Old timer told me my 6 inch taping knife was slowing me down

Had a 30 year veteran watch me finish a hallway in Denver and he said my 6 inch knife was doing double the work for half the speed, so I switched to an 8 inch with a wider mud pan. Now I'm flying through long seams but struggling on inside corners, anyone else make that switch and go back?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_oliver1d ago

Ever thought that maybe the old timer just wanted you to buy a bigger knife so he could laugh when you hit your first corner? I went from a 6 to an 8 and back inside of a month. The speed on the flats is real, sure, but you lose so much control on that corner wrap that you end up patching and sanding twice as much. Plus, a wider blade means more mud on the wall, which means more shrinkage cracks if you're not careful. I'd rather be a little slower and have clean angles than fly through a seam and then fight the mud for an extra hour. Bigger isn't always better, it's just bigger.

alice_allen51d ago

That corner wrap comment reminds me of the time I tried taping with a wet sponge in one hand and instantly regretted every life choice.