Poor man’s mortar pointing gun

In this video I use an empty silicone tube and a silicone gun to see whether it is possible to use it for mortar repointing. I have tried a dedicated pointing gun, but I could not get it to work correctly if water was used to mix the mortar. These days I use SBR in a lot of mixes instead of water and that gives the mortar a creamier consistency. Obviously if you are going to repoint a whole house you will be better off buying a dedicated pointing gun, but for patch repair pointing you can use an old silicone tube.
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[@ultimatehandyman]

I’m afraid I did not have time to edit a video for last Sunday as I was working all weekend! hopefully, that will be the last weekend work until the next shutdown. One of the shift fitters (Brian Hope) showed me how to reuse empty silicone tubes a few years ago, I still use this great tip regularly! I hope everyone has a great Sunday 😉

[@Doobie3010]

Best tips come from guys on-the-job,can’t always wait or afford the ‘Correct tools/materials’.Rough & ready works 99.99% of the time.

[@drcl7429]

This is a very good video about something I through there must be a way to do. Saved me some experimenting. I think anyone trying this should realise that if they have never used SBR before it doesn't give you much time before it goes hard in comparison to without. So you have to work quick. Always wear gloves and glasses and cover as much of your skin as possible. Is you think getting silicone off your skin is bad wait until you get SBR on you.

[@cheechU38K]

Great idea and it looked just like silicone application 👌🏼

[@ultimatehandyman]

Yeah, it's great for patch up jobs like this. Thanks for the comment

[@joeshaft]

Its such a coincidence, after all these years I finally decided to try concentrated plasticiser in my recent mortar mix (4 to 1 like you used) and I could not believe the difference! talk about night and day in terms of being a joy to use the mortar and had that lovely light creamy feeling when trowling it on. Can't believe I hadn't bothered with it til now. Never again! made it go on so well and stuck to the wall great. I'll definitely need to try this method though for jointing in some gaps. I actually might cut the tube a bit shorter to make it easier to refil each time, even if it does reduce the capacity abit.

[@ultimatehandyman]

SBR is amazing stuff ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@christophmeirich5928]

Thx for sharing! Well done job! Greetings from germany Christoph

[@ultimatehandyman]

You are welcome, Christoph Thanks for the comment

[@soneyliston7902]

Back in my day we used fairy washing up liquid instead of SBR, ok that might be wrong, but it did the job, so what's the difference, and no there were no bubbles or suds because of the lime in the cement

[@Tattysnuc]

My understanding is that SBR is a water-proofer as well as a plasticizer for improving the consistency/workability of the mixture.

[@ultimatehandyman]

👍

[@tonyscotchbrook6826]

SBR is not a plasticiser, its an adhesive.

[@brickbreaker9581]

Good job

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment 👍

[@stuartlockwood9645]

Hi mate, great tip this, I won't throw my empty tubes away now,lol. Hope your all keeping well, stay safe, best wishe's to you and your's, Stuart.uk.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks Stuart, same to you and your family ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@j4zzx297]

I bought one from screwfix for about £20. After reading the comments / reviews i found it was easier to use the mortor mix when it was a bit thicker than a mc donalds milkshake (wetter than your mix). I used it on a vertical wall. If you leave it dryer it seem to push out the water first leaving a dry mix inside (needing cleaning). It was a good piece of kit to get to deeper cracks, and easy to clean as all parts came apart.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Getting the mix to the right consistency is definitely the key ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@The_Macaroon]

I don't understand what was it you bought from Screwfix?

[@YoutubeHero666]

@@The_Macaroon a pointing gun the make they sell is roughneck and they are great

[@caskwith]

I keep silicone tubes for just this purpose, great for mortar, glue, filler etc.

[@ultimatehandyman]

It's a pity that so many people throw them away, they are so useful! Thanks for the comment

[@caskwith]

@@ultimatehandyman Yes they are and the silicone ones are so easy to clean, same with the nozzles.

[@portugueseutopia7039]

I have an old stone house in Portugal that is in need of pointing, but the amount of materials and time for mixing especially the bonding liquid would be costly. Do you think that the rustico mix with Hydraulic lime (I think that is what they use) would go through the cartridge. Also I see your Skeleton gun looks quite meaty. Would I need a heavy duty one (Like they use in chemical resin cartridges?) Thanks for the tip.

[@ultimatehandyman]

You can buy a pointing gun for this purpose, which might be better for what you are doing- fave.co/2KMlDFF I have tried to use a mix of 3 sand, 1 cement and 1/4 of hydrated lime mixed with water in a pointing gun and it did not work, when you squeezed the handles it just compressed the solids and the water exited the end!

[@43bikeguy]

I bought a mortar gun and the mortar just compacts inside, looks like it requires quite a lot of SBR (what is that anyway?) What quantity do you recommend?

[@ultimatehandyman]

That is exactly what happened when I tried one years ago. I now use 4 building sand to 1 cement by volume, then mix it with just SBR - fave.co/3jap1Fo I can't give a quantity for the SBR, I just add it slowly whilst mixing until I get the correct consistency. Thanks for the comment

[@peteramberley9952]

You need lots and lots of plasticisor in the mix otherwise it just compresses the water out of the mix

[@hongkongphooey78]

Glad to hear it happened to other people, I thought I was just crap at everything I turned my hand to.

[@peteramberley9952]

@@ultimatehandyman if you want it a bit stronger mix go 3soft sand 1 fine washed sand /plastering sand and 1 cement and lots of platisizer or mortarsizer until its real light and fluffy

[@ultimatehandyman]

@@hongkongphooey78 It happened to me the first time I tried a pointing gun ;-)

[@mlgwarehouse9629]

How do you remove the end once tube is empty? Mine keeps getting stuck and can’t reuse the tube. This works great except for this issue. I tried to put a hole and attach a string to pull it ou with no success? Any tips would be helpful.

[@ultimatehandyman]

You can push it back out, using a welding electrode or similar- kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmG3hY1qlLppsK8

[@angrymark1389]

Hi can you give me some instructions on how to wire a Honeywell bell box as I can’t seem to get it to work?

[@DexterXxX]

Awesome idea

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@fieldwhisper]

my patch repairs are meant to last till next summer (wink) but then 10 years go by...thanks for tip, something I will def try next time

[@ultimatehandyman]

Hopefully I'll get enough time to grind some of this out and re-point it next summer! Thanks for the comment 👍

[@TrailVapor]

April Fool's? Traditional mortaring or masking tape ;-)

[@ultimatehandyman]

Not sure what you mean. Mortar guns are often used to point patio slabs. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@numerouno.5445]

Good idea, although its a bit slow

[@ultimatehandyman]

👍

[@steventhompson3507]

Interesting but, By the time you'd finished mixing it you could have done your pointing with the trowel.

[@ultimatehandyman]

🙄

[@PerezLumbreras-xq9gz]

Can you add iron filings for mice prevention?

[@ultimatehandyman]

I’m not sure about that. It will probably rust and stain the mortar and slabs!

[@PerezLumbreras-xq9gz]

@Ultimate Handyman Thanks! This is for behind our kitchen cabinets where previous owners/builder have left gaping holes and now we have gaping holes. So rust won't be a problem where we are using it.

[@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284]

Well, you just saved me about $50 USD for a one-time job. Thank you, good sir.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Excellent!

[@neilobusk]

yep im from Bury so can relate to poor man stuff....... more stufff like this for us poor guys chez.... :) N x

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment, Neil ;-)

[@IIGrayfoxII]

You can buy empty tubes off ebay. They normally come in 3 packs or so.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment 👍

[@uktony1525]

Thanks for sharing this. I did not know about sbr but will use it next summer when I fully repoint a 40 year old patio. A big thumbs up!.

[@ultimatehandyman]

You are welcome. SBR is brilliant stuff, I have just done about 50 metres of fillet pointing around the property, using fibre reinforced mortar, made with SBR. Thanks for the comment

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

Excellent idea sir! Always appreciate your videos. Am tidying a house up at the moment and watched a couple of yours on plumbing.

[@ultimatehandyman]

I'm glad the video helped, good luck with the house Thanks for the comment 👍

[@jimadams7765]

What is SBR? Is it rubber?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Yes, it's a rubber based primer/sealer- fave.co/3w1dfnM

[@jimadams7765]

@@ultimatehandyman Thanks. And for the link.

[@derfdic1]

30 years too late for me but what a boon this hack would have been for me anther great video as usual

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment 👍

[@Ivan.Atanasov.]

I wonder if I can do the same with tile grout. What do you think?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Sure, it should make the job easier ;-) Thanks for the comment 👍

[@ratchriat1716]

That's a fantastic demonstration thanks for sharing this video and happy Sunday.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thank you! You too ;-)

[@nexusseven3665]

I actually tried something similar not two long ago and failed miserably, Great Job

[@ultimatehandyman]

It could be down to the mix. The SBR makes the mortar flow much better than if water is used. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@sandrobahry2558]

Real useful idea, I think this pointing tube can be used wherever repairs should be done.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Absolutely Thanks for the comment 👍

[@BigStew007]

Sorry if I missed this, but did you add the SBR to the dry mix, or did you add water first?

[@ultimatehandyman]

I just added the SBR to the dry mix- no water. Thanks for the comment

[@mokhan9899]

Pointmaster much quicker and easier to use

[@ultimatehandyman]

I think you have missed the point ;-) Thanks for the comment 👍

[@YouZbychu]

Is this SBR the same stuff as plasticiser?

[@ultimatehandyman]

No, SBR is latex-based (if I remember rightly) It makes the mix more sticky, durable and more flexible, plus it is waterproof. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@eldebtor6973]

Frosting bag for cakes?

[@ultimatehandyman]

You could use that- just don't tell the missus 😂 Thanks for the comment 👍

[@lazylad9064]

Nice and neat. Stops the mortar going everywhere 👍

[@ultimatehandyman]

Absolutely ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@larryz24]

Great tip! Thanks so much.

[@ultimatehandyman]

You are so welcome! Thanks for the comment

[@bikerjon153]

A lot of effort for a handful of mortar.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Not at all, you have to mix the mortar anyway ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@r.d.1991]

Now that is a brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing! 👍

[@ultimatehandyman]

You are welcome Thanks for the comment 👍

[@ifell3]

Great idea

[@ultimatehandyman]

Glad you think so! Thanks for the comment

[@stevewilliams6191]

Cracking idea thanks for the advice. I need to re-point my whole patio soon. Will definitely be getting some SBR that's for sure!

[@ultimatehandyman]

SBR is fantastic stuff ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@nowthenad3286]

@@ultimatehandyman So, do you use any water at all? (The sand/cement mixture looked a little damp)

[@ultimatehandyman]

@@nowthenad3286 No, just sand/cement and SBR. When using the silicone gun or a mortar gun, it needs to be wet. I've used a similar mix when fillet pointing- kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooHLgnqwbZVje9E Or when pointing a lead valley - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXm1emacqcaWoJo&t

[@justintemp]

If had to do one single storey side wall of property would you still use a pointing gun?

[@ultimatehandyman]

I have never used one for wall pointing. I did try years ago but the mortar would not flow from the gun, it flows well if you use the SBR mix though.

[@justintemp]

@@ultimatehandyman might try that...

[@elliottdiedrich3068]

Yes! I have one and it works excellent. I mix my own mortar with less than 3 sand to 1 cement. I use an electric mixer and I make it soupy enough that I can suck it into the gun with the plunger after the dispensing nozzle has been removed. Everything that I do needs to be structural so all of the joints are tooled after with a round or flat jointer. If you don't have it nice and soupy, it sets too fast in old dry masonry and you will have trouble tooling it unless it is done immediately after putting it in. This tool will save you tons of time once you get your system down.

[@novaleeperry6161]

Thanks for this video i leaned a lot .

[@ultimatehandyman]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment

[@Pete.Ty1]

😊👍

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment

[@SuperWayneyb]

👍🤓👍

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment, Wayne ;-)

[@EppingForest304]

Good idea 👍

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@JohnHughes2002]

Thanks for bringing us something cutting edge and next level and sparing us another video about plasterboard fixings!

[@ultimatehandyman]

Whilst plasterboard fixings might seem boring, hopefully my videos have stopped people from struggling fixing to plasterboard ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@JohnHughes2002]

@@ultimatehandyman true, you should be Professor of Plasterboard at Preston Polytechnic.

[@YorkshireD1]

If ur not happy with his content then why are you still subscribed?

[@JohnHughes2002]

@@ultimatehandyman must be because I have no plasterboard in my flat, apart from the ceiling.

[@justintemp]

Can you use this with pre mixed mortar? Or do u need the sbr to help it into the tube?

[@ultimatehandyman]

No, I would not use pre-mixed mortar. You really need the SBR to make it flow, if you use water instead when you squeeze the handles, it often compresses the mortar and only water exits from the tube.

[@justintemp]

@@ultimatehandyman OK so sbr and self mixed. 3 sand to 1 cement mix?

[@ultimatehandyman]

@@justintemp 4 to 1 is probably a better ratio, but 3 to 1 should be fine ;-)

[@justintemp]

@@ultimatehandyman thanks!

[@CrepitusRex]

You make it look so easy.

[@ultimatehandyman]

It's much easier with a bit of practice 👍

[@CrepitusRex]

@@ultimatehandyman years of experience showing there my friend. 🍻

[@xenod1066]

SBR?

[@ultimatehandyman]

It is a white liquid, that can be used as a primer and ad mixture, when mixed with mortar, it makes it more flexible once it has dried, it also makes it waterproof. It is fantastic stuff! www.everbuild.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/503-Premium-SBR-Bond-V1.1.pdf

[@xenod1066]

@@ultimatehandyman Cool. Thanks. So it's adhesive/fortifier/plasticizer type stuff? Acrylic latex, etc? Probably?

[@ultimatehandyman]

@@xenod1066 Yes, I believe it is latex based. Thanks for the comments

[@Lyndalewinder]

@@ultimatehandyman I think SBR stands for Synthetic Butyl Rubber

[@megaraitei]

This is exactly what I needed. Thankx. Gonna make one tmrw.

[@ultimatehandyman]

I'm glad the video helped Thanks for the comment 👍

[@JardinFoto]

I like the tool idea, but I prefer a good lime mortar mix to sbr any day 😎

[@ultimatehandyman]

I've repointed a couple of houses using lime mortar, it's great ;-)

[@babaranwar5462]

I love watching your videos .

[@ultimatehandyman]

Glad you like them! Thanks for the comment 👍

[@waynekerrr9027]

Nice neat job, but hell of a lot of messing about to point up your slabs..

[@ultimatehandyman]

It should help DIY'ers when they need to patch point a small area ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@cumbrianhomestead]

great idea and looks like it did a good job - thanks for sharing! best regards

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thank you! Cheers!