# Rudimentary Tape an bed/Repairs



## nodnarb (Apr 25, 2014)

I want to be forthright in saying I know very little about tape and bed. I am a framer hanger ect commercial guy, I am not venturing into taping professionally and have no intention to. Just have some questions and interests seeing how so many of you are so passionate about this facet of the trade. My dad also did tape and bed, so I did some (occasionally still do!) Firetaping and spotting screws. Have done a pretty good bit of knockdown and have a hopper and compressor.

A friend of mine has 2 holes punched in her wall and was asking me about them. I told her outright im not a finish guy but apparently Im the only man she knows with tools who can use them! Now my first instinct is cut it out square patch it over with rock and then finish but she bought 4"x4" homax patches and insits I use them. She also bought spackle?! Ive never messed with either, or patched holes this way. Is a good looking result feasable? Ill buy mud if need be but shes pretty gungho on me not cutting up her wall any further. Ive proven an OK taper at best and slow as hell the last time I attempted anything other than firetape, fortunately this is in an area with a knockdown texture. Any advice? Alternate ideas? She doesnt wanna pay anyone to do it and I told her I would for beer and the experience.

Also any general advice for someone wanting to learn a bit more about tape and bed. Im OK for physically taping , its just the making it look pretty bit im having issue with. Ive been thinking about rocking my shed for a taping project. Use DWC and scrap rock from work and go to town!


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

If its the little metal patches you will be fine. Would use a quick setting mud though. I would use 5 minute but you should use 20 minute. Put the mud on fairly heavy and wide aka making it look flat. Feather the edges and then wait for the mud to set. When it sets you can take your knife and burnish down the patch nice and smooth. Then spray it.


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## keke (Mar 7, 2012)

nodnarb said:


> I want to be forthright in saying I know very little about tape and bed. I am a framer hanger ect commercial guy, I am not venturing into taping professionally and have no intention to.


 venturing into taping would improve your skills as hanger,framer etc and after that you will better understand bad framing ,hanging,etc


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## Mr.Brightstar (Dec 2, 2011)

nodnarb said:


> I want to be forthright in saying I know very little about tape and bed. I am a framer hanger ect commercial guy, I am not venturing into taping professionally and have no intention to. Just have some questions and interests seeing how so many of you are so passionate about this facet of the trade. My dad also did tape and bed, so I did some (occasionally still do!) Firetaping and spotting screws. Have done a pretty good bit of knockdown and have a hopper and compressor. A friend of mine has 2 holes punched in her wall and was asking me about them. I told her outright im not a finish guy but apparently Im the only man she knows with tools who can use them! Now my first instinct is cut it out square patch it over with rock and then finish but she bought 4"x4" homax patches and insits I use them. She also bought spackle?! Ive never messed with either, or patched holes this way. Is a good looking result feasable? Ill buy mud if need be but shes pretty gungho on me not cutting up her wall any further. Ive proven an OK taper at best and slow as hell the last time I attempted anything other than firetape, fortunately this is in an area with a knockdown texture. Any advice? Alternate ideas? She doesnt wanna pay anyone to do it and I told her I would for beer and the experience. Also any general advice for someone wanting to learn a bit more about tape and bed. Im OK for physically taping , its just the making it look pretty bit im having issue with. Ive been thinking about rocking my shed for a taping project. Use DWC and scrap rock from work and go to town!


Dude! She wants to get laid!


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## nodnarb (Apr 25, 2014)

keke said:


> venturing into taping would improve your skills as hanger,framer etc and after that you will better understand bad framing ,hanging,etc


Well ive always been aware of the tapers needs and hung and framed the best I could, I learned most of what I know from a taper so he wouldnt hear that " Taper'll get it!" Nonsense. But I agree, diversifying my skills will help me as a whole, I think im going to go out of my way and ask my company for more fire taping. Everybody hates it so I figure I can get some time in there. 

Its recently dawned on me that I could do EVERY thing to build my own dream house up till the tape and bed! Hell I can paint and do knockdown but my taping skills are lacking. Id finally get the rock up and have to hire one of you guys!  that noise! Besides, maybe theres something to it a lot of you guys seem very passionate about it. Too bad taping is one of the worst paying trades in Texas.. 
Im going to do those patches tomorrow, I might just use the provided spackle and try to 6' it. I also need to buy a set of tools haha, ive got a hyde 6' 12' and some offbrand 2.


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## keke (Mar 7, 2012)

nodnarb said:


> Well ive always been aware of the tapers needs and hung and framed the best I could, I learned most of what I know from a taper so he wouldnt hear that " Taper'll get it!" Nonsense. But I agree, diversifying my skills will help me as a whole, I think im going to go out of my way and ask my company for more fire taping. Everybody hates it so I figure I can get some time in there.
> 
> Its recently dawned on me that I could do EVERY thing to build my own dream house up till the tape and bed! Hell I can paint and do knockdown but my taping skills are lacking. Id finally get the rock up and have to hire one of you guys!  that noise! Besides, maybe theres something to it a lot of you guys seem very passionate about it. Too bad taping is one of the worst paying trades in Texas..
> Im going to do those patches tomorrow, I might just use the provided spackle and try to 6' it. I also need to buy a set of tools haha, ive got a hyde 6' 12' and some offbrand 2.


bad framing doesn't mean frame out of plumb or crooked, bad hang doesn't mean gaps between boards.....even a bad joint put in wrong spot can [email protected] up the best hanging 

maybe taping is the worst paid trade in your area but I think everywhere you can make good money fixing up a bad taping and patching

PS listen to Mr.Brightstar :thumbsup:


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## nodnarb (Apr 25, 2014)

keke said:


> bad framing doesn't mean frame out of plumb or crooked, bad hang doesn't mean gaps between boards.....even a bad joint put in wrong spot can [email protected] up the best hanging
> 
> maybe taping is the worst paid trade in your area but I think everywhere you can make good money fixing up a bad taping and patching
> 
> PS listen to Mr.Brightstar :thumbsup:


Yeah, it would definitely be an asset to my arsenal. A while back in leaner times I got a lot of calls for drywall "repairs" IE (FIX THE  CRACK!) That could helped keep food on my table. Bad land for slab foundations out here but they insist on it. Ive got a few small cracks in my own house what would be the suggested method of taking care of them? Mesh tape? Any sort of heavy duty mud to help prevent future cracks? Hailey the woman I am patchibg the holes for has some around too, and a spot where the anchors in her towel rack failed and left little craters. Im looking for any potential projects at this point. 

And as for the woman wanting to get laid, I hope her 6'4" marine husband doesnt find out!!!

Seriously though, she is acting kinda funny. Too bad we are both taken but now I see how you mudmen operate!!


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## nodnarb (Apr 25, 2014)

Phone wont let me resize so ill post a link so I dont break the page like last time haha.
http://puu.sh/8RbYm first coat. She didnt have spackle, she had "patching plaster" and it set quick which made for quick work but made my thin second coat more difficult. I pulled my second coat away from the actual patches to smooth the transitions more with my 6'. I thinned the plaster with water to do so. Is this the proper method? Pulling away from your patches? http://puu.sh/8Ro7j
Sanded and I guess ready, looks pretty good. Looks flat even with some critical light. The plaster is surprisingly a close match to the wall she asked if I painted it hahaha. http://puu.sh/8RbZC

Proceed to make fun of me now. This was my first time working with anything other than mud and first hole bigger than a finger or so. Wish I took a pic of before but theres two fist sized holes and two homax metal patches under there!


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