You are not allowed to smear a substance that can be smeared, even thick globs of oil.

Chapter 314 Section 12

A knife thrown into a wooden wall cannot be taken out on Shabbos.

Chapter 315 Section 1

Chazal said even setting up a temporary ohel [literally a tent] is prohibited on Shabbos. They said the most stringent part is the covering, so a covering without walls is also prohibited. Walls alone without a ceiling is permitted as long as it doesn’t halachicly accomplish anything. For instance to block the wind, walls are permitted, to use as a mechitza in shul they are prohibited [unless a tefach, handbreadth, was there already] .