Hey there, thought i would add to the good instruction that's already been posted; you absolutely right about using painter's tape to create a sharp silicone edge. I just scratch built a 24"x24"x18" sump & fuge unit (lots of baffles etc.) and used plain glass for the build. On the seams that were easily visible i masked off the inside of the seam with tape and the seams look pro. Not saying that it's right or wrong, but i used a light bead of silicone when assembling panels, did a panel at a time (spaced a couple hrs apart) and imediatly smoothed out the excess silicone that squeezed into the inside. Once assembled i went back, masked the seams, added more material and smoothed out the seams. I beleive that silicone will not bond so well to itself, but because the initial bead wasn't huge and there wasn't tons of squeeze-out there was plenty of fresh glass for tue 2nd bead to adhere to. Also, because the silicone is so soft the extra material on the inside of the bead is more of a cosmetic and sealing thing rather than being structural. The silicone between the glass panes will be taking the load and will fail before the inner bead sees any stress, and by then it's too late amyway. Hence why people often use glass adhesive to assemble the panels, then silicone to seal and finish.
Good luck with the build!
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