# Old finisher looking for advice



## mjhaston (May 30, 2020)

I was a drywall contractor for 12 years up until 2000. I hung and finished, but was much more a finisher. Towards the end of all that I was taping with a banjo and finishing with the Ames box and corner tools. I've only used them once since then in 2010. I'm finishing 60 boards in my upstairs with about 200' of off angles. The typical knee wall layout. I just ordered some Nocoat 450, thinking bigger is better? I have a few questions, mainly about mud.

I used to tape with the green lid and coat with the blue lid. Should I do the same to apply the Nocoat, with green? Would you suggest I coat them with the blue mud in a 7" box? I guess that's the smallest I can rent. I coat the flats with 10" and 12".

When I went from hand taping to the tools it took a little while to get used to how thin I had to make the mud for the boxes. That was an issue 10 years ago when I did a job. I mad the mud too soupy and was dropping it all over. I used to do pretty clean jobs! Any suggestions on a starting point with thinning the mud out for the boxes? I know this is pretty subjective.


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## Magnum Drywall (Oct 12, 2014)

Tape Tech suggests.
Add water to joint compound and mix approximately 25 to 28 oz of water per five gallons of joint compound.


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## mjhaston (May 30, 2020)

Being away from the automated tools for 20+ years except for a one time renovation 10 years ago, I think I did okay. I rented the 7", 10" and 12" boxes. The 10" and 12" were power assisted. Not sure I noticed the assist! If anything, they were a little annoying to load. My mud was thin enough for the banjo and boxes, but I probably should have thinned it slightly more for the angles. 

The coolest thing I found was the Nocoat 450 product. Holy smokes was that great and hid some really f*&^% up off angles. I went through 200' of that stuff. I was able to go over it twice with the 7" box and then skim it again pretty tight with the 10". It's better than I would have ever done with the metal tape I used back in the day.

Thanks for the info Magnum Drywall.

I miss doing drywall for a living until I do it for a week straight. No wonder my back is a mess.


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## OtherbrotherMoore (May 25, 2017)

mjhaston said:


> I was a drywall contractor for 12 years up until 2000. I hung and finished, but was much more a finisher. Towards the end of all that I was taping with a banjo and finishing with the Ames box and corner tools. I've only used them once since then in 2010. I'm finishing 60 boards in my upstairs with about 200' of off angles. The typical knee wall layout. I just ordered some Nocoat 450, thinking bigger is better? I have a few questions, mainly about mud.
> 
> I used to tape with the green lid and coat with the blue lid. Should I do the same to apply the Nocoat, with green? Would you suggest I coat them with the blue mud in a 7" box? I guess that's the smallest I can rent. I coat the flats with 10" and 12".
> 
> When I went from hand taping to the tools it took a little while to get used to how thin I had to make the mud for the boxes. That was an issue 10 years ago when I did a job. I mad the mud too soupy and was dropping it all over. I used to do pretty clean jobs! Any suggestions on a starting point with thinning the mud out for the boxes? I know this is pretty subjective.


depends on the angle for no coat

tape mud first coat, on nocoat

Box mud is not far from skim hand coat mud, i do mean not far

I flash a quarter tape mud to topping, first coat,

Good call 7 and hand slam last coat


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