# flat box settings not adjusting



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

I havent used my box in a while and the last time I did I told my helper to clean it and put it back in the tote. Well the other day I opened the tote and he had left it dirty with compound and it dried up. So I left it in water for a day and went away scrubbing it with a toothbrush everything looked ok. Today I go and use it and the settings just stay the same I cant adjust how much mud it leaves on it. Even at 0 some of the tapes are showing



















Its a 10 inch columbia


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

There will be dry mud between the brass blade holder and the body of the box. The best way to remove it all is to remove the shoes that retain the blade holder and clean the area well. Or you could try bushing the blade holder with your thumbs to get it moving. But I would clean it.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Check to make sure that the brass blade holder can move, if not, that's your problem. Possibly some corrosion on the two pegs. spray them with some WD, or something work them loose. Or you just have some REALLY bad board.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

It could be the board, we've run the gamut lately, from good board, high shoulders, deep bevel, to no bevel, no bevel with high shoulders... Etc etc. 

You say it's the first time you've used it in awhile. Some of it could be the way a box coats compared to a hand finish.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

First pic, with the exception of the 2 bad spots, the seam looks fine. Possibly the framing.

Second pic, looks fine except for that that one small shiner.


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Ya its pretty much my first time doing a house with it been doing standups on commercial work ive noticed some high shoulders now that I use a box i never experienced it hand coating or never payed attention


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

I put my flat box on a flat wall and tryed putting a credit card through and it barely fits it goes through just tight and im pretty sure it wasnt like that before does anyone know of any videos on how to adjust the blade idk how to even begin on trying to fix this


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

Corey The Taper said:


> I put my flat box on a flat wall and tryed putting a credit card through and it barely fits it goes through just tight and im pretty sure it wasnt like that before does anyone know of any videos on how to adjust the blade idk how to even begin on trying to fix this


leave it and Run tight young jedi, mine is the height of a Penny


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## drywallninja (Apr 28, 2013)

Corey The Taper said:


> I put my flat box on a flat wall and tryed putting a credit card through and it barely fits it goes through just tight and im pretty sure it wasnt like that before does anyone know of any videos on how to adjust the blade idk how to even begin on trying to fix this


Is that with the box on 0 setting?


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Yes on 0 and a penny is too thick to fit should I try adjusting the blade


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Does the blade holder move or is it stuck?


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

I think I fixed it I just pushed it in a little now I can fit a penny hopefully it was just some dry compound


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Still not answering our questions? The brass blade holder needs to be able to move. In and out. What is preventing that? Dried mud somewhere? Corrosion on the pegs?


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

I can make a quick vid if it would help


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Ya it does move just very slightly at 2 or 3 its already flat


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)




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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

Maybe the sides of your blade are worn thin which removes some of your crown from the middle. Try replacing the blade. And of course put a small crown into the blade before sliding it into the (clean) blade seat. Also, maybe your crown dial is mis-adjusted. I usually begin with it adjusted such that on the first notch, it barely, and loosely, makes contact with the spring.


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

I hope its not the blade its a brand new box only used it on about 800 sheets but I think I fixed it I just pushed the blade back and forth now I can fit a penny in it mustve been the mud thanks brothers and if anyone wants to make a video on how to adjust it id appreciate it idk what the 2 little screws on the side do


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

Corey The Taper said:


> I hope its not the blade its a brand new box only used it on about 800 sheets but I think I fixed it I just pushed the blade back and forth now I can fit a penny in it mustve been the mud thanks brothers and if anyone wants to make a video on how to adjust it id appreciate it idk what the 2 little screws on the side do


sounds good now, try it on next house sometimes slight tweeks is all you need, I dropped my 12 and corner got slight damage, its outta function now, bought new,

if shoes have successive wear, a tune up there with new blade also helps

the 2 screws you sinch in as time goes by and the blade wears, when it starts tracking mud, but keep a looksee that its not bad frame job


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Lol I tryed messing with the 2 little screws didnt see it do anything im using the box right now all looks ok 









Thats all on 1 setting I usually do a 2 or 3 but im going to hand coat this great room by hand last coat


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## drywallninja (Apr 28, 2013)

Corey The Taper said:


> Yes on 0 and a penny is too thick to fit should I try adjusting the blade


Well, first of all I hope you fired your help. There are several things that can be causing ya grief. Was the box running true before this mishap? It sounds like you got everything cleaned off, and if you haven't, that'd be step one. You can try to boil some water and set it in to try and loosen up some stubborn chit if you're having trouble gettin it all clean. Obviously the brass blade holder needs to be moving freely along with the adjuster pins and wheel apparatus, etc, etc. I don't think the arc/crown in your blade/blade holder is a problem, if anything that's a good thing. Especially when it comes to nasty butt joints. Is the blade sitting all the way up in the brass blade holder? Sometimes you need to put a small bend of kink in the blade to make sure it's holding or retaining the same arc/crown of the brass blade holder. Also like Fr8train said, the board may be junk. You should, if possible run that box on some proper board and see what you're working with. Also, try running down the box on different settings down the field of a board and then check it with your knife and see what you have going on. Look at it as a learning experience, take the brass blade holder out and shoes and hold it in, clean those, adjust the brass if you feel necessary, then put it back together. The tool isn't too complex to where you can't get it running proper again. Best of luck to ya!


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Thanks ninja ya hes gone I might need his help though soon hes pretty much the only taper I know down here hes the one I complained about a couple months ago not putting misses in and fixing the boxes right. I forgot to mention that it dryed in setting 2 so I think it was holding that position till I wet it and pushed the blade back and forth. Its all good now but the next step is going to ve to take the blade and clean under it once I can find a video how to. I dont want to be out of commision if I mess something up


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)




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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

I have a vid uploading. Will post a link when it's done.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Judging by your pics, I don't really see that it isn't running properly. A boxed seam looks different than a hand coated seam.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

When I'm getting started, I run a seam or two and then check them with a flat knife or trowel. I want then full and flat, I'll adjust the setting accordingly. The knife/trowel should just touch all the way across the flat. If for some reason the seams fall in between, for example, setting 3 is slightly hollow, but setting 2 is crowned, I'll go with setting 3.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

http://youtu.be/BLmJ_GXTkic


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Cool thanks for the video everything you said to check in the video I did. Yesterday I cleaned that rubber part that you spoke of in the video there was a little mud in there so scraped it with a flat head. Thanks for explaining and naming each part now not so confused when you guys say the shoes lol. So those screws push the blade out more so if some of my mud is coming from the bottom when im runing it on the wall ill have to adjyst the screw. Ive notice the compound gets all over the screw and on the bottom side of which ever way im running and thanks again for taking time to make me the video


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Yup, those screws are to fine tune the end of the blades to make sure that blade sits higher than the shoes. It the blade sits even with or lower than the shoe, you will get a very heavy edge, because the blade can't cut the edge tight. If the blade sits to high, you will get a line of mud, like a little bead, because the mud can squeeze between the blade edge and the shoe.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Also, that's why I said to check for high shoulders on the board. If they are bad enough, the blade rides on the shoulder more towards the middle of the blade, and not out at the ends. The result, thick edges because the blade can't ride on it's ends and cut the mud down. 

If you think about it, the boxes are mud screeders. Just like screeding concrete, sand, plaster.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

If the box was stored on setting two, it may have bent your brass blade holder into a reverse crown. To fix that, remove the blade, remove the shoes. The blade holder should lift right out. Check the crown on it. It should have a slight crown in it. With the slotted side having the crown. If it's flat or crowned the other way, tweak it gently until it's crowned correctly. Set it in place, install the shoes, install the blade, check blade height on ends.


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

Corey The Taper said:


> Cool thanks for the video everything you said to check in the video I did. Yesterday I cleaned that rubber part that you spoke of in the video there was a little mud in there so scraped it with a flat head. Thanks for explaining and naming each part now not so confused when you guys say the shoes lol. So those screws push the blade out more so if some of my mud is coming from the bottom when im runing it on the wall ill have to adjyst the screw. Ive notice the compound gets all over the screw and on the bottom side of which ever way im running and thanks again for taking time to make me the video


I soak my tools before running


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

I do as well, even it they were really cleaned after the last use. Carry them in, drop them in a bucket of water, go about my business.


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Ya I was keeping it in water in a tote and just dragging the tote around but its winter now and water can freeze in a matter of minutes here also some of my jobs dont have heat just a propane heater for a couple hours then cold at night again


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Do the pics look like its running ok now also anyone have pics of what it looks like when you run on a high shoulder


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)




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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Yep I deff see some flats like that so how do you correct it just pass it on the side of the bad shoulder and I checked the end of the blades and its flush with the shoes so thats probably why sometimes it comes out the sides right


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Yes, the blade must sit just a tiny bit higher than the shoe or it can't cut the edge in tight. 

Generally,if they are bad I ride one side of the box right on the shoulder. Then either immediately coat the shoulder or wait until the mud temps up and then coat it.


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

So instead of a 10 inch seam it will be 20 then last coat youd have to do by hand. I never really noticed them when I did it by hand


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

No reason to go that wide. It's usually only about 5" or so. You can wait until after you've run the skim box (12") to address the bad shoulder


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

That's because a hand coat applies differently than a box.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

fr8train said:


> View attachment 12426
> 
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> 
> ...


Throw a 12 blade up next to that can. :whistling2:


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## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

You have any pics of a fixed shoulder


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

Corey The Taper said:


> You have any pics of a fixed shoulder


Me and high shoulders! My method is tape,box the place,sand it and send my invoice out!:thumbsup:
If any1 thinks I am f*cking about fixing bad board or framing for free then get some1 else!:yes:
The board here is getting really bad,But then again could be the kit makers or the boarders! 
The boarders don't no whats what here and just slam the stuff on to the timber if its out or not!
I need to get my camera going again with a straight edge!!


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