My mudding knife was causing me to mess up corners for months

I kept getting these tiny ridges in my inside corners and couldn't figure out why. Turns out I was using a 6 inch knife that was too flexible for corner work. Switched to a 4 inch stiff blade last week and the ridges disappeared completely. Has anyone else had an issue with blade flex messing up their finish?

3 comments

3 Comments

colescott14d ago

Used to think you just need a sharp blade and good mud consistency for corners. But this makes a lot of sense, the flex really messes with your control in tight spots. Gotta try a stiffer blade next time.

murray.robert14d agoTop Commenter

That's exactly the kind of thing I've been noticing more and more lately. It's not just blades either. I've got a couple buddies who swear by their flexible fishing rods for casting distance, but then wonder why they can't set a hook worth a damn in thick weeds. Stiffness gives you that instant feedback, no slop in the system. Same with cheap drill bits - they twist and bend before they even bite into steel. People think a little flex helps you finesse things, but most of the time it just eats up your input and leaves you guessing what's actually happening at the business end.

tessap7314d ago

My dad always said a stiff tool never lies to you. Hard lesson to learn with drywall knives.