# Taping by hand



## Masterpoacher (Feb 8, 2008)

How many people in here tape without automatic taping tools? I am a one man operation and do everything by hand. 6" knife to tape flats and butts, 4" inside corners and a hawk and trowel guy. I am very busy and find myself wanting to move towards the automatic tools.


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

Your life would be much simpler. And you will wish you had done it fifteen years ago. That is after you learn to use them. Best investment you could ever make in the drywall business. Next to hiring it all done and you make the big bucks off of the other guy. Dream on...


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## jessedrywall (Nov 25, 2007)

i have been hand taping for about 8 years it is the best efficent way to do the job but i do use a porter cable sander which does speed up the process the mechanical tools are nice but they take some time to get used to and they cost a small fortune and the and result dose not come out as good as doing it by hand


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## CrazyTaper (Oct 9, 2007)

Right dude. Waste of my time if you ask me.:laughing:


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

A person can tape 20,000 feet with the tools in the same amount of time it would take to tape 2,000 feet by hand. Take that to the bank. And tell me the tools are expensive. I would replace my tools every year if I had to. If you are paid by the foot, you can't afford not to have them. If you are paid by the hour, you can't afford to own them. Your choice.


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## CrazyTaper (Oct 9, 2007)

It separates the boys from the men.


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## Brockster (Aug 24, 2007)

What's wrong with teh banjo? La Vida Local!:laughing:


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## oldrivers (May 6, 2007)

Tim0282 said:


> A person can tape 20,000 feet with the tools in the same amount of time it would take to tape 2,000 feet by hand. Take that to the bank. And tell me the tools are expensive. I would replace my tools every year if I had to. If you are paid by the foot, you can't afford not to have them. If you are paid by the hour, you can't afford to own them. Your choice.


 
yeah but the guy taping 20,000 sq feet has to do alot more work in a day than the 2000 sq foot guy does


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## Tony M (May 9, 2007)

oldrivers said:


> yeah but the guy taping 20,000 sq feet has to do alot more work in a day than the 2000 sq foot guy does


That's because HE CAN!


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## oldrivers (May 6, 2007)

Tony M said:


> That's because HE CAN!


yeah theres no doubt the skys the limit when using tools Im not arguing against that . You can sweat as much as you want to. :thumbup:


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

Masterpoacher said:


> How many people in here tape without automatic taping tools? I am a one man operation and do everything by hand. 6" knife to tape flats and butts, 4" inside corners and a hawk and trowel guy. I am very busy and find myself wanting to move towards the automatic tools.


However you get paid, hourly or contract, increasing your production, increases your worth. It would be difficult for a hand finisher to be worth $50 an hour, a tool finisher has the potential to earn that everyday.

jdl


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## Masterpoacher (Feb 8, 2008)

1wallboardsman said:


> However you get paid, hourly or contract, increasing your production, increases your worth. It would be difficult for a hand finisher to be worth $50 an hour, a tool finisher has the potential to earn that everyday.
> 
> jdl


 
That's exactly the reason I feel it's time to move towards the auto tools. I make good money now, but more would be better of course. I have more than enough work for myself right now but not enough to hire someone else full time to help me out. Auto tools might even things out for me. It's the learning curve i'm worried about and i'm in a small town so it's hard to get auto taping tools to rent.


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## taper71 (Dec 5, 2006)

It will be easy for you. You should already know how to feather your edges and make joints look flat. Autotools will put the mud on alot faster than by hand and alot more uniformed., All you have to do really is clean-up the intersecting paths . There are still lots of ares that need the hand touch, but I will garantee that you will increase your production . 
I think that the biggest learning curve is your mud consistency. Auto tools need thinner mud to work efficiently, but not so thin that you make a mess. If you don't have anyone to show you- that might get frustrating.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

Automatic tools are the way to go if you do big jobs. I think that hand taping on the other hand should not be dismissed. I teach my guys both. If the tools break down i want them to be able to hand tape to keep the job going. Or if the job is small like a parting wall of 2 boards it's good to know. I done it both ways and i like automatic tapers better,they are quicker and less chance of air bubbles.


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

Masterpoacher said:


> That's exactly the reason I feel it's time to move towards the auto tools. I make good money now, but more would be better of course. I have more than enough work for myself right now but not enough to hire someone else full time to help me out. Auto tools might even things out for me. It's the learning curve i'm worried about and i'm in a small town so it's hard to get auto taping tools to rent.


The learning curve is greatly reduced by a few hours of instructional video. There are videos available that will help you out considerably.
jdl


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

jessedrywall said:


> i have been hand taping for about 8 years it is the best efficent way to do the job but i do use a porter cable sander which does speed up the process the mechanical tools are nice but they take some time to get used to and they cost a small fortune and the and result dose not come out as good as doing it by hand


 
Man I hear that bull^&*t almost everyday. So lets take a look at this thing. Auto tools, use just enough mud to stick the tape, leaveing it below the bevel.. ugly as homemade sin, but the RIGHT way to tape. Hand tapeing fills the bevel, makes "pretty" work, but leaves the bevel full, insureing that you have to use too much mud to finish it, leaveing a humped up flat(reckon why they call it a flat???) I beleive the "REAL" finishers (hand finishers)call it crowning the flat. Hand finishers insist that hand taping the corners and angles is better than machine tapeing, why???? the only response is "I just think it looks better. Whats that got to do with anything??? Angle heads leave NO trash in the center of the angle,, even the best hand finishers can't say that(truthfully). A box drags a blade over the wall leaveing the same amount of mud everywhere, no heavy or light areas like doing it by hand does, sure you "back it down" but not as evenly as the box does on the first pass. Lets see, a mud runner or corner box with an outside 90 head puts mud on for the beads, way faster than a Hopper or by hand(and again, uniformly).Yada Yada Yada, in the end, my walls paint out flater and cleaner than a hand finishers does, and in less than 1/2 the time. 

In my opionion, the "best" finisher is the guy that makes the most money, without any call-backs.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

[In my opionion, the "best" finisher is the guy that makes the most money, without any call-backs.[/quote]

agreed, but a true pro should know all methods and where and when to use them.


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## oldrivers (May 6, 2007)

theres more to it than whats being said here, ok using the tools allows you to make more money no doubt about that. however once you turn 40 and your going up against 23 year olds that also have the tools they will do more work faster than the 40 year old with the same tools it comes with age, 

i started losing alot of work because i couldnt keep up to younger crews they would do the jobs in 2 days were i could only do them in 4 so i lost out, however now i work hourly and i can tell you that i will not have to ever compete with younger guys or illegals because the contrators do not want them they want a person who shows up everday , does a good job , doesn't steal, and a person who does it there way .

now working hourly you can slow down and give the contractor everything he wants done that means breaking out the levels and lazers and putting beads on precisly straight so they match cabinets etc. ive been told from the job soups that using faster guys that run is agravating because there always re-adjusting things to make them fit. and we could charge more if we wanted but were trying not to lose work by doing so. 

some of the other trades like electricians, plumbers have an unfair advantage because the law says you have to use them because thye're licensed etc so they can charge whatever they want. 
we dont have that same tactical advantage. We have to be crafty and creative to compete. i might not make the same money you footage guys make but i have alot more job security than you do . because the work we do keeps going regardless of economic slow downs .


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

Capt-Sheetrock said:


> Man I hear that bull^&*t almost everyday. So lets take a look at this thing. Auto tools, use just enough mud to stick the tape, leaveing it below the bevel.. ugly as homemade sin, but the RIGHT way to tape. Hand tapeing fills the bevel, makes "pretty" work, but leaves the bevel full, insureing that you have to use too much mud to finish it, leaveing a humped up flat(reckon why they call it a flat???) I beleive the "REAL" finishers (hand finishers)call it crowning the flat. Hand finishers insist that hand taping the corners and angles is better than machine tapeing, why???? the only response is "I just think it looks better. Whats that got to do with anything??? Angle heads leave NO trash in the center of the angle,, even the best hand finishers can't say that(truthfully). A box drags a blade over the wall leaveing the same amount of mud everywhere, no heavy or light areas like doing it by hand does, sure you "back it down" but not as evenly as the box does on the first pass. Lets see, a mud runner or corner box with an outside 90 head puts mud on for the beads, way faster than a Hopper or by hand(and again, uniformly).Yada Yada Yada, in the end, my walls paint out flater and cleaner than a hand finishers does, and in less than 1/2 the time.
> 
> In my opionion, the "best" finisher is the guy that makes the most money, without any call-backs.


:thumbsup: Way to take it to 'em, tools rule.:thumbup:


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

oldrivers said:


> now working hourly you can slow down and give the contractor everything he wants done that means breaking out the levels and lazers and putting beads on precisly straight so they match cabinets etc. ive been told from the job soups that using faster guys that run is agravating because there always re-adjusting things to make them fit. and we could charge more if we wanted but were trying not to lose work by doing so.


Someone should tell the stupidintendant that if he built the house level, it would come out that way. 

jdl


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

BUTCHERMAN said:


> [In my opionion, the "best" finisher is the guy that makes the most money, without any call-backs.


agreed, but a true pro should know all methods and where and when to use them.[/quote]

I know the Hungarian slop-box method since 1975, never found a place for it.:laughing:


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

1wallboardsman said:


> agreed, but a true pro should know all methods and where and when to use them.


I know the Hungarian slop-box method since 1975, never found a place for it.:laughing:[/quote]

But at least you know it.


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

That's for sure! We are expected to fix the framing, don't ya know.


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## oldrivers (May 6, 2007)

1wallboardsman said:


> :thumbsup: Way to take it to 'em, tools rule.:thumbup:


 
not everyone that uses automatic tools can tape better than all hand guys. the automtic tools do not make you better all by themselves . there are plenty of guys that tape by hand that could beat alot of guys that use auto tools too.


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## Capt-Sheetrock (Aug 8, 2007)

oldrivers said:


> not everyone that uses automatic tools can tape better than all hand guys. the automtic tools do not make you better all by themselves . there are plenty of guys that tape by hand that could beat alot of guys that use auto tools too.


there are a few tool guys that never hand finished, but most went from hand finishing to tools. Some jobs, like the ones you are doing, don't warrent tools, I agree, but this thread started off about production, and then was slammed,by a hand finisher, as if tool guys use tools cause they don't know how to do it "right". 

Tools are tools, nobody acutually uses their hands alone, they hold some sort of tool in their hand. 

I'm helping a friend this week finish a house, he's an old hand finisher that has decided to try to learn tools. He decided to hand tape the angles and corners, cause he doesn't like the way they look by the tools. well after he taped them, he got me to run them with the mudrunner, the next day, they look 1/2 ass, cause they are. they will sand out okay, but this illistrates what usually happens, people try to incorporate tools into their hand finishing methods, thereby making a "frankenstein" out of the job, and then blame it on the tools.(which makes my original point, hand taping "looks" pretty, but its less than "correct") 

Peace


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## CrazyTaper (Oct 9, 2007)

oldrivers said:


> not everyone that uses automatic tools can tape better than all hand guys. the automtic tools do not make you better all by themselves . there are plenty of guys that tape by hand that could beat alot of guys that use auto tools too.


Sorry oldtimers, but the tools will drive you into your grave. You better start filling out applications at Wal-Mart.:w00t:


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## CrazyTaper (Oct 9, 2007)

I also know the Polish slop-box. It's my wife after she delivered.:w00t:


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## oldrivers (May 6, 2007)

CrazyTaper said:


> Sorry oldtimers, but the tools will drive you into your grave. You better start filling out applications at Wal-Mart.:w00t:


 
uh no im still making about 10.00 more per hour than a union taper gets per hour here its just that im not getting the benefits so im completely happy with were im at. I dont know what todays footage rate is but when i quit it was about .12 im making the same per hour now as i did 5 years ago working footage using tools at .12 but i dont have to work anywere near as hard as i used to. All i know is houses were getting harder to do by yourself alot more bead work and vaults etc. There is work out there that has to be done by hand skim coats , hand textures etc plaster repairs. 
no wallmart for me yet but it will come someday :thumbup:.


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

oldrivers said:


> not everyone that uses automatic tools can tape better than all hand guys. the automtic tools do not make you better all by themselves . there are plenty of guys that tape by hand that could beat alot of guys that use auto tools too.


There are good hand finishers.

Skill level to skill level, the tool finisher will always have better results. The nature of drywall is that a mechanical finish method fits the material better.

jdl


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## 1wallboardsman (Feb 27, 2008)

Capt-Sheetrock said:


> I'm helping a friend this week finish a house, he's an old hand finisher that has decided to try to learn tools. He decided to hand tape the angles and corners, cause he doesn't like the way they look by the tools.
> Peace


When old hand finishers become delusional like this, there is not much you can do for them. Some men, you just can't reach.

jdl


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## emer constructi (Oct 9, 2006)

oldrivers said:


> the automtic tools do not make you better all by themselves .


Yes they do. That's why I bought them. I'm not a finisher by trade, but I do my own finishing. The tools made a world of difference since I wasn't a hand finisher.


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## Masterpoacher (Feb 8, 2008)

I think everyone in here has pride in their work no matter how the taping and finishing is done. The most important thing is that the customer is happy with the finished product and that you can make a living either by taping and finishing by hand or with tools.


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

emer constructi said:


> Yes they do. That's why I bought them. I'm not a finisher by trade, but I do my own finishing. The tools made a world of difference since I wasn't a hand finisher.


Sorry to disagree, please don't be offended but you are not a drywaller by trade. What the pros see and what you see are different. Speaking for myself i try to duplicate every form of light because what you see in the morning and what you see at night are two different things. You need to know what flys and what don't. The point is i love the tools. They make my jobs go quicker and i use them often. But they are only as good as the person using them. I'm sure the tools make you better but that does'nt truly make you a pro. I'm not saying your work is unprofessional i'm saying it's not the tools that make your work good it just makes it easier. Trust me when i say i've seen bad work even with these tools.


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## emer constructi (Oct 9, 2006)

BUTCHERMAN said:


> Sorry to disagree, please don't be offended but you are not a drywaller by trade. What the pros see and what you see are different. Speaking for myself i try to duplicate every form of light because what you see in the morning and what you see at night are two different things. You need to know what flys and what don't. The point is i love the tools. They make my jobs go quicker and i use them often. But they are only as good as the person using them. I'm sure the tools make you better but that does'nt truly make you a pro. I'm not saying your work is unprofessional i'm saying it's not the tools that make your work good it just makes it easier. Trust me when i say i've seen bad work even with these tools.


I'm not offended, I know I'm not a drywaller. When I watch the pros work it still amazes me (espcially the speed) and I appreciate it more because I know how much harder it is for me. I used to sub the finish work out, but it's just something that I enjoy and want to get better at. That's what the tools do for me. Especially the boxes, run down a flat and you have a perfect joint that hardly needs sanding. I should mention that all my work gets orange peel, so that makes it easier. 
Trust me, I'm picky, what you see is what I see. I'm there in every light, after dark, with the lights on , after paint, installing base and crown. I have to deal with it so I know what "flys".
Of course I can only speak for myself, but the tools have made me better.


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## stp57 (Dec 12, 2007)

Long time no hear from Raven2006. It would be nice to hear the female perspective on this subject?
Steve


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## BUTCHERMAN (Jan 19, 2008)

emer constructi said:


> I'm not offended, I know I'm not a drywaller. Trust me, I'm picky, what you see is what I see. I'm there in every light, after dark, with the lights on , after paint, installing base and crown. I have to deal with it so I know what "flys".
> 
> 
> That's what makes you good. The tools just make you quicker. It's not often (or at all) i hear a contractor say he enjoys finishing. That's why i guess there's a need for me. Enjoy, if you do it enough it actually can be fun. Overall i think we agree.


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## Tapingfool (Feb 28, 2008)

auto tools are the best for making more $$$, As a user for over 20 years they are by far faster than by hand, and just as high quality, once you know how to use and adjust them they are second nature, rent first then buy if you like for smaller jobs try the Better Than Ever tools, they are like a faster hand version..either way g.L.


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## oldrivers (May 6, 2007)

Its no different than any other trade or skill , example you can not tell me a guy thats been in carpentry using a hammer for 30 years is inferior to a 3 year carpenter that uses an aircompressor and nail gun. or a 35 year mechanic that uses hand wrenches is inferior to a 3 year mechanic that uses air tools. sorry but im putting my money on the 35 year mechanic carpenter 80% of the time . sure there are a few guys out there that have unbelievable talent and can go right off the bat but those are far and few between. I dont think youve even seen everything until you've been in the trades for 7, 8 years. i mean who has the best stories to tell a 2 year rookie or a 40 year pro .:laughing:


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## Tapingfool (Feb 28, 2008)

I would keep moving towards the taping tools. If you get steady work they pay for themselves and are quicker than by hand. I know some people say they are faster by hand, but I proved that wrong years ago.. 2 union hand tapers (10+yrs) challenged me to complete the same office rooms, about 100 boards each in exact design, and was done hours before them..I converted them..they thanked me and actually gave me some $$for the help..


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## Tapingfool (Feb 28, 2008)

You can actually skim coat new walls with the boxes, just stripe them and leave spaces between them then come back and stripe between, after a few coats they look great!! for high gloss..


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Gary H said:


> I tried the hawk. That right there is a art form to use one of them and not have the mud always sliding off. Maybe next year I will try it again.


I've tried the pan I can get mud in it ..But I can't mud out of it!!! 

I'll stick to my hawk. or up north they would say hawg?


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Gary H said:


> I tried the hawk. That right there is a art form to use one of them and not have the mud always sliding off. Maybe next year I will try it again.


When I use a hawk and trowel, I thin the mud only a little bit. Pan and knife I run it a lot thinner, at least after the bed coat.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Gary H said:


> I tried the hawk. That right there is a art form to use one of them and not have the mud always sliding off. Maybe next year I will try it again.


You get use to it fast, it's all about keeping the hawk clean and your mud in order. Scrape it clean with the side your trowel then load it back on by scraping the base of the trowel straight down. Then give your hawk a little shake and it will stay right in place. 

To remove mud from the hawk don't try and scrape it off the top, you will make a mess. Flip it upside down to load up your trowel.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> To remove mud from the hawk don't try and scrape it off the top, you will make a mess. Flip it upside down to load up your trowel.


The high production plaster guy I learned from didn't do it this way. By high production, I mean they'd hold 20-40 lbs of plaster on their hawk (not one of those dinky hawks, some were as big as 3'X3'). You don't spend all day flipping it upside down - the hawk stayed level. Cut off what you need, wipe it on the edge, pick it back up. That allows you to change how you load the trowel - center, left, right, etc, preventing tracks in your work and decreasing the amount of trowel work on the wall.

It's interesting to hear about the different techniques used:thumbsup:


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## pibe (Jan 21, 2013)

hdavis said:


> The high production plaster guy I learned from didn't do it this way. By high production, I mean they'd hold 20-40 lbs of plaster on their hawk (not one of those dinky hawks, some were as big as 3'X3'). You don't spend all day flipping it upside down - the hawk stayed level. Cut off what you need, wipe it on the edge, pick it back up. That allows you to change how you load the trowel - center, left, right, etc, preventing tracks in your work and decreasing the amount of trowel work on the wall.
> 
> It's interesting to hear about the different techniques used:thumbsup:


You are still able to load your trowel how you like with the flipping method...as well as just tilting the hawk on its side or however you want to do it. I dont understand why you think it adds time flipping it. Not trying to argue but even the way you type it out makes it seem like the plaster guy takes longer to load his trowel. Where i can either flip/tilt/whatever and load mud on my trowel in the exact location i want in one fluid motion. You describe a 3 a part process to even get mud on your trowel.

It is interesting though, im now gonna go look up some youtube vids of plaster guys to see if i can see what exactly youre describing to be quicker.


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## renov8r (Feb 16, 2013)

Masterpoacher said:


> How many people in here tape without automatic taping tools? I am a one man operation and do everything by hand. 6" knife to tape flats and butts, 4" inside corners and a hawk and trowel guy. I am very busy and find myself wanting to move towards the automatic tools.


Some of the tapers use these automatic tools at the condo I am working in currently, all I can say is as efficient as they may be for the taping process do they ever make a mess. Lots of putty on the floor and all over their clothes and hands. All of them have to wear gloves because they make such a mess. The best thing I can recommend is getting yourself a pair of drywall stilts and that will save you time for the ceiling and ceiling/wall termination taping


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Mud is cheap. Time is expensive.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

pibe said:


> You are still able to load your trowel how you like with the flipping method...as well as just tilting the hawk on its side or however you want to do it. I dont understand why you think it adds time flipping it. Not trying to argue but even the way you type it out makes it seem like the plaster guy takes longer to load his trowel. Where i can either flip/tilt/whatever and load mud on my trowel in the exact location i want in one fluid motion. You describe a 3 a part process to even get mud on your trowel.
> 
> It is interesting though, im now gonna go look up some youtube vids of plaster guys to see if i can see what exactly youre describing to be quicker.


I don't think loading the trowel was quicker, I think it was probably overall quicker to mix a huge batch and put it on the hawk, but flipping a hawk with 40 lbs on it isn't something I'd want to do. They were maxing out what they could hold level, or with a ~45 degree tilt.

Having said that, for smaller areas where I'm using plaster technique (but not plaster), I've considered flipping the hawk, I just haven't done it yet.


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## Ancient Rocker (Jul 25, 2009)

Metro M & L said:


> Mud is cheap. Time is expensive.




Unless you wear a sombrero.


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## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

blacktop said:


> Your 69? :wheelchair: and still pushing mud? :rockon: :thumbup:


yea I know but I still enjoy it. One of my favs is to take a botched up DIY job and make it look good. Oh and still painting too, not doing much hanging. But to be serious if I was younger I would definitely invest in the machine tools.
A few years ago I invested in a paint sprayer. The first time I used it was a disaster, did an interior looked like the fog had settled in, when I came out the only thing that had more paint on it than the wall was me. Put it in the garage and it sat there for a couple years. Then was doing a job after a fire and had to paint between the studs for odor control was royal pita. My employee said man if we had a sprayer we would be done days sooner. Came to find out he had experience with a sprayer, so I told him I had one, when he stopped yelling we went and got it. After he taught me how to use it, it became a extremely useful tool.
I guess what I'm trying to say is we all think we can bull our way through things. Give the auto tools a chance, maybe get someone to come in and teach you and your employees the right way. A lot of suppliers rent the tools, become familiar with them before you invest. Go to Drywall talk and read read read. Just my opinion and opinions are like butts everybody has one and most of them stink.


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## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

Gary H said:


> I tried the hawk. That right there is a art form to use one of them and not have the mud always sliding off. Maybe next year I will try it again.


Gary a little trick is when you load your hawk give it a pretty good little shake. For some reason this will seal the mud to the hawk. Try it and let me know.


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## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

To load a hawk for plaster is a lot different than for drywall. First to load 30 pounds of drywall mud on a hawk would last forever. When you plaster you leave most of the mud on the wall. When you drywall you pull almost all of the mud back off, put it back on your hawk and use it over again. 3 or 4 scoops of mud will last quite a wile on all but bed coat. So to flip your hawk 90 degrees or even upside down is the best way. Again just my opinion.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

hdavis said:


> The high production plaster guy I learned from didn't do it this way. By high production, I mean they'd hold 20-40 lbs of plaster on their hawk (not one of those dinky hawks, some were as big as 3'X3'). You don't spend all day flipping it upside down - the hawk stayed level. Cut off what you need, wipe it on the edge, pick it back up. That allows you to change how you load the trowel - center, left, right, etc, preventing tracks in your work and decreasing the amount of trowel work on the wall.
> 
> It's interesting to hear about the different techniques used:thumbsup:


For the final coat he had 40 pound of plaster on a hawk? Guy must be a beast.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> For the final coat he had 40 pound of plaster on a hawk? Guy must be a beast.


He maxed around 25-30 lbs (the guy on his crew with the 40 lb hawk was similar to Big Shoe). How much was actually mixed depended on how much could be used before it got too stiff. And yes, he was a beast. Tall, so he could get a 10' reach on a ceiling (meaning spread a continuous layer 10' long in one motion). Union plasterer for 28 years. He ran his own crew and was faster than crap. He's also the one who showed me about adding an acrylic admix to durabond to make it harder, more flexible, and make it stick to plaster and plastic.

Like most things, the techniques were passed down over the years, so I'd expect they had a local flavor, with personal preferences thrown in.

The people around here who learned drywall from plasterers (I know, 2 different things) will work with setting types and mesh tape if they're something of a purist. Some have switched over to AP, but still use the plaster trowel techniques. Basically, once it goes on the wall, you can move it around on the wall, but you don't wipe it off and back onto the hawk very much at all - mainly if there's a chunk of crap messing up your work. That puts a premium on judging how much you need where, and loading the trowel accordingly.

FWIW, I can mix half a bag of 90 minute and skim coat with it if I'm moving pretty fast, and I'm slow compared to an experienced plasterer. I don't put it all on my hawk, because my arm would get too tired. These days I'm using pan and knife with thinned AP for most things, but this is due to loss of feel due to carpal tunnel - the knives with thinned AP seem more forgiving to me, since they float and flex some, and the lighter touch I use with thinned AP helps keep from tingling too fast. I'm still looking for trowel techniques that I could maybe adapt to successfully - we'll see.


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