You want it wet, but not so wet it runs off the trowel. Take a stiff brush and brush away any loose mortar from where you're going to tuck-point. You want the area dust-free. Spritz the mortar ...

Then dampen the joints with water before tuck-pointing. Use a small triangular trowel, and after several joints have been filled, smooth over and finish off the joint to match the others.

Years as a tuckpointer: 10 IF ANYONE THINKS OF A TUCK-pointer as just a joe with a mudboard and trowel who replaces mortar on the side of somebody’s house, he or she hasn’t seen tuckpointers ...