PSA: My mud consistency was a mess until I started weighing my water

For the first two years, my taping was always a fight, with the mud drying too fast or sliding off the knife. I saw a guy on a job in Tacoma just pour water from a gallon jug into his pan, no measuring. I tried that and my results were all over the place. Last month, I started using a cheap kitchen scale to weigh my powder and water for a 5-gallon bucket. I aim for 2.2 pounds of water per pound of powder. The difference in how it spreads and feathers out now is crazy. Has anyone else found a specific ratio that works best for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.susan1d ago

Measuring changed my game too, what's your favorite brand of mud to weigh out?

blair_webb1d ago

Yeah, it's funny how many things work better with a little precision. I used to just eyeball the coffee grounds every morning and my cups were either weak or bitter. Started using a scale for that too, and now it's perfect every time. Seems like the stuff we think we can guess at is often the stuff that needs measuring the most.

the_spencer1d ago

Oh man, I learned this the hard way with baking. Thought I was a real artist just dumping flour into a bowl. Ended up with a birthday cake so dense you could have used it as a doorstop. My wife still brings it up. Now I measure everything, even the vanilla. Turns out my artistic eye is legally blind.