# Mudding a medium-sized job with a minimum of trips?



## Johnnywz00 (Apr 11, 2018)

I frequently find myself needing to mud (the equivalent of) a room or two of new drywall—just big enough where it seems like it would be a pain to mix quickset for everything, yet small enough where if you use pre-mixed mud, your butt seams and outside corners won't be dry by the time you need to float your tapered seams... and a lot of the time I travel near an hour to reach my jobsites. 
Does anyone have recommendations besides (or including): 
-using quickset all the way (any efficient way to do that where you can still use a hawk, and not have to spend half your time keeping your mixing pan clean and booger-free?)
-using bucket mud and simply making as many trips as necessary to let seams dry before doing an intersecting one.
-using quickset first just on a roughly 2'x2' area anywhere there are seam intersections, then running bucket mud after that…
-using all bucket mud, with some trowel techniques to minimize deep ruts when you meet wet mud, accepting that you'll probably have to do extra rough sanding before the finish coat.

The question also applies to inside corners: does anyone ever try to quickset the first side, then regular mud on the second? Does anyone have any luck getting a sharp finish with an inside corner tool? (I don't…) Or does one always assume that you'll need at least two days to take care of inside corners?

PS I only have hand tools.

Thanks! My first post here…


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## rblakes1 (Jan 8, 2015)

If you want to use quick set, mix a smaller amount multiple times so it doesn't set up on you before you can finish, that's what I do. It doesn't take that long to mix, just bring an extra bucket or two. 

Which one are you using? 20, 45, 90?

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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

Add extra money to the quote to cover all your trips.


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## Johnnywz00 (Apr 11, 2018)

rblakes, I usually use 20. Do you mix batches in a bucket with a drill and then scoop it onto a hawk? Do you have to spend a lot of time scrubbing buckets?


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Some of this depends on how fast you are for a given site condition. For taping I'll mix a half bag of 90 min in a bucket.


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## SLSTech (Sep 13, 2008)

For 20 minute mud just mix it in the pan with your knife - fan blowing on large areas helps especially if humid inside


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

Unless you are 20 years old and on meth, or have a skilled helper and you are skilled and fast. 20 minute isn't for taping rooms. It is for patching and running that one tape to fix a connecting joint. If you are using 20 minute, you need a stack of pans and an easily accessible cleaning area.

Use 90 minute and you will be able to get everything done and then hit it again. You'll get a good hour of working time usually. Mix half a bag like said above. Use it, mix another half bag. I've mixed whole bags, but it is a sprint to get it done and to get it done cleanly and correctly.

90 minute compared to 45 minute is also like a sprint compared to a nice leisurely trot. I can usually work 90 minute nearly as casually as regular mud if I only mix half a bag.


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## mstrat (Jul 10, 2013)

20 around tubs, 90 on corners & pre-fill (small jobs pre-fill can get 20 if you're 'young and on meth...I'm fat slow and sweat a lot, so 90 it is!), all-purpose on seams. I'm not a full time drywall finisher, just been around the block a time or two.


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## rblakes1 (Jan 8, 2015)

Johnnywz00 said:


> rblakes, I usually use 20. Do you mix batches in a bucket with a drill and then scoop it onto a hawk? Do you have to spend a lot of time scrubbing buckets?


I generally mix 90 in a 2 gallon bucket, about 2 trays worth. It doesn't take long to clean the buckets after each batch is used, maybe a minute or two.

I can't imagine trying to use 20 for 2 rooms, I've had it set up in my tray a few times

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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Using 5 or 20 min, I'm usually working out of a plastic pan and mix in the pan. Don't clean it until later. Once it solidifies, you can twist the pan and get most out.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Regarding corner trowels and getting a sharp corner. Most of the time they'll get you in trouble. My plasterer buddy had an adjustable angle corner trowel, and that would leave a sharp corner.

If you have a good corner trowel (a narrow one), I'll use this to get a straight line in the bed, and use a knife from there.


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## Johnnywz00 (Apr 11, 2018)

Thanks for the input everyone. 
I didn't mean to imply I try to tape whole rooms with 20 minute…*just that's usually what I have on hand for repairs, and I've played around before with hitting just the intersection points with 20 and then finishing the day with bucket mud. 

I've never tried mixing a half-bag of 90 at a time, so I will do that next time. Thanks again!


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

If you hsve to do extra coursr sanding using bucket mud, hawk, trowel, and plastering technique, you need to work on your technique. You should be able to get a no sand or light 220 sand surface. You still have to have the tape bedded first, and thick coats of AP take longer to dry.

There are a few things you can do if you want AP to dry faster. Run a fan and keep fresh air coming in (or use a dehumidifier in high humidity); add an accelerator that makes the AP set up; add dry setting compound or plaster to your AP, turning it into a faster dry / setting mix.

I'll coat both sides of a corner with AP or setting type, but it takes a pretty steady hand to do it. I've messed up my share of them.....


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Time wasters are bad board, bad hang job, putting too little on for bedding, putting too much on for any coat. Ideal is a single wipe to get the right thickness and smooth it.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Always bring extra buckets, sometimes the smartest thing to do is set the bucket aside and just let it set up.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I've never done it, but some of the commercial guys will mix a whole bag of Durabond 240 and just work off that. Probably too slow of a set for just 2 rooms.


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## rblakes1 (Jan 8, 2015)

hdavis said:


> Using 5 or 20 min, I'm usually working out of a plastic pan and mix in the pan. Don't clean it until later. Once it solidifies, you can twist the pan and get most out.


I've gotten distracted before and left my knife in the tray with the 20, took a little effort to get it out

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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I got an emergency call when I was working with fortified durabond. Dropped everything, threw everything out when I got back.

I don't even like it getting close to setting, too hard to clean up.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

90 min! no other way.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

cedarboarder said:


> 90 min! no other way.


Except all the others.:laughing:


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

hdavis said:


> Except all the others.:laughing:


This is the most profitable option all other is loss of some profit with trips. 

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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm not sure I get what the OP is looking for exactly but my standard small project(2-30 sheets) would be:
Day 1: Hang, 1st coat with 45 minute, 2nd coat with blue lid
Day 2: 3rd coat with blue lid
Day 3: Sand, prime, paint

If I needed it done as fast as possible it would go:
Day 1: Hand, 1st coat 20 minute, 2nd coat 45 min, 3rd coat blue lid
Day 2: Sand, prime, paint

I'm not a big fan of the latter unless it's just a patch as it typically ends up being a longer day unless I have good fans and/ or central air and I'm always worried about how it's going to set. There's not as much control over the final product.


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## Johnnywz00 (Apr 11, 2018)

EthanB, could you be a little more specific? Does first coat just mean bedding the tape, or does it also mean going back and filling the tapers even, building outside corners out to nearly their full width etc.? If 2nd coat means the floating coat, and you're using blue-lid, do you have any special tricks for where tapered seams intersect outside corners, inside corners and butt seams, since this mud will still be wet? 
Also, what's your approach to inside corners? Do you separate the two sides, or do both sides of each corner in a given coat? Thanks…


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## Mr_Stop (Aug 15, 2016)

EthanB said:


> I'm not sure I get what the OP is looking for exactly but my standard small project(2-30 sheets) would be:
> Day 1: Hang, 1st coat with 45 minute, 2nd coat with blue lid
> Day 2: 3rd coat with blue lid
> Day 3: Sand, prime, paint
> ...


When you say 45 minute, are you using Easy Sand, Durabond, or other. Are you using this to bed tape and No-Coat or Straight-Flex corners?

Blue lid= Plus 3, correct?


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## Snobnd (Jul 1, 2008)

No matter what you do you still need a couple days for all of the moisture to outgas from the compound.

I would never want to trap moisture behind the paint!


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## Herminigilde (Apr 10, 2012)

Snobnd said:


> No matter what you do you still need a couple days for all of the moisture to outgas from the compound.
> 
> I would never want to trap moisture behind the paint!


Ugh! Why do people think we have the power to make mud dry fast enough for paint in 25 minutes??


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## JFM constr (Jul 26, 2014)

Taught to use hot mud . I am willing to do my patch jobs .A whole room is more then I like . Usually have 45 min on hand . I buy regular mud for the last coat if i have to .i like mesh tape ,i can stick it to the wall and apply mud .if using regular mud i use paper tape .use corner trowel and then cleanup with regular trowel on inside corners .If it needs level 5 get a drywaller ,that said I go for level 5 .Generally I am working in conditions that my patches are better then the rest of the wall/room .A buddy recently told me to get 5 min mud . Comes in small boxes .
This winter tried to work with 20 min ,must of been the weather .mud was setting up before i could empty a pan ,raining that day .does that make any sense .it was near the coast .
cannot stand sanding ceilings .


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Setting in the oan is too warm of water, too stiff of a mix, settling in the bad, so sone parts will set fast and ithers will set slow, working too slow, mixing too long.


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