# How the Eff do you tape the back angles of your closets?



## Checkers (Jun 25, 2010)

I learned from a guy who could tape the top, back angle of every closet off the floor with his bazooka and he is only about 5'8". I've been trying and trying and just cannot get the hang of it.
He could tape the back of anything 24" deep and down to about 30" wide.

What's your method?


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

I get the hopper and the internal beads out or the small can am tube with a mud head and put tape on by hand, then roll and glaze as normal, both work well for me.


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## Muddauber (Jan 26, 2008)

Checkers said:


> I learned from a guy who could tape the top, back angle of every closet off the floor with his bazooka and he is only about 5'8". I've been trying and trying and just cannot get the hang of it.
> He could tape the back of anything 24" deep and down to about 30" wide.
> 
> What's your method?



OK Checkers. Wait, I need a coffee refill.

Ready now. 

If you're taping left to right as I do, advance your tape. be sure to leave a few extra inch's of tape because you will pull it out of the corner.

Now start your tape flat on the ceiling. After you have about a foot of tape on, turn the gun counter clockwise so that the creaser wheel is square in the corner. continue taping to the right corner.

When you get close to the corner, stop & check the length of tape at the left corner. If it's to long, grab the tape with your right hand & slide the tape to proper length & cut. If it's to short, cut the tape extra long on right side.

Now advance the creaser wheel & use it to push the edge of the tape that's flat on the ceiling down into the corner.

Now, if the tape is short at the left corner, advance the creaser wheel & hold it vertically in the in the angle near the left corner so that the wheel is touching the ceiling & the wall side. Apply some pressure & drag the tape into place.

It will take some practice, but after awhile you should be taping small closets without touching the tape by hand.:thumbsup:


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## silverstilts (Oct 15, 2008)

I am shorter than 6'8" I always start on the ceiling as stated in the last post until I can rotate the tube to allow the creaser wheel to where it should be. It can be a little frustrating at first but with practice it will come natural.


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## silverstilts (Oct 15, 2008)

Of course we could just say who sees the back of the closet anyway and just leave it with no tape ?  I am sure we are all guilty of this at one time or another.


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## Saul_Surfaces (Jan 8, 2010)

thanks guys. I'd been applying those tapes by hand after advancing mudded tape out of the bazooka using the key. It sucked. this sounds so much better.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

heres one other way if your lazy like me,I run left to right by the way,say your closet is 6 feet long,I start from the middle,so the first tape I run my bazooka backwards if you know what I mean,you start from the middle (center) and with bazooka flipped (backwards) run it to the right then cut,then start from the center again holding the bazooka the normal way ,and from the center run it to the left,yes its 2 tapes but it works.
if all else fails run tape on ceiling like a flat tape then set it in place by hand (yes requires bench)
when you do the side sheets in closet(2x8 sheet) and you start doing those with ease your ready for backs of closets,hard to explain but when you cut your tape you got to spin that bazooka really quick to get the finger(wheel) working for you.when you master closets you master the bazooka.
this hard to explain but when your running a long angle tape,let tape 2 - 3 inches hang past wheel,stick it in angle,move till you can fully engage finger,lift /pull bazooka 1/4 off wall and use that finger to tuck/hold tape to right side wall,pretend it's a human finger thats sticking that tape in corner,push bazooka against wall then run tape,your pulling the bazooka down just a bit 1/4 to 1/2 inch so you dont wreck your brake,if confused i will try to explain a little bit better again


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## Saul_Surfaces (Jan 8, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> heres one other way if your lazy like me,I run left to right by the way,say your closet is 6 feet long,I start from the middle,so the first tape I run my bazooka backwards if you know what I mean,you start from the middle (center) and with bazooka flipped (backwards) run it to the right then cut,then start from the center again holding the bazooka the normal way ,and from the center run it to the left,yes its 2 tapes but it works.
> if all else fails run tape on ceiling like a flat tape then set it in place by hand (yes requires bench)
> when you do the side sheets in closet(2x8 sheet) and you start doing those with ease your ready for backs of closets,hard to explain but when you cut your tape you got to spin that bazooka really quick to get the finger(wheel) working for you.when you master closets you master the bazooka.
> this hard to explain but when your running a long angle tape,let tape 2 - 3 inches hang past wheel,stick it in angle,move till you can fully engage finger,lift /pull bazooka 1/4 off wall and use that finger to tuck/hold tape to right side wall,pretend it's a human finger thats sticking that tape in corner,push bazooka against wall then run tape,your pulling the bazooka down just a bit 1/4 to 1/2 inch so you dont wreck your brake,if confused i will try to explain a little bit better again


In the last couple sentences, are you meaning how the bazooka is on a bit of an angle so only one wheel is running against the rock while taping angles? Or am I missing the point?


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

i guess if I were to over accent,when you learn to run real long tapes,20,30,40,feet the same principals apply to backs of closets.so hard to explain typing,you would need a slow mo camera on bazooka cause there is these quick little actions you dont see,I will try in steps ,this for LONG tapes,not 6,8,10 foot
-let tape over hang wheel 2 -3 " ,make sure there's mud on it
-stick in corner with pressure on both wheels
-advance bazooka till you can in gauge finger/wheel
-stop
-pull bazooka down 1/2" (to over accent 3- 4 ")
-move bazooka back wards with finger still extended 
-use finger/wheel to push over hanging tape into corner (right wall[I'm a left to right runner so])
-push/in gauge both wheels into angle again
-run your tape .....GO!!!!!
all these movements done in a split second,maybe 2 seconds tops,a ten foot tape your skipping the moving backward step,your just sticking the tape in corner and getting that finger out fast,
and to over stress your pulling bazooka from wall 1/8....1/4 " so you dont wear out your brake,wheel not meant to go backwards,again just for super long tapes,but this long tape method works on backs of closets,bottom line that finger/wheel is like your **** ,damn important to learn how to use it
and since were on angle tapes,dont let tape over hang past wheel on runs under 5 or 6 feet or so


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## Saul_Surfaces (Jan 8, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> i guess if I were to over accent,when you learn to run real long tapes,20,30,40,feet the same principals apply to backs of closets.so hard to explain typing,you would need a slow mo camera on bazooka cause there is these quick little actions you dont see,I will try in steps ,this for LONG tapes,not 6,8,10 foot
> -let tape over hang wheel 2 -3 " ,make sure there's mud on it
> -stick in corner with pressure on both wheels
> -advance bazooka till you can in gauge finger/wheel
> ...


Thanks 2buck. I haven't tried the whole backwards thing. I prime my tape extra before running to fight the little dry spot 4 inches into my corners (and a few I still have to tuck a little extra mud under if the don't look right rolled), and admittedly go back to cut the odd tape that ends up a bit too long from too much overhang at start. Moving the bazooka back a bit likely helps get extra mud on the wall in that 4 inch spot in addition to helping set the paper in the corner. Looking forward to trying it on my next normal project (I'm using a banjo on patch work in moved homes for the next couple weeks)


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## Checkers (Jun 25, 2010)

Muddauber! You managed to jog my memory enough to realize Ive seen him do it that way a million times! Thanks a lot bro!


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## McDusty (Oct 12, 2009)

i use a 'super-taper' so there are no problems with tight or small joints no matter what.


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## Muddauber (Jan 26, 2008)

McDusty said:


> i use a 'super-taper' so there are no problems with tight or small joints no matter what.



I dropped a 'SUPER TAPER' this morning!:thumbup:


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Saul_Surfaces said:


> Thanks 2buck. I haven't tried the whole backwards thing. I prime my tape extra before running to fight the little dry spot 4 inches into my corners (and a few I still have to tuck a little extra mud under if the don't look right rolled), and admittedly go back to cut the odd tape that ends up a bit too long from too much overhang at start. Moving the bazooka back a bit likely helps get extra mud on the wall in that 4 inch spot in addition to helping set the paper in the corner. Looking forward to trying it on my next normal project (I'm using a banjo on patch work in moved homes for the next couple weeks)


That little dry spot 4" in is caused by operator error. Somewhere, you are advancing the tape without the wheels rolling, just like a butt joint. When we are learning the bazooka we leave a blister at 4" in a butt joint, it comes from learning how get the tape moving ALONG with the wheels. 

The best thing to do here, is really pay attention to what is happening, knowing that YOU are causing that dry spot. It really isn't rocket surgery.

what I do in them closets is to place the head on the ceiling,flat, roll out a few inches of tape, then pull it back, advance the creaser wheel on the tape hanging off the tube, stick it into the corner, then run the angle.

BUt if you take anything away from this post,, let it be that YOU are creating that dry spot, so figure out where and how you are running tape forward without mud.


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

McDusty said:


> i use a 'super-taper' so there are no problems with tight or small joints no matter what.


Dusty, I think this is a post about real tools,,,,,:whistling2:


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## Scott_w (Jun 16, 2010)

Capt-sheetrock said:


> Dusty, I think this is a post about real tools,,,,,:whistling2:


I tell you...I was ready to through my taper out the window and go back to the super taper today!

scott


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Scott_w said:


> I tell you...I was ready to through my taper out the window and go back to the super taper today!
> 
> scott


I feel your pain, especially since you are trying to learn it on your own. At first you will feel like giving up and going back to what you know. However, you had to LEARN the super-taper also. Hang in there, don't give up. it will pay off BIG TIME


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