# Finishing help



## Shane (Mar 20, 2014)

Hi I'm new to the commercial drywall business. I've been a General carpenter for about ten years and have hung and finished a lot of drywall
by hand. I have decided to drop the other trades and focus solely on 
drywall. I purchased a complete set of drywall master tools and they are great! I'm learning how to use them and have got the hang of the flatboxes, but need a little help on the angle head. Would love to hear some tips and tricks from the pros on but not limited to the angle head. Any suggestions welcome.


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## PrecisionTaping (Feb 2, 2012)

Mix your mud thin!!! Tip #1
What else you need to know?


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## icerock drywall (Nov 13, 2010)

http://www.drywalltalk.com/search?keyword=angle+head&commit=


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## A smooth finish (Mar 19, 2012)

Thin Mud


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

Something I just posted on another thread about angle heads. What I said about FibaFuse (which Isn't the same as FibaTape) could apply to paper tape:

http://www.drywalltalk.com/f7/fiba-fuse-corners-4930/#post97510


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## Shane (Mar 20, 2014)

thanks for the help guys!


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

Like everyone says, thin mud. Pack some mud in the angle head and around roller wheels before you start. I usually prefill any angle gaps with thick Smoothset before taping. Do a good job setting the screws in the angles during the hanging process. Often you have to set them a little deeper than the field screws. Too many screw heads sticking out will ruin your day. Don't roll out to much at first. Glaze over fairly fresh mud. Don't let the rolled mud start to dry. Set the tape squarely in the angles.


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## A smooth finish (Mar 19, 2012)

I just got a new drywall master head. It was slightly used. 

It leave a heavy edge how do I go about fixing it.

Thanks


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

A smooth finish said:


> I just got a new drywall master head. It was slightly used.
> 
> It leave a heavy edge how do I go about fixing it.
> 
> Thanks


 The first thing would be to check that there is no dry mud caked in the moving parts. And that it is oiled and moves freely to conform to small irregularities in the wall. If you are glazing angles against a factory edge, that can cause problems. If this doesn't work, seems like it needs adjustment of the blades. One thing would be to send it out for professional adjustment. I tend to fix them myself. You need to inspect that the hex set screws are in good condition first of all and are usable. Then check for excessive wear on the wiping blades where they contact the drywall. Replace them if necessary. Then you will need a feeler gauge and proper hex wrench. Also something flat like a sheet of glass to check the finished crown. And a flat screwdriver if you need to clean dry mud from the blade grooves.


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

endo_alley said:


> The first thing would be to check that there is no dry mud caked in the moving parts. And that it is oiled and moves freely to conform to small irregularities in the wall. If you are glazing angles against a factory edge, that can cause problems. If this doesn't work, seems like it needs adjustment of the blades. One thing would be to send it out for professional adjustment. I tend to fix them myself. You need to inspect that the hex set screws are in good condition first of all and are usable. Then check for excessive wear on the wiping blades where they contact the drywall. Replace them if necessary. Then you will need a feeler gauge and proper hex wrench. Also something flat like a sheet of glass to check the finished crown. And a flat screwdriver if you need to clean dry mud from the blade grooves.


Heavy edge is fine if u run big 2 small head? Then no scratching ur first coat!:thumbsup:


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## endo_alley (Nov 2, 2013)

A smooth finish said:


> I just got a new drywall master head. It was slightly used.
> 
> It leave a heavy edge how do I go about fixing it.
> 
> Thanks


 Here is how I adjust. Loosen set screws. Clean everything up. Slide blades back in. Make sure that the blade adjuster screws are retracted and not pushing the blades out. Probably the hardest part is getting the wiper blades in contact with each other at the tip of the angle and set ever so much higher than the stainless steel retainer. Using a feeler gauge raise the blades just a few thousandths proud of the retainer if needed. Not much or you will tend to tear the tape. But the points must be in contact with each other. The rest of the blade should be seated in the blade seats. Lightly tighten all set screws except the outside set screws. Next thing is to put a little crown in the wiper blades. This is done by using the adjustment screws on the outside edge of the head. How much crown is a personal preference. Carefully screw adjuster screws in till they push on the outside of the wiper blade. Crown should not be much in my opinion. Just a few thousandths. When crown is good, tighten outside set screws. On a smaller head like a 2" or 2.5" used for wiping tape, but not running angles, you may not need much or any crown. Last is to adjust the side shoes. They should be out almost to the edge of the wiper blade. I've been told to leave them shy about a cigarette paper thickness (maybe a few thousandths also) from the top of the wiper blade. Set the head on something flat to check that all looks square and make further adjustments if necessary. Check the head out with some angle tape to make sure it is working before bringing it on the job and assuming it works.


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## drywallninja (Apr 28, 2013)

A smooth finish said:


> I just got a new drywall master head. It was slightly used.
> 
> It leave a heavy edge how do I go about fixing it.
> 
> Thanks


Check out the video that Aaron, from Columbia tools put together. It's on YouTube. Search, angle head replacement Columbia tools. Pretty much covers all you need to know. A little tip that that helped me adjust my angle head was to use a quik grip clamp from Irwin tools. I took it and had the clamp squeeze the angle head while adjusting my top blades. In the video he just uses his hand. Good luck!


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

Drywall Master heads always need to be set up when they are new,,, in my experience. Keep on tweaking it till you like it.


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