Remember when we used to mix joint compound in a bucket with a drill?

I was on a job in Spokane about 15 years ago, finishing a whole basement. My drill burned out halfway through mixing a 5 gallon bucket of mud. I was in a real bind. I ended up pouring the powder into a clean, heavy duty trash bag, adding water, and just kneading it with my hands like dough through the plastic. Took maybe 3 minutes and I had perfect, lump free mud. I was worried it would set up weird, but it worked just as well as machine mixed. I still keep a box of bags in the truck for emergencies. What's the best field fix you've had to come up with when a tool let you down?

3 comments

3 Comments

gracethomas14d agoTop Commenter

Sounds like you invented the world's worst stress ball.

brooket4314d ago

Worst stress ball? Have you ever squeezed something that actually fights back a little? Sometimes the point isn't to just mush it into nothing.

jenny_lane1213d ago

Yeah, I get what you mean (even if @gracethomas doesn't). A little resistance makes it feel more like you're actually working something out. Those mushy ones just go flat and leave you more annoyed.