[MarkJames]

I know this has been covered, but still looking for another trick to speed up Easysand setting compound even more. Other than mixing with warm water, or "dirty" water (from cleaning the mud pan), are there any other ways to speed it up?

When mixing a pan of it, every so often my stuff does set up way faster, but I can't pin down what I'm doing to get that effect. I work with 5 or 20 most of the time.

My method is powder into pan first, then tap water, then "slice it in" with a 6" knife, then fold & mash....and add powder or water to adjust as necessary. Any other tricks?

(Come to think of it now, it might be something like mix it thick like pizza dough, then thin it a bit and get moving. I'll have to test that.)

 

[ohiohomedoctor]

I find If I stand on one foot and close my left eye things speed up fairly well.

 

[SuperiorHIP]

You can use 20 minute instead of 45 minute or 5 minute if you need even faster. I always use hot water, helps it set up and makes it mix much easier.

 

[MarkJames]

You can use 20 minute instead of 45 minute or 5 minute if you need even faster. I always use hot water, helps it set up and makes it mix much easier.

Sure, but I'm trying to figure out if mixing one way vs. another (and how water is added) speeds up the setting.

 

[We Fix Houses]

What's the powder stuff in a small cardboard box - accelerator ?
Haven't seen it in years but a pinch or two would do wonders.

 

[ohiohomedoctor]

That was fast..

 

[The Coastal Craftsman]

I put the water in first then the powder. Mixes up much better that way.

 

[We Fix Houses]

What's the powder stuff in a small cardboard box - accelerator ?
Haven't seen it in years but a pinch or two would do wonders.

I just looked up plaster accelerators. No comments on using it in hot mud from you DW guys ? Says it makes the crystals form more rapidly.

USG / Nat'l has it but their lit doesn't say about using in products other than lime - plaster.

I'm sure this is what I used to use. Have to give their tech dept a call ?

 

[ohiohomedoctor]

Water first for me too. I can get it almost perfect by eye everytime from experience.

They still sell accelerator at my dw supply house. I dont think anyone buys it because the boxes are dusty..

 

[plazaman]

You can't force dry ez sand , it will crack . For minor dings , I use ez sand , and it dries in 20 mins. Larger and to embed tape , I use durabond 20. Dries pretty fast , if you want it faster , use a heat gun . Durabond 20 can be forced dried and will not crack on you .

 

[FRAME2FINISH]

Mix it and go do another project, to speed it up leave your best knife in the bucket

I guarandamtee you it's set up quicker than you thought it would

 

[MarkJames]

Mix it and go do another project, to speed it up leave your best knife in the bucket

I guarandamtee you it's set up quicker than you thought it would

True.

 

[Eric K]

How much faster than 5min do you need?

 

[MarkJames]

How much faster than 5min do you need?

Yeah, yeah, I know. But 5 doesn't always set in 5, sometimes it takes a bit longer...like when I need to skim it a bit more and there's little else left to do.

And if I don't have 5 on hand, I may want 20 to be faster.

 

[Eric K]

Hot water. Hotter faster I think

 

[The Coastal Craftsman]

Get a small fan like the cordless makita. Cool airflow over the compound will dry it out nice and quick without shrinking it too fast. Then put a coat of finish compound and leave the fan on it again. As long as the finsh compound is a thin enough coat it will take less than 30mins in total if your just doing a small patch.

 

[underwoodhi]

What's the powder stuff in a small cardboard box - accelerator ?
Haven't seen it in years but a pinch or two would do wonders.

Baking soda?

 

[ohiohomedoctor]

Drywall not a coke cut. Are you a painter by chance? :detective:

 

[Spencer]

Obviously the biggest thing is HOT water but I have also found that it makes a huge difference on how much you mix it. For me mixing it with a knife in a pan takes way longer to set up vs using a 2 gal bucket with a cordless drill and small paint mixer.

I was doing a job using 90 and it was taking forever for it to set up, I started mixing it more thoroughly and it decreased the set up time quite a bit. I even wonder sometimes if the mix is made weaker by hand mixing...

 

[underwoodhi]

Drywall not a coke cut. Are you a painter by chance? :detective:

No, not a painter. Well I am painting today so I don't know what to say!
Baking soda does help Portland products set more quickly, but never tried it in my dw mud.

Hence the "?"