# Tapers, how do you clean your tools?



## McDusty

I have never 'cleaned' my boxes, super taper, pan, or any of the angle head tools. i store everything in water. a small plastic container holds my super-taper, pan & all angle heads. with about 2" of water, it's enough to keep any mud in there soft until the next use. my boxes & pump are stored in a 1/2 full pail of of water. i have a hole cut in a lid to the diameter of the pump so i can still put the lid on and water won't splash out during transport. 

The plus side is i never waste time cleaning my tools, and there are never chunks of hard mud. And, even if the site has no water, that's ok, i've always got enough to last me the day. your pump will last forever, the seals won't dry out and mud doesn't hardens in there. The super taper doesn't get chunky. I've never spent more than 4 seconds cleaning a super taper or angle roller.

The down side, i guess the pail with the boxes & pump is a bit heavy, but that's ok, i don't mind, small price to pay for never having to clean my boxes.

The metal sliders on the flusher/glazer heads do rust, the first slide leaves a brown streak. do inside of closet first even though paint should cover. the rust does not effect performance of the otherwise, all stainless glazer head.

Some guys don't like putting their hands in water like that all the time, i can understand that if it dries your hands out really bad. I don't have that problem, i don't even have a towel or moisturizer and my hands don't crack, it's great. My brother has to use surgical gloves for super-taping because it dries his hands out so bad. So far so good for me. 

Anyway, that was a long rant about something pretty simple. What are your opinions?


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## MeatBallDryWall

I usually clean my bazooka/roller/glazer after I"m done taping unless it's freezing outside. The pump just gets washed off with a brush (outside) & I leave the mud inside as it will not harden. My boxes might sit in water a while but I usually wash them out after each coat or job completion.


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## TonyM

Do you not clean your tools because you can't be bothered or is your time 'that precious?'
Most of my tools get hosed out and lubricated after use. They will start to stink after a while if not cleaned and I can't live with that smell in my van.


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## Mudshark

*Square pail*

I think McDusty you have a good handle on it - I found a square shaped pail a little less than 5 gal. holds my 10' and 12" boxes just right so you aren't carrying extra water. Stilts, benches and the like that are not as fussy I wait for a rainy day and set them outside.


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## Tim0282

I clean all of the tools after each use. If we do a house in the morning and one in the afternoon, I wash them when I am done in the morning. Start with a fresh set in the afternoon. Can't stand to work with dirty tools. The mud is too corosive to leave in the boxes. To each his own, I guess.


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## rhardman

*Facinating...*

We're watching this thread rrrrreeeaaaallllll close!


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## McDusty

TonyM said:


> Do you not clean your tools because you can't be bothered or is your time 'that precious?'
> Most of my tools get hosed out and lubricated after use. They will start to stink after a while if not cleaned and I can't live with that smell in my van.



add up all the time you spend cleaning your tools in your taping career and see how many DAYS you lost in your life. 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there adds up really quick.


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## TonyM

McDusty said:


> add up all the time you spend cleaning your tools in your taping career and see how many DAYS you lost in your life. 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there adds up really quick.


So do you turn your 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there into extra earnings, or just go home early?


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## joepro0000

I clean the tools with a hose and say F' being lazy. Out here they will dry up, especially bazookas. Thats something you can't play around with.


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

Isn't that what car washes are for


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## fr8train

I clean my work tools immediately following use, but then we use only setting compound. Now my private tools, that I use bucket mud for, the boxes I will let sit a bit, the taper gets cleaned when I get home, if there isn't a hose for me to do it with on-site.


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## McDusty

TonyM said:


> So do you turn your 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there into extra earnings, or just go home early?


both.


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## McDusty

FOR THOSE ABOUT said:


> Isn't that what car washes are for



damn right, that's where i wash my benches from time to time. it's almost fun.


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## alltex

Sometimes i just put them in a mud bag and try to get the air out or just seal the inlet on the box with plastic.If its freezing ,all the better ,just thaw them out when you need them ,brush down and go to work.When using freez and thaw system ,be sure to empty the tool before freezing.After you thaw the tool ,the mud will wash off real easy too .I,v left tools frozen for a month and when cleaned it was just as i left it ,no harm done!throw up if you want ,but it works pretty good.But usualy i like to store them clean.


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## Tim0282

Do you ever wash your truck? Can't understand why you wouldn't keep your tools (a kinda large investment) clean everyday. Even twice a day. Do you ever change the oil in your truck?? Your compressor? Do you put throat oil in your airless? Wow, I am shocked about not cleaning tools! Do you change the blade on your box. How often do you check to see if your angle head is running true and is it square? Preventative maintenance is cleaning your tools. Isn't it?


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## Muddauber

FOR THOSE ABOUT said:


> Isn't that what car washes are for



I bought a pressure washer a few years back to clean the tools.

I wish I had all the quarters that I've dropped in the car wash slots through the years. When I started in drywall it only took 1 quarter to start the washer.


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

Did your car wash post "No Drywallers Allowed"? Mine did


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## McDusty

Tim0282 said:


> Do you ever wash your truck? Can't understand why you wouldn't keep your tools (a kinda large investment) clean everyday. Even twice a day. Do you ever change the oil in your truck?? Your compressor? Do you put throat oil in your airless? Wow, I am shocked about not cleaning tools! Do you change the blade on your box. How often do you check to see if your angle head is running true and is it square? Preventative maintenance is cleaning your tools. Isn't it?


I don't want to keep my tools clean because it doesn't help anything. It does NOT make them last longer, if anything, they last a shorter amount of time from all the scrubbing. I am a firm believer that cleaning tools wears them out faster. I inspect my tools during every use for proper function... not if they are clean.

And it's not like they aren't clean, they are clean, just wet. The mud falls right off my tools while they sit in their water containers it all collects at the bottom of the container. 

my vehicle has 464,000kms on it, got there from regular maintenance, not from making sure i've washed the bugs off the hood.


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## McDusty

FOR THOSE ABOUT said:


> Did your car wash post "No Drywallers Allowed"? Mine did



hahahhahahah no but that is friggin hilarious.


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## MeatBallDryWall

:icon_cheesygrin:


> did your car wash post "no drywallers allowed"? Mine did


lmao


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## alltex

Tim0282 said:


> Do you ever wash your truck? Can't understand why you wouldn't keep your tools (a kinda large investment) clean everyday. Even twice a day. Do you ever change the oil in your truck?? Your compressor? Do you put throat oil in your airless? Wow, I am shocked about not cleaning tools! Do you change the blade on your box. How often do you check to see if your angle head is running true and is it square? Preventative maintenance is cleaning your tools. Isn't it?


I had the same tube 12 years.2 nail spotters ,2 boxes (tape teck),same pumps for about 15 years,same drill motor for about 10 years.cleaning tools isn, a big deal.Oil son , regular oiling and repair is the secret.


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## drywallnflorida

wash them after every use! they cost to much money for me to just throw in a bucket of water.


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## Tim0282

I agree with Florida! Mud is corosive. Water is corosive. Can't tell me not washing is good for your tools. I'm glad you haven't had any trouble with your bazooka. I tried leaving a pump with mud in it and just stuck it in water. Didn't take long and it was so junked up it wouldn't pump anymore. Took twice as many pumps to fill the bazooka as a new pump.


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## McDusty

Tim0282 said:


> I agree with Florida! Mud is corosive. Water is corosive. Can't tell me not washing is good for your tools. I'm glad you haven't had any trouble with your bazooka. I tried leaving a pump with mud in it and just stuck it in water. Didn't take long and it was so junked up it wouldn't pump anymore. Took twice as many pumps to fill the bazooka as a new pump.



Mud is corrosive? Yes, when you are sliding your tools along it, definitely. If mud is just sitting on a tool you think that is going to corrode it? maybe after a millennium. Water, it would take still standing water a few lifetimes to corrode tools, running water would corrode them in a shorter time. Our tools are made out of aluminum & stainless, not recycled cardboard. 

I don't use a bazooka so i wouldn't know about trouble with cleaning one. Had one, sold it, never looked back.

My pump is about the only thing i do 'clean'. My cleaning involves pumping the mud out, 6 pumps of water through it, and into the water pail ready for next use. I would not leave mud in my pump unless i had some sort of air tight cover for the nozzle. 

I'm not saying cleaning your tools is necessarily a bad idea, i'm just saying it might be a total waste of time and energy. to each their own, some guys might like the idea of 'just throwing them in a pail of water'


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## Tim0282

Have you ever left a six inch knife in a bucket of mud? Try leaving it in the mud over night or a couple days. Pull it out and see what it looks like. I beg to differ with you. Mud is very corrosive. Leave a six inch knife in water a day or two. Water is corrosive. If you leave your thousand dollar bazooka with mud in it a week or two, you'll be sorry. No it won't dry out, but it won't run like it used to. Man there are a bunch of moving parts in there that the mud will corrode. But, like you said, to each his own. Look inside your pump that you leave mud/water in. Bet you can't get it apart to see inside. You don't ever rebuild your pump? How do you prime it? Or will it prime because you have the water in it and the mud will push the water. Hummm, works for you. You're one of the lucky few...


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## McDusty

you are correct about knives, i don't leave my knives in water because they are not stainless, well some of them are. rust = bad. and again, i do not use a bazooka, had one, sold it.

it's not like i have all my tools in water.
h2o soaking as we speak:
- pump 
- 10" & 12" boxes
- super taper 
- 2.5" & 3.5" flusher heads
- flat, bead & angle mud applicators for tube.
- angle roller
- pan
- mixer

none of my trowels / knives are in water.


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## Kiwiman

I leave the mud in my pump, I just cap the ends and wash the outside, the only sign of corrosion is on the bottom of the cast iron part that sits in the bottom of the bucket (finishpro hot mud pump). There are different grades of stainless steel for different applications thats why some stainless will still rust when left in mud or water.


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## miket

I wouldnt leave anything in mud that wasnt good stainless or plastic.


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## D's

I'm not big on cleaning my tools except for hand tools which get cleaned at the end of each day and are kept dry.

I generally choose only stainless or aluminum tools for this exact reason 

Autotools get kept in either a bucket or rubbermaid tote filled with water. This way nothing dries out and gets caked on. The bazooka gets cleaned out on site while the pump and gooseneck are still assembled. At the end of the job the water is drained off and the tools are either transferred to the next job where the containers are refilled with water, or I bring everything home and spray it all off. I try to clean all the tools in the tote so the mud stays put. When done cleaning I'll let the goop settle, pour off the water, then dispose of the goop in an empty mud bag. The tools dry in the sun, or on my radiant floor in the winter, and then get put back into the now cleaned tote, ready for storage or the next job.

I don't believe water has any corrosive effect on the tools, except for the odd steel component(signifying that tool wasn't designed well). 
You can't wait too long between cleaning because all that goop starts getting stinky after a couple of weeks.

Good thread,
D'S


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## Stormy_Ny

McDusty said:


> I don't want to keep my tools clean because it doesn't help anything. It does NOT make them last longer, if anything, they last a shorter amount of time from all the scrubbing. I am a firm believer that cleaning tools wears them out faster. I inspect my tools during every use for proper function... not if they are clean.
> 
> And it's not like they aren't clean, they are clean, just wet. The mud falls right off my tools while they sit in their water containers it all collects at the bottom of the container.
> 
> my vehicle has 464,000kms on it, got there from regular maintenance, not from making sure i've washed the bugs off the hood.



I am a McDusty ..... :thumbsup:


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## miket

How corrosive is mud in comparison to water or the very corrosive saltwater?? Im curious. 

Disimilar metals touching each other in water can cause galvanic corrosion. There will be less corosion if tools made of different metals arent touching.

Stainless can get a thing called crevice corrosion.

Boats are coated and they attach sacrificial anodes to protect the metal components. Being more reactive the anodes corrode preferentially and protect any metal they're electrically touching. In saltwater those anodes are often made of... certain aluminum alloys. Even the lesser reactive marine grade aluminum alloys will pit and corrode away so aluminum boat components in salt water have to have either an anodized or a powdercoated surface to help protect them.

Anything that will corrode in storage would corrode in use it will just happen several times faster because of the hours involved.


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## MudMonkey

i clean them out but keep my boxes in a pail half water....how about that smell? Rotten eggs when you open it...people love it lol


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## croozer

Have to say that I clean every tool I use every day.Not only do I clean them, they are spotless, inside and out.Kinda gives me the warm and fuzzies to pull out tools that look and work like brand new every day, Living in New Zealand, we cant just drive down the road and get parts if something goes wrong, so I feel that every preventative measure should be taken.My columbias are comming up a year old now and still look they did the first day I used them.I also agree that a good oil/lube regiem helps out no end. I sometimes wonder though at 8pm and its zero degrees and Im wet from head to toe...lol...all the best ...


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## cazna

croozer said:


> Have to say that I clean every tool I use every day.Not only do I clean them, they are spotless, inside and out.Kinda gives me the warm and fuzzies to pull out tools that look and work like brand new every day, Living in New Zealand, we cant just drive down the road and get parts if something goes wrong, so I feel that every preventative measure should be taken.My columbias are comming up a year old now and still look they did the first day I used them.I also agree that a good oil/lube regiem helps out no end. I sometimes wonder though at 8pm and its zero degrees and Im wet from head to toe...lol...all the best ...


Im with you croozer, i made plywood boxes with seperate places for my tools so they cant get damaged, they are used, then wash throughly, hand dryed, checked over, then applyed with lanox were needed and proudly placed back in there spot ready to go again.
They have cost me a small fortune and i have everything and as you said parts dont come easy here so the risk of damaging them through neglect would just be very foolish indeed.


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## tricounty dwall

im with u guys. After each use i was all my tools out. I never let them sit in a bucket of water. I paid to much money for my tools to let them sit dirty and soak. But as far as my hand tools i never was them. Ive noticed when u wet them they start to corode. But i do spray them with wd 40 every afternoon. If u do the mud cleans off so much easier. U will never have to scrape your knife hard again. Beater bar after every time i mix i tap it with a hammer in my water bucket and its clean as a whistle. Might be worth u guys trying those 2 things also


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## alltex

croozer said:


> Have to say that I clean every tool I use every day.Not only do I clean them, they are spotless, inside and out.Kinda gives me the warm and fuzzies to pull out tools that look and work like brand new every day, Living in New Zealand, we cant just drive down the road and get parts if something goes wrong, so I feel that every preventative measure should be taken.My columbias are comming up a year old now and still look they did the first day I used them.I also agree that a good oil/lube regiem helps out no end. I sometimes wonder though at 8pm and its zero degrees and Im wet from head to toe...lol...all the best ...


 Empty them of mud and let em freez ,just like meat. They will look the same after a day, or a week.


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## Saul_Surfaces

alltex said:


> Empty them of mud and let em freez ,just like meat. They will look the same after a day, or a week.


I do that too But it's a real pain when I forget to thaw out my pump far enough in advance.


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## alltex

Glad to hear that i,m not the only shortcutting slob who learned how not to clean tools .I suppose you wrap them in mud bags sometimes too!


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## rebel20

Ya I see Tim0282 has a new way he let's Public works do it for him:whistling2:


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## Saul_Surfaces

alltex said:


> Glad to hear that i,m not the only shortcutting slob who learned how not to clean tools .I suppose you wrap them in mud bags sometimes too!


Geez!! I've got to try that. It'll save on garbage bags for sure. One of my Columbia hot muds pumps doesn't open so I'm always glad to dodge cleaning it. I bought it used, got a pretty good deal on a bazooka, and the pump came with it. The pump works fine, just doesn't open. I figure there's no point risking damaging it by forcing it open until it stops working. When I have to clean it, I pump enough water through it to fill a small lake.


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## McDusty

shortcutting slob? uhhh ok, to me it's not a shortcut, it's just completely unnecessary.

the seals in your auto tools don't like wet/dry cycles. i've had my boxes for 3 years and they still don't piss out any mud behind the seals... maybe it's because i've never even had to open the back of my boxes for cleaning and destroying the seals. they love being in water. i have never lubed any thing i use, i don't even have lube in my possession.


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## Capt-sheetrock

McDusty said:


> shortcutting slob? uhhh ok, to me it's not a shortcut, it's just completely unnecessary.
> 
> the seals in your auto tools don't like wet/dry cycles. i've had my boxes for 3 years and they still don't piss out any mud behind the seals... maybe it's because i've never even had to open the back of my boxes for cleaning and destroying the seals. they love being in water. i have never lubed any thing i use, i don't even have lube in my possession.


Dusty,,, how do you keep your bazooka wet? Do you use some kind of trough to store it in?? Serious question, not trying to be a smart arse.


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## cazna

Capt-sheetrock said:


> Dusty,,, how do you keep your bazooka wet? Do you use some kind of trough to store it in?? Serious question, not trying to be a smart arse.


I think Mcdusty does not use a bazooka Capt, Why run when you can stay crawling


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## Capt-sheetrock

cazna said:


> I think Mcdusty does not use a bazooka Capt, Why run when you can stay crawling


LOL, that makes sense, I don't clean my banjo till the end of the job, I just leave it nose down in a water bucket. Then after the job, I'll blast it out with a water hose. I clean my zooka as soon as I'm done with it, I don't even wait till the end of the day. Then of course I fill it with WD40,,, Iknow I know,,, that ain't reccomended. but hey, it works for me.


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## alltex

I,v been a slob ,been a clean freak let my bazooka dry with mud in it , run hot mud in every tool i own and let em freezz,Had some of them 20 year,and they still work like new After being cleaned and oiled good .I don,t realy like w-d 40 .i usualy use motor oil.In a pinch i have pulled my dipstick and used that oil .Thats all i get anal about is oiling.At the end of the day its just drywall and you can,t see it from my house


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## rhardman

alltex said:


> ...At the end of the day its just drywall and you can,t see it from my house


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## cazna

rhardman said:


>


I agree


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## BIG DADDY OOO NUTS

*anyone in this thread that doesnt wash there tools after each*



McDusty said:


> I don't want to keep my tools clean because it doesn't help anything. It does NOT make them last longer, if anything, they last a shorter amount of time from all the scrubbing. I am a firm believer that cleaning tools wears them out faster. I inspect my tools during every use for proper function... not if they are clean.
> 
> And it's not like they aren't clean, they are clean, just wet. The mud falls right off my tools while they sit in their water containers it all collects at the bottom of the container.
> 
> my vehicle has 464,000kms on it, got there from regular maintenance, not from making sure i've washed the bugs off the hood.


 anyone in this thread that doesn't wash there tools after each use please leave now. ur wasting other peoples time. but you could stay here and i can make fun of you.


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## PrairrieDogExpress

BIG DADDY OOO NUTS said:


> anyone in this thread that doesn't wash there tools after each use please leave now. ur wasting other peoples time. but you could stay here and i can make fun of you.


Some tools need to be cleaned after use. Some do not. My flushers and roller stay in a pail of water after use. Never had any issues. Make fun of me if you want to.


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## PrairrieDogExpress

cazna said:


> I think Mcdusty does not use a bazooka Capt, Why run when you can stay crawling


:icon_rolleyes:


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## DSJOHN

Capt-I do the exact same with the banjo,My Apla tech cannon gets washed immediately after use[cost too much] I hose the heads at the jobsite then bring home in bucket of water and thoroughly clean with hot water and soap, I spray with silicone and fogging oil.


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## D's

I've just gotten in to the Apla-tech system and am curious how other keep their setup clean. My Graco Mark V is connected to the 25 gal hopper. Everything seems tightly sealed, the hopper has a cover, and I just stick the tool ends in a bucket of water between uses. The only time I can see needing to clean it is if it's going to sit around between a couple of jobs. Any thoughts from other Apla users?

Most of my tools(angle heads, roller, boxes) soak in a bucket and get cleaned at the end of a job. I use to treat my bazooka the same way but I've noticed the cutting blades and gooser get dull real quick if soaked too long. Have learned to clean it as soon as taping is done instead.

D'S


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## drywallnflorida

I clean my alpa setup everytime I use it!!!!!! Dosen't take that long to clean and it cost way too much to not clean it after each use, and imo its easier to put back in the trailer when its not hooked to the hopper and full of mud.


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## SaskMud

FOR THOSE ABOUT said:


> Did your car wash post "No Drywallers Allowed"? Mine did




Clean out the stall after your done and most car wash places are pretty happy... 

cleaning out the dirty box of your truck from a mixture of cow crap and hay, and some hits the stall attendent.... well thats a different story...


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## Capt-sheetrock

Everyone has their own way, but I can't fathom how someone can spend this kind of money on tools and NOT clean em after they are done using em,,,,, heck after a bit of play with the sweetie, I clean the ole tube up before i go to bed, and heck I was born with that, didn't have to spend anything on that tool.:thumbup:


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## D's

You put WD-40 on that as well?


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## rebel20

D's said:


> You put WD-40 on that as well?


100 points for D's:thumbup:


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## Capt-sheetrock

D's said:


> You put WD-40 on that as well?


 
HeeHee,,, excellant idea, I have been worrying about it rusting up from lack of use lately !!:thumbup:


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## D's

I've come up with an easy & cheap cleaning station consisting of a rubbermaid garbage can, a $30 plastic laundry tub from HomeDepot, and a garden hose + sprayer. The laundry tub sits perfectly over top of the garbage can so you can clean your tools out in the tub and the water drains into the can. Provides a nice working height, and all the solids settle to the bottom of the garbage can. When the can gets full you just take the tub and place it over the toilet drain and bucket the water from the can into the tub and down the drain, or use it for thinning mud. You can even recycle the gunk at the bottom, mixed with some setting compound, to first coat beads.

So now I just ask the builder to provide a hose bib on the toilet line and an open drain. No more dirty tools!

Makes a decent urinal too!


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## Saul_Surfaces

that's a great idea. Should come in especially handy now that its winter time. thanks for posting


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## Mudshark

*Mud bags*

For pump:
I like using the mudbags as they are always around and priced just right. Often keep pump in the mud overnight with a little extra water and a mudbag over it all to keep from excessive drying overnight. Find the pump is good for the week and give it a hose job on Friday afternoon (if you are taking the weekend off).

For bazooka: 
Not so bad to leave the head for a few hours or overnite in a bucket of water. Get your tapes on and get it washed up good when done with it for a while. A little WD40 to keep things running smooth.

Boxes:
Same thing - leaving in water is no big deal for a few days. I use a square bucket at times as it takes up less space and the boxes fit just right. When you have time to get around to it hose them down good outside, opening the boxes up and getting everything out. That old mud does stink after a while.

Corner tools:
Roller and flushers - same as above - in the bucket of water. Like to get them clean and put away when the job is over and sometimes get the corner applicator heads out of the bucket so they are not damaged by other tools put on top.

Hand tools:
Mostly wipe somewhat clean and let dry overnight. Scrape clean in the morning.

General:
Always have 2 water buckets around with tube and whip in them, along with other tools. I keep a floating brush in a water bucket for scrubbing hands, tube, corner tools and the like.


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## Apprentice for Life

I do what mccdusty does sometimes:

1/) when we are going to two jobs in one day and using the same tools (boxes and pump only). 

2/) when we are using the tool (box and pump) for the same job the next day. (boxed the house and didn't box the garage)

3/) when it's not too hot or not too cold. (too hot, old mud dries up, new mud gets scratches and gouges, sucks....too cold and the pump can freeze and expand and crack!! and that sucked too.

other than that....

cleaning the tools is the way to go. Especially if you are working for a professional company and not on your own. If you don't have a bucket heater....just get in there and git er done. (the time killer is lighting the cigarette and finding a bucket or box to sit on!!)

Best way to clean em, and it takes about 1min (if you disassemble and reassemble the box, is to get a portable water heater (bucket heater) and heat up a fresh bucket of water. 
Throw the box in there and let it sit till ur done for the day (or till lunch)..take it out...inspect...take apart if need be. It should be nice and clean with little time taken out of your day.

I can see how the OP's method could work, especially if it's in a damp climate, but i'd rather waste my time cleaning.


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## S&SDRYWALL

Tools get washed at end of everday here, Dirty tools suck


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## D's

Used all the gunk at the bottom of my wash station today - just mixed it with some 90min. compound 50/50 and 1st coated some beads. Worked fine and I figure it salvages a box of mud per job.

Anyone ever reconstituted sanding dust back into mud? I probably throw out a pail of that too after each job.


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## 2buckcanuck

D's said:


> Used all the gunk at the bottom of my wash station today - just mixed it with some 90min. compound 50/50 and 1st coated some beads. Worked fine and I figure it salvages a box of mud per job.
> 
> Anyone ever reconstituted sanding dust back into mud? I probably throw out a pail of that too after each job.


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## alltex

never used the carwash.if theres no water ,wrap em in mud bags till there is.all my tools have been spotless and all have been dirty with dry mud on them.no big deal either way .just keep them oiled and your fine.I leave mud in the pump and wrap it and if its freezing i pump out the mud.haven,t had a tool go bad yet from being uncleaned!


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## D's

I swept up the nastiest crap I could find on the floor, mixed it up with water, and let it sit in a pan for an afternoon. It looked like chunky grey goo, but I picked any bits of paper, beads, screws I could find out of it and trowelled it onto some scrap board and let it set up overnight. Surprisingly, it set up just like regular mud. I definitely wouldn't want to do finish coat with it but for 1st coating beads it shows some promise. I think if a house is swept up after taping(to get rid of hanging residue, tapes, bead offcuts, screws), then what's left over after final sand is pretty clean for reuse. Next step is to dump my final sweep and vac material through a mesh screen into my cleaning station bin. Should add up to 3 boxes of mud recycled on a 15 box job - that's a 20% reduction in finishing materials and $60 saved.


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## carpentaper

it's only worth it if it takes you less than half an hour . if it even is worth it. but enjoy


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## 2buckcanuck

D's said:


> I swept up the nastiest crap I could find on the floor, mixed it up with water, and let it sit in a pan for an afternoon. It looked like chunky grey goo, but I picked any bits of paper, beads, screws I could find out of it and trowelled it onto some scrap board and let it set up overnight. Surprisingly, it set up just like regular mud. I definitely wouldn't want to do finish coat with it but for 1st coating beads it shows some promise. I think if a house is swept up after taping(to get rid of hanging residue, tapes, bead offcuts, screws), then what's left over after final sand is pretty clean for reuse. Next step is to dump my final sweep and vac material through a mesh screen into my cleaning station bin. Should add up to 3 boxes of mud recycled on a 15 box job - that's a 20% reduction in finishing materials and $60 saved.


the taping trade treats you that well does it:whistling2:


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## rhardman

Pizza and a beer sounds good right now...:thumbsup:


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## D's

yeah yeah, but if we add up all the little tricks and time savers we discuss on these forums pretty soon we're talking real money - and that's the point isn't it. 60 bucks is pizza and beer for the crew on Friday - and it takes less time to mix it up and put it on the wall than carting it off to the dump.

maybe i've just got too much sanding dust in my brain and talking crazy talk:blink:


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## 2buckcanuck

D's said:


> yeah yeah, but if we add up all the little tricks and time savers we discuss on these forums pretty soon we're talking real money - and that's the point isn't it. 60 bucks is pizza and beer for the crew on Friday - and it takes less time to mix it up and put it on the wall than carting it off to the dump.
> 
> maybe i've just got too much sanding dust in my brain and talking crazy talk:blink:


the kid that works with me had a fixation with collecting copper wire,if he spent more time putting mud on the wall he would of mad more money that way,know what i mean,plus with the gst in Canada,your better off supplying the mud for the tax rebate


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## carpentaper

i have reconstituted a teensie dust pile on my way out the door after noticing a touch up after my tools were all packed up.


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## Bazooka-Joe

yeah I clean em as good as I can flushing them as good as I can let em dry out as those rotten cruchiees occur then the night before I need to use em I drop em in a five gal pail and let em soak overnight and the next morning I am a superstar again or was that rockstar


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## alltex

rhardman said:


> Pizza and a beer sounds good right now...:thumbsup:


I,m with you screw the clean up!


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## icerock drywall

I have a 8 gallon bucket with a lock on the lid from my pool chlorine pills.I put my box tools in there when I dont feel like cleaning them on the job or going to another job the water will not spill out with the locking lid...but I will wash them at the end of the week


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## dieselman350

D's said:


> I swept up the nastiest crap I could find on the floor, mixed it up with water, and let it sit in a pan for an afternoon. It looked like chunky grey goo, but I picked any bits of paper, beads, screws I could find out of it and trowelled it onto some scrap board and let it set up overnight. Surprisingly, it set up just like regular mud. I definitely wouldn't want to do finish coat with it but for 1st coating beads it shows some promise. I think if a house is swept up after taping(to get rid of hanging residue, tapes, bead offcuts, screws), then what's left over after final sand is pretty clean for reuse. Next step is to dump my final sweep and vac material through a mesh screen into my cleaning station bin. Should add up to 3 boxes of mud recycled on a 15 box job - that's a 20% reduction in finishing materials and $60 saved.


Dude not trying to be rude what kind of hack would sweep the floor collect the dust and try to make mud out of it CRAZY


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## West

Oil all my tools before use then clean them with water when im done and oil them again. Been in this trade long enough to know better, my seals are always oiled and my tools last twice as long as when I was a noob leaving my tools in buckets.
The title of this thread should be Do you clean your tools?


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## D's

Yeah that bright idea hit a dead end Dieselman

For now! :blink:


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## DLSdrywall

D's said:


> I swept up the nastiest crap I could find on the floor, mixed it up with water, and let it sit in a pan for an afternoon. It looked like chunky grey goo, but I picked any bits of paper, beads, screws I could find out of it and trowelled it onto some scrap board and let it set up overnight. Surprisingly, it set up just like regular mud. I definitely wouldn't want to do finish coat with it but for 1st coating beads it shows some promise. I think if a house is swept up after taping(to get rid of hanging residue, tapes, bead offcuts, screws), then what's left over after final sand is pretty clean for reuse. Next step is to dump my final sweep and vac material through a mesh screen into my cleaning station bin. Should add up to 3 boxes of mud recycled on a 15 box job - that's a 20% reduction in finishing materials and $60 saved.


 
HAHAHA D i think you absorbed the 60 bucks sweeping the floor and collecting used mud so your under and the mud is chit lol. If i have a little bit of contamination i go nuts!! You can come into my houses when i'm done and collect the chit mud i throw in empty buckets...and i pay for my mud


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## taper2

I dont mind spending a little time cleaning boxes etc, always nice to start the day with clean gear


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## ARI

Guess Im a little anal about keeping my tools clean We do alot of two story houses around here I usually start on the 2nd floor work my way down when i get to the 1st floor Ill brush clean my angle head or box 
my bazooka il lstart the same way brush clean after flats then do angles then move downstairs and do the same maybe thow some wd in to keep things running smooth nothing worse than a bazook thats not running well


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## alltex

My tools are currently frozen ._t was about 10 degrees with wind when I got done last week so I said to hell with it .When my next job starts all I do is thaw and brush,no problem!_


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## chris

In winter months I will clean them in my sink. I will get as much mud of them in garage and then to the kitchen sink they go. My partners dad buillt a heated wash station at his house but if he gets a hold of my tools I usually dont see them for a while. Im keeping my eyes open for a wash sink ( used) . Letting your tools freeze in water cant be too good on tools(pumps), but is has happened


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## Zendik

I knew a guy that had a hot tub specifically for his taping tools, tube, boxes, etc...
After work he'd just toss them in the hot tub turn it on and take a shower. 
When he got out, boom. Clean tools.


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## alltex

chris said:


> In winter months I will clean them in my sink. I will get as much mud of them in garage and then to the kitchen sink they go. My partners dad buillt a heated wash station at his house but if he gets a hold of my tools I usually dont see them for a while. Im keeping my eyes open for a wash sink ( used) . Letting your tools freeze in water cant be too good on tools(pumps), but is has happened


I don,t freeze them in water ,just make sure they are empty and wrp them in a mud bag.usualy i try not to freeze the pumps


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## plugger

These didn't get cleaned...

Ran the high pressure hose on the zook too while I was at the car wash, it better make me use it better 2buck!!


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## icerock drywall

soon winter will be here:furious: time to get my work heated sink out


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## moore

icerock drywall said:


> soon winter will be here:furious: time to get my work heated sink out


Stay away from that keystone light ICE!!! That chit will kill ya!:yes::thumbsup:....I call It The rot gut coors..


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## icerock drywall

moore said:


> Stay away from that keystone light ICE!!! That chit will kill ya!:yes::thumbsup:....I call It The rot gut coors..


someone gave that to me...I like my coors :thumbsup:


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## plugger

Best way to clean my zook and pump from hot mud? 

It's gotta lotta taping to do tomorrow..

Currently in the shower, hoping the steam loosens up the mud abit, otherwise it's gonna be a looooong night picking out pieces ..


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## Pytlik

plugger said:


> Best way to clean my zook and pump from hot mud?
> 
> It's gotta lotta taping to do tomorrow..
> 
> Currently in the shower, hoping the steam loosens up the mud abit, otherwise it's gonna be a looooong night picking out pieces ..


Dont use hotmud in your zook... no idea how to get it out....


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## fr8train

Soak chip, soak chip


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## fr8train

For the record, I've run hot mud through the tools. Just make sure there it's a working hose nearby and keep an eye on your time. I also recommend a quick clean taper


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## fr8train

to clean it out, long thin flat screw driver and chip away. Once you get it going it shouldn't take to long. Also if you are running hot mud through it again, make sure to clean it as well as you can. Don't want any chunks or residue if you can help it. Will set the next batch off sooner than expected


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## fr8train

And before you run hit mud again, spray everything heavy with lube of some sort! And I mean EVERYTHING but the outside of the tube!


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## icerock drywall

fr8train said:


> For the record, I've run hot mud through the tools. Just make sure there it's a working hose nearby and keep an eye on your time. I also recommend a quick clean taper


thats why I have a work sink :whistling2:


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## plugger

Got it all out. Had 1 screw left over thou once I put it back together :/


****ed the pumped. Will be taking it apart again shortly and redoing as per instructions. 20 pumps to qtr fil the zook, was like flogging a dead horse.


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## fr8train

Need to keep the screen relatively clean or you have a chance to suck air into the pump. The tools in general aren't difficult to use, but there it's a lot of finesse that comes into play with time. Keep at it, you'll get there


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## plugger

The pump ended up spotless, just didn't think when I was putting it all back together, so pretty much a day wasted! 


But then again having these **** ups is teaching me more about how the zook is put together, which screw holds what etc.. Still miffed as to why I had one screw left over thou, spent a good 10-15 mins going over and over where it could have came from, still don't know!


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## fr8train

You'll find out when you go to use it. Lol


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## tomg

Couple reasons to clean your compound tube nozzle:


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## Capt-sheetrock

not cleaning your tools after a day of use,,,,,,,

is like,,,,,,,,

not cleaning your tool, after a night of fun,,:yes:

risky,,, at best,,


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## plugger

fr8train said:


> You'll find out when you go to use it. Lol


Not a drama today, may find out later down the track..


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## icerock drywall

tomg said:


> Couple reasons to clean your compound tube nozzle:
> 
> View attachment 8495


funny...my tip never looks like that. But if you have a BTE tube you can never clean it...and the back side gets mold in it. when you pull mud and it smells like crap you know its the old mud with mold on it. some of ya think you just suck of water and it clean but its not.
Tom I like your cp tube but I would still need to change it a little. out of all of the cp tubes yours is almost like my cp tube.


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## Bazooka-Joe

icerock drywall said:


> funny...my tip never looks like that. But if you have a BTE tube you can never clean it...and the back side gets mold in it. when you pull mud and it smells like crap you know its the old mud with mold on it. some of ya think you just suck of water and it clean but its not.
> Tom I like your cp tube but I would still need to change it a little. out of all of the cp tubes yours is almost like my cp tube.


is it over priced


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## icerock drywall

tomg said:


> Couple reasons to clean your compound tube nozzle:
> 
> View attachment 8495


I keep my tool clean:thumbsup:


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