Because there has been so little activity here I thought I would put a question out to you guys that still hand tape. Do you use trowels or knives to finish???
Trowel or knife??
theworx
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oh that angle knife or trowel I could not get the hang of when i tried it long long time ago. When I do inside corners i coat one side at a time. and alternate walls. for instance. east and west wall coat the wall side of the corner. north and south wall coat the ceiling side of the corner. northeast and south west wall corners I coat the left side of the corner. northwest and south east wall corners I coat the right side of the corners. then next coat I do the opposite. did I make that perfectly clear? :jester:
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I am not aloud to use a knife...or was that run with a knife?:thumbup:
scissors. Not allowed to run with scissors :jester:
Hawk and trowel more difficult to learn than box & knife.
We use knives. 12 or16 box 2 -16" knives for tape & float. 48" darby for framing defects. 18 - 30" curved, straight, and thin blades for knockdown.
Marshalltown corner knife. Guess I use a 6, 12, and 24 mostly. blue steel better than shiny. absolutely hate to pole sand so use mud sparing and would prefer to give it another pass w the next box and only a quick pass w paper before priming. Use sponge on all repairs.
r
We use knives. 12 or16 box 2 -16" knives for tape & float. 48" darby for framing defects. 18 - 30" curved, straight, and thin blades for knockdown.
Marshalltown corner knife. Guess I use a 6, 12, and 24 mostly. blue steel better than shiny. absolutely hate to pole sand so use mud sparing and would prefer to give it another pass w the next box and only a quick pass w paper before priming. Use sponge on all repairs.
r
Clarification, by angle knife, I mean the 3 inch knife whose blade doesn't go straight across perpendicular to the handle, but angles like a sash brush for painting.
I too couldn't get a Corner Trowel/knife to work for beans. I do like the corner flushers and rollers by Can AM. If you haven't tried them, you should.
Of course not, that would violate your probation eh?:laughing:
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I dont mud or tape (not that I cant). I find that my projects have less problems with plaster instead of just taping seams. Any thoughts from the "pros"?
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Well O.K.....I use scissors rather then a trowel:laughing:
And that comment about the probation.....I was told that I would be on a program and assumed it was an apprenticeship...:laughing:
Out here in south western ontario, canada, we use trowels for flats/butt joints, beads and knives for corners/embedding tape, we are trained in the training centres to use trowels, Never see anyone out here with knives, i have noticed americans tend to use knives more often than trowel.
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both,what ever it takes for the best results
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with anything if it's done right it dose'nt make much difference. drywall finishes are duller than plaster finishes which tend to be smooth as glass.depends on the job and the customer.
this thread makes me want to try the hawk and trowel again. As stated earlier I too lost alot of mud using that method but the pan and knife keeps everything so nice and tidy. As far as knives go I usually only use the 4, 6, and 12 inchers but if circumstances require it I'll switch to another tool...
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taperfixx
Im from Canada most Here use a trowel most find it faster where trowel holds more material and puts a full coat on beads <but self preferance is the way to go ,how you feel comfortable and what works for you far as quality:no:
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The positives for finishing drywall with a trowel are that the trowel is stiff, and that it is easier to get pressure on the material as it is applied with a trowel. The negatives are that the trowel is more difficult to keep clean being used with a hawk, and many users tend to leave skank hanging on the work. The same users like the hawk because it reminds them of having their pecker in their hand.
The knife can out perform the trowel, if the user will learn to put the material under the same type of pressure with that tool, and use a stiffer type of knife as opposed to the flimsy cheap knives that everyone prefers except for the real 70's class pro's. The 70's class pro also has acquired the wisdom to never challenge a NY hawk/trowel man to a bead coating contest.
jdl
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I miss having my pecker in my hand. Lost them both in Iraq. Hillary for President!!!!
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In my all my years as a professional finisher I have never seen anybody use the trowels... From what I see in the you tube videos, it looks like its easier to apply a thick coat which ends up being more sanding and clean up. I recommend using what people typically use and thats the knives, but a skill is only as good as the tools you can use. A pan is Much better than a hawk as you can get a really really smooth coat that won't stay on a hawk. Especially for walls getting a high gloss paint or a level 5 coat.
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:laughing:
Clearly someone who hasn't traveled. I've never seen a hawk on the west coast, but I know the better work is on the other side, and hawk and trowel seems more common there.
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