Picked a 6-inch taping knife over a 10-inch for my first butt joint and regretted it immediately

Spent 20 extra minutes feathering out that ridge because the smaller blade couldn't reach far enough, has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade27119d ago

Take a smaller blade again next time but use it right. A 6-inch lets you work the compound tighter so you get a flat blend without digging into the wall on either side. I've done miles of butt joints with a 4-inch knife and never had a ridge I couldn't knock down with one light sand. The real trick is keeping your pressure even and not overloading the mud. People blame the tool when they should blame their feathering technique.

julia_fisher2818d ago

Oh man, @jade271 you nailed it! I had the same problem for years until I slowed down and really focused on my pressure. I used to think I needed the biggest knife to cover ground fast, but then I'd get these weird humps. Switching to a 6-inch for the butt joints changed everything for me, you can really feel the compound smoothing out flat without fighting the wall. And don't get me started on overloading - I used to heap mud on there thinking more is better, but that just makes the ridges worse. A light touch and thin coats, that's what makes the difference.