Fast Drying Joint Compound

nick114920

Hey everyone...i baught a bucket of sheetrock brand joint compound (blue label) and now that fall is comming it takes about 3-4 days to dry. I was wondering if i buy the fast drying bag you mix with water and put it in the bucket... if i use say a quarter bucket and close the bucket up so its air tight will the compound still dry or stay wet?? and will it be just as good the second and 3rd time i use it as when i first mixed it????

True North

Setting compound will harden regardless of how it's stored after being mixed. A chemical reaction causes it to harden. A glob of it will even harden underwater!

I believe there are several ready-mixed compounds advertised as fast drying. I've never used them.

What will really help ready-mix to dry is to keep the temperature above 60F, and get a fan or two in to keep the air moving. The fans really work well.

You could also just mix small batches of setting mud as needed. That's what I do.

Cole

I agree, it will harden.

Just mix what you need and go from there.

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Mike Finley

AWWWW, you guys are no fun. I wanted to tell him to go ahead and mix it up and keep it in the bucket til next time.

neolitic

Really good for holding down tarps and drops on windy days

ProWallGuy

Then he could start a side business of selling boat anchors.

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aWorkaHolic

Beat me to the punch! I also was gonna say that Hot mud makes great disposable anchors.

nick114920

I love how on these threads one guy makes a joke and everyone just fallows... I believe these threads are to help guys like me (who never went to trade school or college) keep maken it happen while the "experts" (guys who went to school and have the proper licenses who have nothing to do all day but tell jokes on here) are scrimpin an scrappin!!!!

shed-n-deck

Use a heater. If you buy the fast setting compounds, sanding will be tougher. If your no good at mudding, then you'll be spending countless hours sanding.

I used to crank the furnace up to 90 when I had mud setting. If you don't have a furnace, you can rent large propane heaters to keep the heat high and the humidity low.

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Shed

Mike Finley

Here's a tip since you didn't get to go to contractor college like everybody else did, there are a lot of ways to get information then be spoon fed it.

• Read a book about drywall.
• Read the back of a package of setting compound.
• Ask a real person, in person.
• Go to a manufacturers website and read the instructions and directions about setting compounds.
• Do a search on the Internet for "Can I store setting compound overnight?"

Use the search function on this site "setting compounds"

OR - lighten up and ask your question here and have some fun.

True North

Ohhh, PWND!!


LOL

daArch

Personally I LIKE the humor inter-woven with the helpful hints.

Contractor College ??? Is that a satellite campus of the School of Hard Knocks ?

OK now it's time to interweave a helpful hint:

Although we've all been tempted and some (myself included) have actually done it, DO NOT MIX HOT MUD WITH PRE-MIXED JC.

Rumor has it that it creates a very alkaline surface that can reject even latex

Now I am a bit confused by the original post. Nick says he bought Blue Label (light-weight all purpose ready-mix) but it's taking 3-4 days to dry. Does that just not sound right to anyone else?

Nick, are you applying this exceptionally thick? How cold is the room(s) in which you are applying? Is there high moisture? Are you adding water? Are you peeing in the bucket (seriously, ammonia retards drying).

I've applied regular (green label) All-purpose ready-mix JC way too thick (so it cracks), and never seen a dry time of 3-4 days.

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nick114920

room is about 50 degrees.... and there is moisture in air... it takes 3-4 days to completely harden... its the lightweight sheetrock brand

neolitic

Some heat would help no doubt, but also moving air. You don't need to create a tornado, just movement. Even a $15, 20" box fan st on low speed. You've probably noticed that the ceiling angle is always the last to dry. That's because there is a natural "dead spot" @ 12-18" around the intersection of wall and ceiling--it's why you don't put a smoke detector in that area.
Good luck, it was a long time before I got the guts to try durabond 45, but that's what it takes, that's what you do!