# 4" BTE Applicator



## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Has any one tried or had any experience with the BTE 4" applicator head. And is the same size ball as the Tapetech mudrunner? (most angle heads fit the runner).
Thanks for any input.


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## Bevelation (Dec 20, 2008)

Depends on how much more mud you're willing to waste on filling angles. I think 4" is stupid.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Bevelation said:


> Depends on how much more mud you're willing to waste on filling angles. I think 4" is stupid.


Sorry I probably wasnt clear. I meant a flat applicator.
Thanks.


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## Bevelation (Dec 20, 2008)

Oh, sorry. As far as I know if it's BTE it would have the same large ball fitment as the rest of the products.
What would you use that applicator for anyway? Taping or coating?


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Bevelation said:


> Oh, sorry. As far as I know if it's BTE it would have the same large ball fitment as the rest of the products.
> What would you use that applicator for anyway? Taping or coating?


We use hot mud and banjo to tape with most of the time. So I was thinking that the applicator might be good to go over the tape to fill the recess before feathering. Dont know just a thought, always on the look out for ways to improve quality and efficency.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

gazman said:


> We use hot mud and banjo to tape with most of the time. So I was thinking that the applicator might be good to go over the tape to fill the recess before feathering. Dont know just a thought, always on the look out for ways to improve quality and efficency.


You could try backing wiping you tape, which is, wipe the flat tape out, then go back over the tape with more hotmud right away.

Or get a quick clean 7" box, Then cazna can show you his gadget he designed for his compound tube to fill boxes with.

The 4" flat applicator might work, it's worth a try, say if it don't apply enough mud, back out the bottom 2 screws on the steel plate, then place a shim or something under the runner/plate. This will make it apply more mud. Just leave the bottom 2 screws off and leave the top 2 in to keep tension on the runners. Just lifting that plate .0001 of a millimeter , will make it apply a lot more mud. I use to do that when the runners were worn out, and I was too cheap to buy a new one:yes:


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

I have one of those can am heads, Not really a fan, They are quite slow to run, If you banjo tape hotmud, No backwipe as this can swell and give you a high tape and distort it, Just wipe nice and flat, then get a 7 box and run all purpose, This seems to make a nice coat.

Or have you seen this tool, The tape pro mudshark.

http://www.tapepro.com/?p=tools&t=fact

This would be far superior the the flat applactor, Not sure if you run a compound tube but there is a HUGE differance in drawing mud from a bucket through a small hole or a wide mouth like the mudshark, It SO much easier and faster, If you got one of these im picking you could run hotmud like you want to, And it would be far easier than an applactor attached to a ball, They track off and can be hard keep straight.
I would go the mudshark for sure, The flat applactors a hassel.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Thanks for the feed back guys. Cazna it right about cover coating the tape straight away. We wait until the tape has gone off before coating.
Never used a flat applicator thanks for the heads up.

Hey cazna is there any tool you dont have?:thumbsup: You can never have tools. Have you got one of these? Awsome for measuring cornice. Jump up on the stilts and away you go. 
http://ptd.leica-geosystems.com/en/Leica-DISTO-D3a-BT_81303.htm


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

gazman said:


> Thanks for the feed back guys. Cazna it right about cover coating the tape straight away. We wait until the tape has gone off before coating.
> Never used a flat applicator thanks for the heads up.
> 
> Hey cazna is there any tool you dont have?:thumbsup: You can never have tools. Have you got one of these? Awsome for measuring cornice. Jump up on the stilts and away you go.
> http://ptd.leica-geosystems.com/en/Leica-DISTO-D3a-BT_81303.htm


I've got a Bosch distance meter, great for measure and quote on a house but mine can be 2 or sometimes 3mm out so I don't use for coving...wish I could tho.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

The Leica is spot on.
You can also calbrate it to your tape by setting the offset.:thumbup:


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Mmmm, Interesting?? I always thought they were not accurate enough but never used one, Sure would save all the tape work. Can you even get them in nz?? Top bosch models a around $500.

And i guess i have most tools, I went tool mad a few years back, I thought i stopped but sometimes i have a relapse :blink:


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

cazna said:


> Mmmm, Interesting?? I always thought they were not accurate enough but never used one, Sure would save all the tape work. Can you even get them in nz?? Top bosch models a around $500.
> 
> And i guess i have most tools, I went tool mad a few years back, I thought i stopped but sometimes i have a relapse :blink:


I have been using the Leica for about five years no probs. It was about $600 Au back then.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Would the cheap one do the job gazman??

http://www.spesystems.co.nz/shop/div+idspeBRANDSdiv/LEICA+DISTO.html


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

cazna said:


> Mmmm, Interesting?? I always thought they were not accurate enough but never used one, Sure would save all the tape work. Can you even get them in nz?? Top bosch models a around $500.
> 
> And i guess i have most tools, I went tool mad a few years back, I thought i stopped but sometimes i have a relapse :blink:


I think mine was around $300 - $350, I can't even remember where I got it from (Mitre10 maybe?), really quick to measure a house compared to a tape.
If you are looking at getting one, check the tolerance (+/- 2mm) on them so you get an idea of how accurate they are.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

cazna said:


> Would the cheap one do the job gazman??
> 
> http://www.spesystems.co.nz/shop/div+idspeBRANDSdiv/LEICA+DISTO.html


If it was me I would go for the DXT it say a tollerence of 1.5mm. I found the manual for mine and it is also 1.5mm. Even found the purchase date Aug 2006. WORKS GREAT. Here is a pic maybe pick one up s/hand Ebay.It is called a Disto Classic A. (the Disto classic is another model but it has a 3mm tollerence. Hope this helps.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Would 0.5 of a mm make much of a difference?? The saw blade is that,The cheap one is .2mm and double the price for an extra .5mm??

I know you should get the best but thats not always the case, I got the best 60led light i could and it has not got a sealed switch so dust gets in and upsets the switch, Kiwi was a tightwad and got one half the price and his has a sealed switch and unaffected by dust 


This one looks ok http://tools.co.nz/makita/miscellaneous/laser-distance-meter-10773


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

cazna said:


> Would 0.5 of a mm make much of a difference?? The saw blade is that,The cheap one is .2mm and double the price for an extra .5mm??
> 
> I know you should get the best but thats not always the case, I got the best 60led light i could and it has not got a sealed switch so dust gets in and upsets the switch, Kiwi was a tightwad and got one half the price and his has a sealed switch and unaffected by dust


To be honest I never actually used mine for coving, I only checked it against my tape measure, .5mm wouldn't make any difference but 2mm does, if you've got two lengths meeting in one corner and they are both 2mm short then thats a 4mm gap.
:w00t: Hey! I just realized I've got a tool you don't have....But for how long toolman :sneaky2:.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

cazna said:


> Would 0.5 of a mm make much of a difference?? The saw blade is that,The cheap one is .2mm and double the price for an extra .5mm??
> 
> I know you should get the best but thats not always the case, I got the best 60led light i could and it has not got a sealed switch so dust gets in and upsets the switch, Kiwi was a tightwad and got one half the price and his has a sealed switch and unaffected by dust
> 
> ...


Hi Cazna.
If you are interested I can get the makita here in Oz for around $200 + P&H.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Sorry to double post.
As I said in an earlier post, with mine you can set an offset.
Eample.
Measure a wall around the three metre mark with your tape get your spot on measurment and then adjust the offset of the disto to suit. I check mine before I start measuring the cornice on each house. SO IF YOU CANT ADJUST THE OFFSET I WOULD NOT BUY.
Most tapes vary by a mm or so, so this alows you to custom your disto.
It apears you cant do this with the makita. You can download manual here. http://diplo-best.com/review/MAKITA/LD060P


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> To be honest I never actually used mine for coving, I only checked it against my tape measure, .5mm wouldn't make any difference but 2mm does, if you've got two lengths meeting in one corner and they are both 2mm short then thats a 4mm gap.
> :w00t: Hey! I just realized I've got a tool you don't have....But for how long toolman :sneaky2:.


Not long at all :whistling2: , Cheers for the offer gazman, My local hardware store has the makita for $377 so now i have one, I hope it works out, Thats a clever function the disto has but i wasnt keen on $600. Might live to regret, Oh well, Can always on sell and try again.

I dont see a few mm on the coving an issue, How accurate can you really get with a tape, Longer runs tape sag and your saw is a few mm either way.

Those externals are rarley tight and square and often open at the top, the beads throw them out, You have to mud each end so that can take up a bit.
The ends can break, or you stand on em, Or they are damaged in transit.
New houses are not always square.
Or you cut it fewmm to long put it up and the end breaks.

I have done a lot of reno work in older homes and those corners are all out of square, You cut a square 45 internal or external put it up and its OMG, But thats nothing a little mud cant fix.
Once i had an off cut of cornice for above a new kitchen and it was to short and i couldnt get anymore, So i cut it into 4 peices and put them up then filled and made the shape between the peices that were spaced 50mm apart, Yes it worked, Seems crazy but it worked so i have no issue with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 mm in the coving, Its an easy fix no matter what the problem.

Did you know you can scribe coving to fit whatever you wish with a coping saw, It does not have to be mitred, Scribe it way a builder does wooden scotia, put it up and mark it instead of measuring externals, Its a cut on one end only then a butt to the wall on the other for internals so 5mm is nothing, its just a small hole in the bottom thats and easy fix on the wipedown and does not affect the join. I did this for years, It is a little more handling than mitring but fool proof as everythings tight and perfect, You actually need to allow a few mm or the mud makes to tight to fit so a few mm is a blessing not a curse.

Here is how raped we are in nz for tools, See this, Kiwiman showed me this link. I price one and its $500 in nz. Good tool for filling banjos, boxes, Hotmud or not.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Plaster-...ilding_Materials_Hardware&hash=item415acba3a4


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

cazna said:


> Not long at all :whistling2: , Cheers for the offer gazman, My local hardware store has the makita for $377 so now i have one, I hope it works out, Thats a clever function the disto has but i wasnt keen on $600. Might live to regret, Oh well, Can always on sell and try again.
> 
> I dont see a few mm on the coving an issue, How accurate can you really get with a tape, Longer runs tape sag and your saw is a few mm either way.
> 
> ...


So Cazna how do you find the laser measurer for coving? Did the Makita do the job?


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

gazman said:


> So Cazna how do you find the laser measurer for coving? Did the Makita do the job?


Yes it did, Works great once i got things sorted out, Measure it, then minus 5mm, Thats your measure for the cove, it fits well, Not to tight so your busting the corners and not to loose so you have to much filling to do. :thumbsup: Thanks for the tip, Put the stilts on and go for it, Its so quick :yes:

But i can see now how your disto to set it to your tape would good, Tapes are all out a little so you need to get one that suits the makita, The disto would have been a better choice, But more cost, The makitas working so im happy


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

cazna said:


> . :thumbsup: Thanks for the tip, Put the stilts on and go for it, Its so quick :yes:
> 
> No worries Caz. We all learn from each other, my 4" tapeworm is on its way:thumbup:.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

gazman said:


> cazna said:
> 
> 
> > . :thumbsup: Thanks for the tip, Put the stilts on and go for it, Its so quick :yes:
> ...


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