can see the silicone has wicked through.

SeamSealed2

Edited by greg23 on 03/31/2010 18:44:17 MDT.
Frank Deland
(rambler) - M

Locale: On the AT in VA
seam sealing mix on 03/31/2010 19:44:55 MDT Print View

Perfect timing. I am about to go get some silicone for a new GG Spinn Shelter. Never was accurate with the 3 to 1 ratio measuring. Thanks for the video.
Jared Dilg
(Village) - MLife

Locale: Texas
 		Re: Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 20:22:59 MDT Print View

Excellent, thanks for the video! Is it considered a requirement to later powder the seam with talc to prevent it from sticking to itself when packed?
Franco Darioli
(Franco) - M

Locale: Melbourne
Preparing silicone for seam sealing on 03/31/2010 21:07:55 MDT Print View

Some do, I don't. Mine stay up for at least a day and a night ,usually 2 days.
A few years ago i did the whole floor of a BD tent and put that away when I thought it was completely dry. Sometime later I put that up to find that a wrinkle on the floor had stuck to itself.
Unfortunately, having left my brain upstairs , I proceeded to forcefully separate the fabric. I now have a patch on that floor.
So, take your time...
Franco
Keith Selbo
(herman666) - F

Locale: Northern Virginia
Cool! Heres another way. on 04/02/2010 11:35:35 MDT Print View

If you're short on patience, or have a sore wrist, a slightly bent finish nail chucked in a drill will stir up a uniform batch in a few seconds.

When I first posted this method, a guy said it took longer to get out the drill than it does to mix by hand, and he didn't have the money to spare for a nail. So, depending on your drill storage and financial situation, this may not be the solution for you.

Worked like a charm for me though.