Oakum
Oakum is a preparation of tarred fibre used to seal gaps. Its main traditional applications were in shipbuilding, for caulking or packing the joints of timbers in wooden vessels and the deck planking of iron and steel ships; in plumbing, for sealing joints in cast iron pipe; and in log cabins for chinking. In ship caulking, it was forced between the seams using a hammer and a caulking iron, then sealed into place with hot pitch.
Seam sealant
Seam sealing was already performed manually successfully for preventing perforation corrosion in the 1980s. Today used in the OEM automotive industry primarily for the purpose of seals against air leaks and to waterproof sheetmetal overlaps that occur in the assembly of a vehicle. Such overlaps are typically decorative rather than structurally supportive. Accordingly, they are usually only spot welded and this process results in a closure that is not air or water tight.