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Vent: Finally saw my mud work transform after 6 months of trying new techniques
I been struggling with keeping my joints flat on butt joints for years. Last month I started using a 12-inch knife instead of my old 10-inch and pre-filling the gap before taping. The difference is night and day. Now the sanding is way less and the finish looks clean. Anyone else switch knife sizes and see a big change?
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betty1261mo agoMost Upvoted
Have you tried using a 6-inch knife for those butt joints instead?
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umasullivan1mo ago
Yeah but with a 6-inch I'd probably just make a bigger mess, right?
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the_miles12d ago
Hold up, I'm gonna push back a little on that. A 6-inch actually gives you way more control on those butt joints because the blade doesn't flex as much, so you're not fighting the wobble that comes with a longer knife. The real mess comes from overloading the blade, not the size of it. If you're scooping up too much mud and slapping it on, that's a technique thing not a tool problem. I've seen guys use a 10-inch on inside corners and somehow make it work clean, so a 6-inch is hardly the disaster you're imagining. Try it with a lighter touch and a thinner coat, you might be surprised how clean it stays.
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