Finally figured out a way to stop my 12-inch taping knife from flexing too much on long seams

Was doing a big ceiling in a Reno spec house last week and the blade kept bowing, leaving a ridge. Tried a trick from a guy I met at a supply house: I put a strip of 2-inch wide fiberglass mesh tape down the center of the knife's back and coated it with a thin layer of hot mud. Let it cure overnight. Now it's got just enough backbone. Anyone else have a hack for stiffening up a floppy knife?

3 comments

3 Comments

alex_wilson7918d ago

My buddy welded a thin steel bar to his and it's a tank now.

-4

the_sam17d ago

Seems like adding weight just hides the real problem.

phoenix_grant3418d ago

Nice, that's a solid fix. I did something similar with a piece of angle iron on mine last year and it hasn't budged since. It's crazy how much a little extra metal can change the whole feel. Your buddy had the right idea for sure.