# DIY butt splicers



## orson (Nov 23, 2007)

kgphoto said:


> You certainly DO use butt splicer devices on walls, regardless of the brand. One specific application is for areas where a counter top or cabinets are going to be placed. This way you will have less scribing to deal with when you do the top or hang the cabinets.


where cabinets are going to butt the wall lose yer butt splicer and run a 2x6 floor to ceiling. Instead of scribing the cabinet or filler to the wall just get it within an 1/8" and then screw through the cabinet/filler into the 2x6 and suck the drywall tight to the wall, or the wall tight to the cabinet as the case may be.:thumbsup:

Consider this thread hijacked!!:2guns::gun_bandana::gunsmilie:

PS- my drywaller lifts the bottom sheets above the sole plate and fills in with a rip, not sure what his strategy is up top.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

Brockster said:


> Now don't go arguing with her, she is always right!:laughing:


 
I think you're beginning to figue me out.


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## OCRS (Apr 29, 2008)

After a night of 5 alarm chili and beer, it happens, just use duct tape and...:blink:. Sorry wrong thread ....


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## Brockster (Aug 24, 2007)

OCRS said:


> After a night of 5 alarm chili and beer, it happens, just use duct tape and...:blink:. Sorry wrong thread ....


Did you hear that new (to me) Shart song on Bob and Tom? Fricken funny!


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## kgphoto (May 9, 2006)

An interesting technique is to do a 2 foot rip on the floor and then a 4 foot wide piece and then the other 2 foot rip. This puts both tapered seams behind the cabinets and you only have one surface exposed and there are no seams on it. Using large sheets that fit wall to wall, means no butt joints at all.


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## rocker7969 (Apr 10, 2005)

Instead of buying the Rock Splicer, just get some 3 5/8" metal studs, and cut them to about 5' lengths. The edges are rolled out a bit, so your joints will suck in just like they do with the rock splicer, but a lot easer to buy, and a lot cheaper.


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## rockmagic (Jul 31, 2008)

go to the butt join question thread for m y thh oug ts on ha ha ha splices


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

rocker7969 said:


> Instead of buying the Rock Splicer, just get some 3 5/8" metal studs, and cut them to about 5' lengths. The edges are rolled out a bit, so your joints will suck in just like they do with the rock splicer, but a lot easer to buy, and a lot cheaper.


 
Wish I thought off that.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

rocker7969 said:


> Instead of buying the Rock Splicer, just get some 3 5/8" metal studs, and cut them to about 5' lengths. The edges are rolled out a bit, so your joints will suck in just like they do with the rock splicer, but a lot easer to buy, and a lot cheaper.


:thumbup::clap:


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

neolitic said:


> I see what you mean...top and sole plates.
> I have only used them on ceiling repairs...
> taking out partition walls, etc, where I'm
> trying to save as much existing as possible.
> ...


You dont have to worry about the top and bottom plates and the butt splices. due to the fact that you want them to stay flat. Because if they are recessed, they will show a divination in the top of the wall, as for the bottom baseboard will cover. I have used them for sometime now, and will not go back to old school ways of hitting the trusses or wall studs with the butt joints. I have a better version of the Butt Splice, and it holds better than the other models.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

AARC Drywall said:


> You dont have to worry about the top and bottom plates and the butt splices. due to the fact that you want them to stay flat. Because if they are recessed, they will show a divination in the top of the wall, as for the bottom baseboard will cover. I have used them for sometime now, and will not go back to old school ways of hitting the trusses or wall studs with the butt joints. *I have a better version of the Butt Splice, and it holds better than the other models*.


Please pass that information on?


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

rocker7969 said:


> Instead of buying the Rock Splicer, just get some 3 5/8" metal studs, and cut them to about 5' lengths. The edges are rolled out a bit, so your joints will suck in just like they do with the rock splicer, but a lot easer to buy, and a lot cheaper.


Have you, personally, done this?

It seems like the metal studs would just flex where they are screwed, and the studs would bend instead of the drywall.


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## VanGoghFinish (Aug 1, 2011)

I personally never used or I should say needed to use a butt splicer. but I can say that never will either! did a repair job this week in a friends home he just bought. Butt joints on first floor ceilings where cracked in family room and dinning room. When making repairs I noticed that the Butts had a lot of flex so decided to open up ceiling only to find some sort of butt splices where used. 24" trusses and a couple of kids beds rooms upstairs and your asking for trouble!


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

VanGoghFinish said:


> I personally never used or I should say needed to use a butt splicer. but I can say that never will either! did a repair job this week in a friends home he just bought. Butt joints on first floor ceilings where cracked in family room and dinning room. When making repairs I noticed that the Butts had a lot of flex so decided to open up ceiling only to find some sort of butt splices where used. 24" trusses and a couple of kids beds rooms upstairs and your asking for trouble!


By the sounds of it, i dont think they were installed right, there should be no movement either way, and should be anchor'd to each row on either side. We have been using butt splices for a couple of years, and have never had an issue.

I currently make my own, splices, that are in my humble opinion better than the market ones. I have no blow out of screws, and it sucks the 5/8 drywall up nicely.

As for using metal studs, I have not tried it, but I would think that because of the gauge of metal, it may cause it to go flat rather than recessed. The cost has to be higher for metal, than DIY splices, there is no way that you are going to beat DIY price as compared to metal studs, in our market anyways.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

if you use metal studs on an outside wall there will be additional compression of the insulation.


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

*Yet another butt option*

Given the hundreds of posts on the many options for butts and the strong opinions held by all, I hesitate to even post this however I'm a glutton for punishment so here goes. One more alternative for butts:
We make curved corners for drywall - a niche, but one which at least some people like. In order to make it easier if the straightaway on the end of the curve would be up against a factory edge, we had to find a way to put tapers on the edge of our curved panels. Our way of doing this is to cut a 1/10" slot into the panel and bond a wedge shaped strip into it to leave the panel with a taper. Initially we just made these wedge strips by routing hardboard to a taper but as the number of panels increased routing these tapers got to be a pain so we had a die made to extrude a vinyl wedge taper. Saved us a lot of time. 
When some of our drywall customers saw how we were doing it they asked if it would be possible to use the same technique to create tapers on the drywall. We tried it - works pretty well.
It absolutely isn't a universal fix and it does have it's issues but enough people asked about it that we are considering if there would be any interest if we offered it commercially - the wedges would end up being about $1.60 for a 48" length + a 1/10" skilsaw blade.
Biggest issues are it takes time and does create a lot of dust. On the plus side it gives you a tapered valley to put the tape in and it allows you to put butts onto studs. Not claiming it's better than the old ways or better than buttboards - it's just different and some people have tried it and like it. If anyone would like to try it, PM me your address and I'll send you a couple.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Why don't the manufacturers just taper all 4 sides? :whistling

Just askin. :jester:


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

Big Shoe said:


> Why don't the manufacturers just taper all 4 sides? :whistling
> 
> Just askin. :jester:


:laughing:

Ummm they cant, and even if they did, what happens if you need to cut back because your to close to a stud...then the recessed end would be useless. Just sayin


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

If your going to run all full boards anyways,,,,why not taper all sides?

Think about it.


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

You cant always use the full sheets, it depends on were the stud placing is...


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Big Shoe said:


> If your going to run all full boards anyways,,,,why not taper all sides?
> 
> Think about it.


I can see your point. You COULD work any wall out to where all your butt joints would be the (now non existent) tapered ends. But the extra time spent and the expense of throwing away the leftover board just wouldn't be worth it.

Say you needed two pieces only 2' wide...... you would end up throwing away the middle 8' leftover unless you could find some place to use it. And that, in itself, would be a hassle to keep all the extras sitting around, looking for a spot to use them.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Just thinking out loud Willie. Minds at work.:thumbup:


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