I switched from a 6-inch to a 10-inch taping knife for my second coat about 5 years ago and it cut my finishing time almost in half.

My old boss in Phoenix saw me struggling with ridges and said 'a wider blade floats the mud better, not just spreads it,' and now I won't go back to a smaller knife for that step. What's one tool change that actually sped up your work?

3 comments

3 Comments

roberts952mo ago

Remember the 10-inch is for the FINISH coat. Using it on the first coat just wastes mud and makes a heavier mess to sand later. That first coat is about filling and bridging, not floating. Your old boss was right, but you gotta use the right tool for each step.

terryw672mo ago

Honestly I used to grab the 10 inch for everything just to save a trip to the truck. Tbh it made sense to me at the time. But after trying it the right way, the difference is huge. You really do use way less mud on that first coat with a smaller knife. Ngl I fought it for years but it just leaves less to sand later.

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kelly3652mo ago

My buddy Dave did the same thing, swore by his 12 inch for taping. His garage looked like a mud wrestling pit after every job. Took him three times longer to sand than to actually hang the board. He finally borrowed a 6 inch for a small patch and called me like he saw a ghost, couldn't believe how much cleaner it went on. Now his tool belt has more knives than a kitchen drawer.