I stopped using corner bead mudders after 15 years and went back to hand-taping every corner

Last fall on a job in Portland I realized those automatic corner tools just leave too much buildup for my taste, so now I take the extra 20 minutes per room to do it by hand and the finish looks way cleaner, has anyone else gone back to an old method after trying the new gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.jason14d ago

Does anybody else find themselves digging out a hand plane to shave down a door that swells every spring instead of just buying a new one? I spent two hours on a rental property last March fixing a door that warped just enough to stick, and the landlord thought I was crazy for not just swapping it out for a prehung. But that old plane from my grandfather does the job without any of the waste or fuss of modern stuff.

mary83614d ago

That whole thing about the hand plane really hit home for me. @ross.jason I'm the exact same way with my old tools, I'd rather spend the time tuning something up than throw money at a replacement that probably won't last anyway. My dad's Stanley plane has fixed so many sticky doors and windows over the years, I'd feel like a traitor if I just swapped one out for a new prehung. There's just something about that old metal and wood that works better than anything modern, even if it takes a little more elbow grease to get it dialed in.