# Better than ever flushers, like em?



## Will (Jul 18, 2005)

Normally I just hang, but over the past year or two I having to do more if I want some jobs. Seem to be taping a decent amount lately, and while not enough to go and spend thousands I was thinking about picking up some inside corner tools since I think that would be the most helpful for me..

Was looking at the better than ever flushers, having never used any before looking for a little advice. Don't really want to bother with an applicator, I can do that fast enough with a corner roller. But setting it, and 1st / 2nd coat would sure be helpful. Looks mighty quick in their video.

So what size is best for set & first coat? Can I get away with just one? Anything else I should consider with them?

Thanks guys


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## Bummie (May 11, 2007)

Spend $250 and get the handle, 2 inch and 3 inch flushers. Use the 3 inch for flushing when taping and finish with the 2 inch.


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## Will (Jul 18, 2005)

that was pretty much my plan. can i get by with just the 2 sizes to finish?

and do you use the 3 to tape? or did you just mix up the numbers? I would have thought you used the 2 to tape and 3 to finish? or am i lost in the whole process?

thanks again


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

Tools are backwards from hand taping,you use the larger head first, to glaze the corner, then you use the smaller head to finish it off. If you do it the other way, you will pick up too much trash form the edge left by the smaller one.


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## Bummie (May 11, 2007)

Capt-Sheetrock said:


> Tools are backwards from hand taping,you use the larger head first, to glaze the corner, then you use the smaller head to finish it off. If you do it the other way, you will pick up too much trash form the edge left by the smaller one.


Your right Capt!!:clap::clap::thumbup::clap::clap: Will... you can do the job just fine with those two sizes.


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## Al Taper (Jul 10, 2007)

Can you use a better then ever tube handle with a automatic taping tool corner finisher? Looks like you can..From the pics


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## Will (Jul 18, 2005)

Capt-Sheetrock said:


> Tools are backwards from hand taping,you use the larger head first, to glaze the corner, then you use the smaller head to finish it off. If you do it the other way, you will pick up too much trash form the edge left by the smaller one.


well thank god you said that, or else i'm sure i would have been using the 2 first then the 3 and getting mad it wasn't working so great.. 

going to order those 2 from allwall on monday.. thanks again guys.


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## mud dog (Jun 17, 2006)

I use a 2 1/2 inch can am flusher while taping, rough sand and then use the 3 inch columbia to load. By rough sanding between the coats, you pick up less crap from the walls. But I know everybody has there own preference, so I'm just stating mine.


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## Brockster (Aug 24, 2007)

mud dog said:


> I use a 2 1/2 inch can am flusher while taping, rough sand and then use the 3 inch columbia to load. By rough sanding between the coats, you pick up less crap from the walls. But I know everybody has there own preference, so I'm just stating mine.


Same here, if you use the 3" first it will take a few swipes to get it full to the edge and then when you use the 2" to finish coat with you can/will dig into the first coat.


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

Will

Heres a few things that happen when doing corners with tools. The first thing to consider is how what method your using to get the tape on. If your hand taping you will have to add some mud to the corner, with a roller or whatever method you chose, to be able to pull it full and easy with a 3 or bigger head. A banjo will leave enough mud to pull it with a 3, 31/2, or 4 inch head, without adding any mud to the corner. some peole use the smaller head to glaze (first coat) because of this, but then like mentioned, you will need to deal with edges (sand between coats) or else pick up trash when you run the bigger head on the second coat. Someone said that the smaller head with dig into the mud if run after the big head, maybe with flushers, as I have never used them, but not with angle heads.

My suggestion, to get into corners the chaepest way, is to get a banjo to tape with, a corner pole (corner handle), a 3 or 31/2 inch head , a 2" angle head for the second coat, a corner roller, and a lambs wool roller to apply the mud in the corner for the second coat.

Of course everyone loves to hate a banjo, so you can just hand tape the corner, then run the lambs woll roller over it, after you roll it with the corner roller and then glaze it.

This method will make you enough extra money to continue to buy up into automatic tools.

Good luck,


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## Brockster (Aug 24, 2007)

After searching "better than ever" tools I see what you are talking about and can see why you would want to use the bigger head/plow first. I bought one a few years ago because I heard how good they were and how they save time. I hated mine because it involved too much hand work to get the angle nice and (sort of) clean. Leaving goobers and edges is not the way I do drywall so that tool was givin away. Nothing beats the tride and tested method using a bazooka and angle head.:thumbsup:


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## Will (Jul 18, 2005)

Well, I tried to use these this week. I sure suck at it. Now setting the tape it worked really well and super quick. My 2nd coat.. Not so much. I kept having to fuss with it because I was either using too little mud and not getting a smooth run all the way.. Or then too much mud and leaving a fairly big line that I have to go back and feather in and end up doing the entire half by hand anyway.. 

Looks like if I can practice with it a little bit they will be pretty helpful.. At least I think


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

The Better Than Ever flushers take a little practice to get the feel of. Just like the first time you ever hand taped a corner, it didn't go perfectly--it took some practice right?

The more you use them, the more you will love them. 

I am trying to convert from a lambs wool roller for mud application to their mud tube and have been having a hell of a time with getting the knack of it.

I spoke to 3 gentleman at BTE today regarding the use of the mud tube and how to make it "work" for me.

Long story short.

A little mud goes a long way with flushers. You don't need too much mud on the tape. Use a 2" flusher to bed/glaze the tape. Use the 3" flusher to finish it. They also highly recommend the use of an inside corner roller to set the tape tightly into the corner and remove most of the mud beneath it.

I've been using the flushers for a while with fantastic results. I want to add the mud applicator into the mix to make myself more efficient.


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## hutch04 (Sep 2, 2007)

sorry but i do it backwards cause i like my last coat to cover the first coat... i quickly sand my angles before i start on second coat to ensure no dirt from first coat... comes out very slick!!! i find if you start with the big and go small you leaving two edges... we all do it different though..


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

Will

One thing to remember, is the the time factor, By this I mean, how far ahead of the flusher you are getting with the roller, ( i use angle heads, so the terms may not be right, bear with me, if your using the one that rolls and flushes at the same time, then just watch how far you are stringing tape ahead of it) if you roll too much tape before you go back with the flusher, it will begin to set, and cause you problems with the flusher. Try differant methods, do one room, then flush it, then try two rooms then flush it. see how much of a differance that makes. A lot of times we get to thinking so much about how thin our mud is, and forget our technique. And about mud, thin it down till you think its on the border of being too thin, then add another 16 ozs or so (the other day, I was mixing up mud to skim my corners with the second time, I added 5 gals of water to 5 buckets of pro-form red lid machine grade mud, which is thin to strat with) . Going from hand finishing to tools, it takes awhile to learn just how thin you need it, and you will usually not have it thin enough. Keep a bucket half full of water, and keep your corner tools in the bucket when not in use, mud drying up on them is a mian source of aggrivation.
Just go for it,, you can always go back around and hand skim anything that is not right, till you get it worked out.


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

Hutch
are you using flushers or angle heads??

Nothing wrong with the way your doing it, just involves an extra step, sanding. When I run my second coat, you can't even feel the edge it leaves.
Personally, I don't want any extra steps at all. I sand with a porta cable, and even if it leaft a HUGH edge, the porta cable would take it off like it wasn't even there.


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## hutch04 (Sep 2, 2007)

angle heads.. i really need to find a better faster way to do angles... i worked with a crew or six and we used a canon air tool that made life easy!!! now im getting my own jobs and got a guy a friend working for me we are using a angle box which i hate!!!! im so use to that canon air tool and only doing the angle once that we cant find a fast easy way to do it with the angle box.. i use a bazooka and rolled the angles afterwards.. wiped the tape like we did with the big crew... then came back on skim day and did the angle with the box.. its just not enough mud being left... im not happy finisher right now when it comes to angles!!! im stumped cause i cant afford the canon air tool and i hate the angle box and angle head i got!!!! house i did last week i ran the angle twice and it took three hours of my day it shouldnt!!!


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

Hutch,,,,
The mud-runner from Tape-Tech is the answer to your problem.
I have the CFS tools from Alpha-tech, but I only use them on the big jobs, I use the regular boxes on anything 300 boards or less. When we use the boxes, I use the mud-runner for the corners. Its almost as easy as the CFS and ALOT easier than a corner box. With it, you can load the corner as heavy as you want, so for the most part we only one coat the closets and garages.


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## hutch04 (Sep 2, 2007)

i hear ya man... i was looking into that but guy i got working with me hated it.. ive never tried it.. alpha tech guy called me today and offered me cannon for 650 so think im gonna take it...


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