# I CAN'T be the only one!



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Not a bad idea but I wouldn't have the patience and usually, when still painting, had ample tubes of caulking itself around for such things.

That said and speaking of patience, a friend once restored the dome of a capital building and did a lot of the reconstruction of details with drywall compound and pastry bags and cake decorating tips. I did pull off an interesting wall for a project with a similar technique.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

I pretty much overfill the area, then knife it smooth. It works fast and easy for a drywall dummy like me. Po)
(I didn't get all of the pieces to fit perfect, and have tiny gaps here and there along the ceiling edges to fill in and smooth out.)

So..... show us this "interesting" wall? It sounds cool!

DM


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

There are a couple of companies that make  THESE.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

How the heck do you get the plug out of the empty tube. 

The task has never even crossed my mind.

Only DM :thumbup:


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Fiberglass (old fishing) rod in vise out in shed. Shove it backwards, refill and do it again....
As many spots as I had to do though, I should have found a quart sized tube to fill... :laughing:
I refilled the small one many times....

DM


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Say Willie, what was this? It ain't loading for me....

" You tried to access the address http://tapepro.com.au/manuals/WB2519.pdf, which is currently unavailable. "

DM


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> So..... show us this "interesting" wall? It sounds cool!
> DM


Not sure I saved photos as I dumped most of my slides (know even having such things dates me). But I remember two projects. 

One was for a little girl's room that was supposed to be princess like. The interior designer (and parent clients) wanted something less formal and less expensive than picture frame moldings (figured she would grow out of the look in a year or two) for her posters and things. I taped off "stripes" like you would if painting them and took the girlfriend du jour's pastry bag and cake tip set and experimented until I got kind of a cool looking border. Then I duct taped the tip to a caulking gun so I didn't have to keep filling little bags. The mixed caulking was a little soft but it worked out well. Your trick of filling compound into one would work better I suspect. 

I let it harden. Primed and painted and then burnished in some gold leaf here and there. 

The other was providing a series of "buttons" or "exposed" tack heads for a faux finisher doing some sort of simulated tufted paneling for a bar or reestaurant. I just snapped chalk lines left/right and up/down and used a cake tip in the intersections. I did use a pastry bag and hot mix for this as the tube stuff was too soft to give a crisp edge. I was swamped at the time and moved on to other projects. I do not know how that project turned out but the person was one of the best at faux painting (I just do not have the patience and think much of it looks out of context and looks stupid!).

The other project I mentioned, not mine, was the dome of the State Capital in Sacramento, California. Most other contractors bidding the restoration insisted molds would have to be made of the broken moldings and recast in plaster or whatever. In some cases this was true but the thing is 200 something feet in the air. My friend said he could fix most in mid-air to the point nobody would notice and cake decorator tools were the way he pulled it off. I think he ended up making some of his own tips but no biggy. It is just tubing. Whether he made any money I don't know but he got lots of publicity. And we were both emerging art students. I had just grown up around painters---not the fine arts kind---so had trade skills. 

Have fun! Thanks for inspiring the memory.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Sorry. It opens for me, even from your "quote".

It's a TAPEPRO Compound Tube. Maybe that will help with Googling it.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

kwikfishron said:


> How the heck do you get the plug out of the empty tube.
> 
> The task has never even crossed my mind.
> 
> Only DM :thumbup:


Made be wonder too but I guess it is possible. I do remember red devil or someday marketing a tube with tintable caulking. They asked me to try it. You mixed whatever paint you were using with their caulk and filled this metal tube. Clever Idea I guess. I never bought into it. I think another girlfriend du jour found it handy for some sort of snail and slug bait that you squeezed around the yard though.


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## nateshirk (Mar 11, 2011)

I'd like to see some examples of needing to do this. I'd like to try it, but I can't think of a reason to.


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## williamwiens (Nov 13, 2010)

This is a great idea..
Thanks for the tips.

Perfect for prefilling those darn spots where walls meet ceiling and a gap is left for whatever reason.
Far easier than filling with the knife.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

williamwiens said:


> This is a great idea..
> Thanks for the tips.
> 
> Perfect for prefilling those darn spots where walls meet ceiling and a gap is left for whatever reason.
> Far easier than filling with the knife.


Confused. You don't tape and mud wall to ceiling joints? Relying just on mud sounds a little iffy to me? And if you get a dimple or something for whatever reason I would still just grab a tube of caulk. 

Not saying this is a bad idea at all but my clients would not pay me to tear a used caulking tube apart and restuff it when they see a dozen I am nailing them retail or less for sitting in a box near me.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

williamwiens said:


> Perfect for prefilling those darn spots where walls meet ceiling and a gap is left for whatever reason.


That's about 99% of the reason, yup! It's hard for an old fart like me to reach up and work a knife like that all day. :laughing:

DM


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

sdsester said:


> Confused. You don't tape and mud wall to ceiling joints? Relying just on mud sounds a little iffy to me? And if you get a dimple or something for whatever reason I would still just grab a tube of caulk.
> 
> Not saying this is a bad idea at all but my clients would not pay me to tear a used caulking tube apart and restuff it when they see a dozen I am nailing them retail or less for sitting in a box near me.


I'm doing wallpaper and ceiling trim (crown molding) so the visual does not matter, therefore no tape. (I hate that paper tape, I can never get it to stick right.) And this is sand-able joint compound, not caulk.

DM


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

See your point, and my days of scurrying up ladders and working over my head are over too. But what happens when that joint flexes? Drywall compound is fairly unforgiving. Caulk maybe somewhat more. 

But still confused, if you are covering the gaps with crown molding, why bother at all if you are not going to tape it?

I had trouble with tape too until many years ago a crusty old soul asked if I planned to keep 4.5 gallons of the $5 tub as a legacy or something. "Smother the joint son and press the tape into it. Tool off the excess and leave it alone for a day." I've never had a problem since. 

What I cannot stand is the mesh stuff. 

I happen to like inside and outside corner tools but many think I am a wimp. And I can do corners with a long straight knife.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

sdsester said:


> But still confused, if you are covering the gaps with crown molding, why bother at all if you are not going to tape it?


To smooth the area, block any possible air flow and give me surface to paint on until we wallpaper and trim. (AFTER the inspectors are out of my life forever!!!)
Bare sheetrock looks like crap.

DM


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> To smooth the area, block any possible air flow and give me surface to paint on until we wallpaper and trim. (AFTER the inspectors are out of my life forever!!!)
> Bare sheetrock looks like crap.
> 
> DM


Now I understand. And what do have against inspectors? Are you suggesting that those who cannot do teach? And those who cannot do either inspect?

As you know, you have to play nice or they will shut you down. Electrical is nucking fightmare here. This is still conduit country. The only way around anything is to have a large extended family of handymen, not contractors, that are working on your place as a favor. Since moving back I have cousin Ralph, my electrician, Mary, my plumber, her sister Ruth is amazing with a finish nailer, Her husband John does drywall and his brother happens to know how to frame doors and windows.

Philadelphia was the worst though. I worked on a wonderful restoration with a great architect who handed me about $35K in cash one day. "You are going to need this! Keep it handy and do not buy donuts with it!" First and last project I did there. There was no shyness in the inspectors at all. "Want to work tomorrow on this?" And the palm was extended.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

There is only one "inspector" (and I use the term loosely) that gives me grief. I still have to deal with him this year. He's rude, condescending, insulting, etc. and even his co-workers cannot seem to stand him. The others were, for the most part, easy to get along with and one was even helpful.... to a point.... for a price..... (a $50.00 "CONSULTATION" fee???)
They seem to not enjoy doing their job when it comes to homeowners doing their own work, (and not doing a 'cookie cutter' job.) I have not mentioned to him my being a moderator here, since his early comment to me was "never believe anything you read on the internet." and I don't think it'd matter to him one bit. He has found NOTHING wrong with any of MY work here, but tried to hit me on something done by someone else, years ago, and approved at that time by other inspectors! KCtermite calls it the 10 LB. badge syndrome..... 
So you guys remember to NOT follow any advise we give you here, since it's all going to be wrong!!! :laughing: 
He's a real pisstol, I tell you what.

DM


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> KCtermite calls it the 10 LB. badge syndrome.....
> DM


Never heard it put this way but I must pass this on. I am in stitches. It is perfect. I had to tent my house twice in just a few months in California because of idiot inspectors. The head of the termite company was a good freind. He just winked and said, "We'll get em this time. I promise!" :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## halpad (Feb 9, 2017)

Hi,
Several years ago in Home Depot, I found sheetrock compound in a caulking tube, I loved it! It worked great for sealing around trim(without the silicon shine). If you got too much on, no problem, just smooth it out and wallah, ready for paint. Apparently, it was not loved by enough people as I have not been able to find it for a while. I have just tried to google and also search HD and Amazon with no luck. 
Looks like I will be trying this method;

(URL Removed)


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## Jman66 (Sep 6, 2020)

Use an air compressor and nozzle with a rubber tip to remove plunger from a spent calling tube. Press the nozzle against the tip and use the air to force the plunger out.


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