# New Mud Pan Design



## jstone (Oct 4, 2010)

Hey Guys,

I've got an idea for a new, more ergonomic, mud pan.

The idea is to get the strain off the wrist by letting the arm support the weight, and keeping the wrist in a more neutral position.

This is a quick mock up made of foam core and styrofoam, but you get the idea.

Please take a look at the photos and let me know what you guys think
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Any potential problems?
What do you like about it?
What do you not like about it?
Could anything be done differently?

Thanks,
J.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

You have put some thought into that, well done.

Might make your arm a bit cold and rub on the high points,

Would you need to pick it up and put it down with too hands??


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## proficient Mudder (Aug 28, 2010)

I think once it's built out of a durable material and loaded with mud, it will be alot of stress and pain on your arm after extensive use. The handle will take alot of pressure from twisting while using the mud and filling it will be aggrevating. A regular mud pan is easy to keep level where I think this might be pretty tough in certain procedures.

I honestly don't think I would like it, but I don't like mesh tape either.

Bill


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## DSJOHN (Apr 5, 2010)

I cant use it ,its for lefties!!!!!


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## Mudstar (Feb 15, 2008)

Sorry to burst your bubble but the angle of the pan is limited.

Your arm would chafe on movement of your wrist 

It would take two hands to set it down 

3 strikes your out.................


JS


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## jstone (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks guys, that really helps out!


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## SaskMud (Jun 9, 2010)

maybe design it like a hawk...

handle on the bottem of the center of the pan...


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

Just noticed you have 2 threads going on this, js. A mistake, or do you have a reason?

http://www.drywalltalk.com/f9/new-mud-pan-design-1499/

SaskMud's thought of a pan along a hawk design was also rolling around in my head yesterday. Problems with that one, but it might be a direction to consider.


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## nim (Oct 30, 2010)

im a hand taper and cant see taping with this pan whatsoever. constantly flipping my pan and throwing it between my legs to apply tape. snazzy idea though for finishing only. think it would be akward scooping from it with it so far back on your arm.


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## S&SDRYWALL (Oct 21, 2008)

Whats wrong with conventional pan?


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

S&SDRYWALL said:


> Whats wrong with conventional pan?


To me, nothing really seems wrong with conventional pans - if they're all that you would want/would like from a pan.


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## dawn2010 (Dec 21, 2010)

Your new design maybe not have a market. 

I have check some designs for mud pan. I private think original design is good. It maybe have a little inconvenience to use(the finesse is tire when using for long time) But these question is showing all design. And original is conventience to carry.


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## rustysdrywall (Oct 28, 2012)

I personaly think finishers should have a personal "mud caddy" to follow us around and hold our pan for us.those golfers dont even need a caddy!Ride a golf cart you ignorant yuppies!..But seriously,that pan does get heavy.I would like to see a outside the box design for this.The hawk sux too!


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## Tucker (Feb 2, 2012)

rustysdrywall said:


> I personaly think finishers should have a personal "mud caddy" to follow us around and hold our pan for us.those golfers dont even need a caddy!Ride a golf cart you ignorant yuppies!..But seriously,that pan does get heavy.I would like to see a outside the box design for this.The hawk sux too!



The was a co. about 10 yrs ago. I remember seeing in a mag. It was basically a large spray machine with crude attachment to get mud where you need it..never got off the ground, but i remember it had a hawk attachment, and the mud would flow up the center of the hawk handle and the push of a button. Closest thing ive see to a "mud caddy"...I guess you could do this with a graco mark5.


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## Tucker (Feb 2, 2012)

That auto loading hawk would be kind of cool the more i think about it. You could pump out whatever you needed and tool off in one swipe. Would not only save a lot in weight, but also trips to bucket and tooling mud around on hawk all the time...but then you have that dang hose to deal with..chit


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

looks cool but I have always liked the Idea to drop my pan on a Ledge etc. geuss it is personal if you like it or not, like the hawk with the knives sticking out of em, toooo heavy, or the flow pipes with patent pending wrtten on em, still trying to figure how you can patent something that has been around for years before


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## Drywall_King (Dec 18, 2010)

mudd pans dont excist in australia.....


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## Whosnxt1776 (Oct 4, 2012)

Drywall_King said:


> mudd pans dont excist in australia.....



I bet someone has ordered one off the internet! I couldnt imagine using a hawk. I do more things with my pan than hold mud. Also I couldnt put a hawk between my legs if need be.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Whosnxt1776 said:


> I bet someone has ordered one off the internet! I couldnt imagine using a hawk. I do more things with my pan than hold mud. Also I couldnt put a hawk between my legs if need be.


 I can hang a hawk anywhere theres an 1/8'' gap. Can't do that with a pan.


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

moore said:


> I can hang a hawk anywhere theres an 1/8'' gap. Can't do that with a pan.


Uh oh here we go, where is 2Buck? Hawk vs. pan debate coming up lol. Lets not get into trowel vs. knife :whistling2:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

thefinisher said:


> Uh oh here we go, where is 2Buck? Hawk vs. pan debate coming up lol. Lets not get into trowel vs. knife :whistling2:


Nope

I find it more strange if someone dont use a mud pan, especially when it comes to wiping tape.....

Oh no, we could be on the same team if a argument starts:blink:


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> Nope
> 
> I find it more strange if someone dont use a mud pan, especially when it comes to wiping tape.....
> 
> Oh no, we could be on the same team if a argument starts:blink:


yeah you use your pan for holding BURRITOS, you know you had that one coming so just admit it


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

2buckcanuck said:


> Nope
> 
> I find it more strange if someone dont use a mud pan, especially when it comes to wiping tape.....
> 
> Oh no, we could be on the same team if a argument starts:blink:



Dang it, well then trowels suck! :jester: Actually I have done a few different jobs now using my trowel and I like it. I am a little slower with it but everything looks great. Didn't take me long to get the hang of it at all.


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## A smooth finish (Mar 19, 2012)

I have never used a Hawk. But also never used a trowel. In our area no one uses it. I wouldnt mind trying it but it would have to be in a area where I can make a mess


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

A smooth finish said:


> I have never used a Hawk. But also never used a trowel. In our area no one uses it. I wouldnt mind trying it but it would have to be in a area where I can make a mess


I have used a hawk a little bit and never a trowel. Nobody uses one around here either. But if you are good with a knife it won't take you very long to use a trowel with good results.


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## A smooth finish (Mar 19, 2012)

I do tile work some times to. So Im assuming the principles are the same. I need to pick one up and try it. My dad has a old hawk sitting around. I should try it some day.


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

A smooth finish said:


> I have never used a Hawk. But also never used a trowel. In our area no one uses it. I wouldnt mind trying it but it would have to be in a area where I can make a mess


Go to one of the 2bucks jobs they use 120 grit sand paper like it's going outta style so they will clean up after you


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

A smooth finish said:


> I have never used a Hawk. But also never used a trowel. In our area no one uses it. I wouldnt mind trying it but it would have to be in a area where I can make a mess


 You should see me trying to get mud out of a pan. Now that's a mess!!


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## Whosnxt1776 (Oct 4, 2012)

I just cant imagine wiping tape with a hawk. All the positions I put my pan in, if it were a hawk and had runny tapping mud on it I would make a huge mess. Also when wiping behind the bazooka I use the corner of my pan to hold onto one side of short pieces of tape while wiping the other side to prevent sliding. Im sure you could do it with a hawk but I learned with a pan and thats my style.


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

I was bought up on Hawk & trowel, now I'm hawk, trowel & knife (and auto tools). I've tried a pan but it's sort of like teaching an old dog new tricks....try wiping your bum with your left hand when you've always wiped with your right....it just doesn't feel right :blink:
It makes sense that a pan would be better for wiping tapes but I've always gotten by alright with the hawk, I cut my hawk down to 270mm, it's less cumbersome that way, and it fits between your knees (if you really have to).


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Whosnxt1776 said:


> I just cant imagine wiping tape with a hawk. All the positions I put my pan in, if it were a hawk and had runny tapping mud on it I would make a huge mess. Also when wiping behind the bazooka I use the corner of my pan to hold onto one side of short pieces of tape while wiping the other side to prevent sliding. Im sure you could do it with a hawk but I learned with a pan and thats my style.


Since your new here, have you seen this trick with the mud pan?


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> I was bought up on Hawk & trowel, now I'm hawk, trowel & knife (and auto tools). I've tried a pan but it's sort of like teaching an old dog new tricks....try wiping your bum with your left hand when you've always wiped with your right....it just doesn't feel right :blink:
> It makes sense that a pan would be better for wiping tapes but I've always gotten by alright with the hawk, I cut my hawk down to 270mm, it's less cumbersome that way, and it fits between your knees (if you really have to).


Come on you old sheep shagger, even sheep dogs learn new tricks:thumbup:

It's not really some tool you need to learn, think of it as a different vessel or container to hold your mud.

And since were both getting up there in age, I'm sure you get those days where the hawk feels 10 times more heavy than it should. I find going back and forth between the mud pan and hawk, does not ware out your holding arm as much. Just that simple turn in the wrist makes a difference in the strain put through your arm.

That's where the mud pan has a bit more of a advantage, when it comes to holding mud all day with one arm. There are more ways to take the weight off your arm when holding a mud pan. Sometimes, when my holding arm is all beat up, I will place it on the ground, and boot it along the floor as I'm spotting screws. Or setting it on a window ledge or some flat surface and so on.

Even if someone uses a mud pan all the time, I would recommend getting a hawk also. If your doing something minour like screw spotting or coating no-coat or something, because of the 2 different hand holding positions in using a hawk or mud pan. It can give a bit of relief in muscle strain.

So to you young bucks also, repetitive strain injury, will be a production killer down the road,,,,, so change her up:yes:


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> Since your new here, have you seen this trick with the mud pan?
> 
> dwt vids 007 - YouTube


atta boy 2bjr, 2buck sounds like a coach..:thumbsup:

can't live without a pan like how ya spot screws or wipe tapes


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## Square Foot (Jul 1, 2012)

Kiwiman said:


> I was bought up on Hawk & trowel, now I'm hawk, trowel & knife (and auto tools). I've tried a pan but it's sort of like teaching an old dog new tricks....try wiping your bum with your left hand when you've always wiped with your right....it just doesn't feel right :blink:
> It makes sense that a pan would be better for wiping tapes but I've always gotten by alright with the hawk, I cut my hawk down to 270mm, it's less cumbersome that way, and it fits between your knees (if you really have to).


.."try wiping your bum with your left hand when you've always wiped with your right"

That's gross....I use toilet paper.


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

Square Foot said:


> .."try wiping your bum with your left hand when you've always wiped with your right"
> 
> That's gross....I use toilet paper.


Which reminds me....How come they can put a man on the moon but they can't make a roll of toilet paper thats easy to start, they put way too much glue on the first bit :yes:.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> Which reminds me....How come they can put a man on the moon but they can't make a roll of toilet paper thats easy to start, they put way too much glue on the first bit :yes:.


I have always wondered which way you mates put the toilet paper on the roll down there. Do you have it come from over the top, or FROM DOWN UNDER


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuck said:


> I have always wondered which way you mates put the toilet paper on the roll down there. Do you have it come from over the top, or FROM DOWN UNDER


Yup, that was funny :yes:


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## Bazooka-Joe (Dec 31, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> I have always wondered which way you mates put the toilet paper on the roll down there. Do you have it come from over the top, or FROM D
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## A smooth finish (Mar 19, 2012)

2buckcanuck said:


> Since your new here, have you seen this trick with the mud pan?
> 
> dwt vids 007 - YouTube


Thats the way I do it. It makes it really clean. I have seen guys try wiping down with a 12 inch Knife and still get mud every where.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Bazooka-Joe said:


> Go to one of the 2bucks jobs they use 120 grit sand paper like it's going outta style so they will clean up after you


 Que sea de 120 grano fino el hermano Joe.:thumbup:


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## Whosnxt1776 (Oct 4, 2012)

2buckcanuck said:


> Since your new here, have you seen this trick with the mud pan?
> 
> dwt vids 007 - YouTube



I like! I catch mud with my pan but havent done that. I will def try it, but I am already right behind the bazooka anyway so if I am faster that means someone else has to be faster haha


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

moore said:


> i can hang a hawk anywhere theres an 1/8'' gap. Can't do that with a pan.


 :d:d:d


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## P.A. ROCKER (Jul 15, 2011)

Moore, there's no mud on that hawk!?! Most of those places you've shown there's plenty of room to put a pan. Can you put a loaded hawk between your legs or under your arm? Can you balance it on your head?:jester:


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## Square Foot (Jul 1, 2012)

Can you put a loaded hawk between your legs or under your arm?

It's a little squishy and wet...but yes, you can


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## Square Foot (Jul 1, 2012)

"Can you put a loaded hawk between your legs or under your arm?"

It's a little squishy and wet...but yes, you can

Can someone tell me how to delete one of these posts? Sent two by accident.


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## CatD7 (Jul 25, 2011)

jstone said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> I've got an idea for a new, more ergonomic, mud pan.
> 
> ...


 
Have a shop that works with stainless build you a prototype. Work with it a while, and see how it feels.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

You will slowly grow to like the mud pan. you old dog Moore

The only knock I will give the mud pan is cleaning it:blink:

I'm not one of those that is big on keeping the hand tools being spotless. things like hawks, trowels and certain knives I will toss into a bucket of water, 5 minutes before use. But if 2bjr has left a mud pan out over night with mud in it, I'm :furious:......it's the only hand tool I wash when I'm done with it.

Toss in a 3 or 4 inch paint brush, for cleaning the tools, along with your dunny brush. Paint brush works awesome on other tools too:thumbup:


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## CatD7 (Jul 25, 2011)

2buckcanuck said:


> You will slowly grow to like the mud pan. you old dog Moore
> 
> The only knock I will give the mud pan is cleaning it:blink:
> 
> ...


 
I keep all of my tools spotless, especially my Marshalltown and sheetrock brand stuff. Scotchbrites are my friends.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Square Foot said:


> Can someone tell me how to delete one of these posts? Sent two by accident.


All you can do is edit one of them (edit button), only the mods can delete the whole post:yes:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

CatD7 said:


> I keep all of my tools spotless, especially my Marshalltown and sheetrock brand stuff. Scotchbrites are my friends.


When you become a machine taper, you will know which tools are your real friend:whistling2::yes:


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## CatD7 (Jul 25, 2011)

2buckcanuck said:


> When you become a machine taper, you will know which tools are your real friend:whistling2::yes:


 
Maybe someday..... I do so many small remodel type jobs anymore, so I am resistant to change. If new cons. ever comes back, maybe.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

P.A. ROCKER said:


> Moore, there's no mud on that hawk!?! Most of those places you've shown there's plenty of room to put a pan. Can you put a loaded hawk between your legs or under your arm? Can you balance it on your head?:jester:


 OK ...I'll give it another go tomorrow ,,but with a hawk full of mud!
YES I can hold a hawk full of mud between my legs [ gotta bend the knees]


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## sdrdrywall (Sep 4, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> When you become a machine taper, you will know which tools are your real friend:whistling2::yes:


Couldn't care less about knives and pans.. .but my auto tools are spotless. Gotta know what tools make your money.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> You will slowly grow to like the mud pan. you old dog Moore
> 
> The only knock I will give the mud pan is cleaning it:blink:
> 
> ...


 It's been 27 years since I last used a pan...I like the damn thing!
[ thanks advance tools] I've been using it for wipe down and spotting screws ..Kinda hard at first holding it ,,but a nice change over all...I still curse trying to get the mud out of it!!


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

P.A. ROCKER said:


> Moore, there's no mud on that hawk!?! Most of those places you've shown there's plenty of room to put a pan. Can you put a loaded hawk between your legs or under your arm? Can you balance it on your head?:jester:


yep.. you right..


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

pan and hawk work for me


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## Square Foot (Jul 1, 2012)

Use both as well but mostly the hawk.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

I know you have owned your handle on your hawk since the first day you started taping moore. But if you had a hole on the bottom of your handle, you open up moore options where to set the hawk, like on top of your Mini baker for one:thumbup:


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## MikeBellDrywall (Nov 2, 2019)

I too am trying to come up with something, the base of my thumb has arthritis or something and it hurts constantly, i think it's from holding the pan of mud for 30 years. I like this but it seems kinda big and bulky, Don't get me wrong awesome invention. I was thinking something like a grip on the bottom of the pan, like it would be more like holding an ice cream cone motion. I think anything I could do to keep my hand from being in the open holding the pan position? maybe it would heal up? It kinda sucks that my right hand does all the work and i have this pain in my left hans?


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## Shelwyn (Apr 10, 2015)

A buddy I used to work with broke his wrist after falling from his stilts. He was a bit bummed out but he's a drywall contractor with employees so it wasn't too bad financially. 



We brain stormed and we ended up buying a camera harness third arm stabilizer. The kind you wear a big body vest and hold a metal arm thing and just bought whatever hardware we needed to and put a mud pan on there. It was awkward but his wrist healed great and he went back to normal afterwards.


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## Shelwyn (Apr 10, 2015)

I tried editing my comment but jeez the site has really gone down hill I don't think you can even edit posts anymore. Here's my edited post. Anyway the take away Is we used a brand called steadicam to give him a 'third arm's and it was professional camera equipment so it wasn't cheap but it worked for him until his wrist healed.


A buddy I used to work with when we were just starting out called me and told me he had broke his wrist after falling from his stilts. He was a bit bummed out but he's a drywall contractor with employees so it wasn't too bad financially. 



We brain stormed and we ended up buying a camera harness third arm stabilizer. The kind you wear a big body vest and hold a metal arm thing and just bought whatever hardware we needed to and put a mud pan on there. It was awkward but his wrist healed great and he went back to normal afterwards.


I think the brand was steadicam but it was kind of expensive since it was professional camera equipment.


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

I am on it


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## drywallisair (Jan 4, 2020)

Its unique! You never know where these ideas can lead.


Most likely needs tweaking, but I'd give it a shot!


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