I've hived these Plumbing 101 questions off from my main thread as they might help others!   So I'm taping these 1/2" BSP male fittings to go into my shower valve. The tape is wider than the male fitting is long. If I wind my 20 turns on it so as not to get any overhanging the end it encroaches on the hex bit that I need to get a spanner on to do it up:     Then, what constitutes a "smear" of gloop? This much? On the tape?         Doing it up