# Nail spooter



## tricounty dwall (Apr 29, 2010)

Is the nail spotter worth getting? And if so how thin do u mix the mud and does someone have to wipe behind it?


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## A+ Texture LLC (Jan 10, 2009)

Yes it is. No you shouldn't have to wipe behind it. However I still keep a 6 in my hand just in case. And I've seen guys run it real sloppy where it should have been. The 2" is a little harder to control in my opinion, although it might be better with thicker mud. The 3" runs great for me.


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## tricounty dwall (Apr 29, 2010)

ok ty.. what brand and model do u recomend? i saw columbia's has wheels as to where northstar has a lip which seemes like it would drag or tear the paper...


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## A+ Texture LLC (Jan 10, 2009)

I have Columbia. The lip you refer to will help you from nicking your blades if a fastener isn't set right. Honestly any brand is ok, I'd stay away from Goldblatt (finish pro), but for the most part they are all good. Go to all-wall and get what they have on sale. I over complicated my first purchase, but you will be happy with whatever..


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## Saul_Surfaces (Jan 8, 2010)

Sounds like you have a plan, but just in case I'll add my name to list of people that love their nail spotters. Mine are Columbia's too. They're 2007 models, equipped with a skid plate rather than any sort of wheels.

I don't have much luck with mine filling screws on the first coat--too many misses and miss-set screws to deal with following HO boarding, but they're great for second and third coat!! Great time savings on ceilings especially. And they're pretty easy to catch onto. My helper caught on by his third row of screws.


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Saul_Surfaces said:


> Sounds like you have a plan, but just in case I'll add my name to list of people that love their nail spotters. Mine are Columbia's too. They're 2007 models, equipped with a skid plate rather than any sort of wheels.
> 
> I don't have much luck with mine filling screws on the first coat--too many misses and miss-set screws to deal with following HO boarding, but they're great for second and third coat!! Great time savings on ceilings especially. And they're pretty easy to catch onto. My helper caught on by his third row of screws.


I REALLY agree with this post. I always hand spot my 1rst coat, so's I can get all the hang screws, misses, and furbies dealt with. Then I hit em with a 2 and then a 3.

If I had it to do again, I would not have bought the 2, but would have just bought the 3. You can run em once with a 3, then again, just move over a bit. That way you get a nice spread, and only have to have one spotter. 

LOL, anyone want to buy a 2 ????


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## Bill from Indy (Apr 26, 2010)

Capt-sheetrock said:


> I REALLY agree with this post. I always hand spot my 1rst coat, so's I can get all the hang screws, misses, and furbies dealt with. Then I hit em with a 2 and then a 3.
> 
> If I had it to do again, I would not have bought the 2, but would have just bought the 3. You can run em once with a 3, then again, just move over a bit. That way you get a nice spread, and only have to have one spotter.
> 
> LOL, anyone want to buy a 2 ????


good reply capt..first coat will take you awhile if you fix everything as you go..but, for me, I do it this way and I can coat them 2x with a spotter..first run i run a little left of center then 2nd I run a little right..you have to play with your mud thicknesses to get it consistent to be able to only coat 2x...the trick is to get everything fixed before the 1st run..i carry a screwdriver in my pocket and have what I call the ******* tool that I made...I took a closet rod about 5ft long and whittled the end to fit a ball peen hammerhead...when i'm doing standups and can't reach the top screws to fix off floor, i pull red out

capt, as you know i got the ol concorde spotter that has the swappable heads...i have the 2 and i cupped it slightly and only use it for ceilings that get texture....one swipe and they are done

you could always do your screws like a guy on another forum...make them pretty stars one at a time then sand...have your rock look like a rabbits ass......lol


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Bill from Indy said:


> good reply capt..first coat will take you awhile if you fix everything as you go..but, for me, I do it this way and I can coat them 2x with a spotter..first run i run a little left of center then 2nd I run a little right..you have to play with your mud thicknesses to get it consistent to be able to only coat 2x...the trick is to get everything fixed before the 1st run..i carry a screwdriver in my pocket and have what I call the ******* tool that I made...I took a closet rod about 5ft long and whittled the end to fit a ball peen hammerhead...when i'm doing standups and can't reach the top screws to fix off floor, i pull red out
> 
> capt, as you know i got the ol concorde spotter that has the swappable heads...i have the 2 and i cupped it slightly and only use it for ceilings that get texture....one swipe and they are done
> 
> you could always do your screws like a guy on another forum...make them pretty stars one at a time then sand...have your rock look like a rabbits ass......lol


Great idea Bill, I think I just found a new use for my 2" I do several stomp ceilings a year and some knock-downs. I will try cupping out the 2 and give her a whirl. Amazing how sometimes a simple idea can make life easier,,,


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## D's (Jan 15, 2009)

I've got a 3" Columbia and think it's great. All screws are 1st coated by hand then 2nd coated with the nail spotter. I run the spotter before first coating the joints so entire rows of ceiling screws can be hit in one pass, then quickly tidy up any flags and excess mud before moving on to the next room. For best control and results, I use unthinned mud right out of the box. One more polish coat with an 8" knife after a rough sand and it's good.

D'S


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## Bill from Indy (Apr 26, 2010)

if hangers use nails on wood, you can go through the flats and fill in the dimples from the hammer too...another thing it works great for is stripping the edge on inside angles ran with strait flex


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## Mudstar (Feb 15, 2008)

good for coating no-coat


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Well I guess we know how Mudstar feels about it !!


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## Whitey97 (Jan 27, 2009)

I use a premiere 3" for 2nd and 3rd coat, also on my off set corners as well.


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## Whitey97 (Jan 27, 2009)

by the way, did I mention I love my spooter?


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Capt-sheetrock said:


> Well I guess we know how Mudstar feels about it !!


And I'd like to add, I feel the same way !!!!


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## MeatBallDryWall (Jan 9, 2010)

> LOL, anyone want to buy a 2 ????


If your serious Capt, how much shipped to 38401?  I'm sick of hand spotting! It makes me look like this -----> :blink:


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## mudslingercor (Jul 2, 2009)

Sounds like the question has been answered so I'm going to highjack this thread. For the people using spotters do you run them from one end of the room to the other across the flats. or just 3 screw the lift to next row?


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## Bill from Indy (Apr 26, 2010)

mudslingercor said:


> Sounds like the question has been answered so I'm going to highjack this thread. For the people using spotters do you run them from one end of the room to the other across the flats. or just 3 screw the lift to next row?


yes I do...walls too top to bottom


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## betterdrywall (May 4, 2010)

I never run through the joints, just not taught that way, I know alot of guys that do, but for me it is just as easy to lift off and skipp the joint and hit the next run.


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## Bill from Indy (Apr 26, 2010)

betterdrywall said:


> I never run through the joints, just not taught that way, I know alot of guys that do, but for me it is just as easy to lift off and skipp the joint and hit the next run.


better,
try it out...you would be surprised how much easier it is..especially when sanding time comes..I stroke all the screws top to bottom then go back and hit the flat..as long as your blade is flat, you won't have any "tracks" in the flats..you know..like when you were a kid and rode your bike down the middle of the railroad tracks and shook yourself to death from the pilings...I had a guy use my 2 one time and he didn't know it was cupped and my flats felt like tat when I boxed the skimcoat...on the bright side, if you sand the screws first, it takes that out though

the biggest advantage is for the hangers that still nail the perimeter..it will fill the nails in the flats a lot better


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Bill from Indy said:


> better,
> try it out...you would be surprised how much easier it is..especially when sanding time comes..I stroke all the screws top to bottom then go back and hit the flat..as long as your blade is flat, you won't have any "tracks" in the flats..you know..like when you were a kid and rode your bike down the middle of the railroad tracks and shook yourself to death from the pilings...I had a guy use my 2 one time and he didn't know it was cupped and my flats felt like tat when I boxed the skimcoat...on the bright side, if you sand the screws first, it takes that out though
> 
> the biggest advantage is for the hangers that still nail the perimeter..it will fill the nails in the flats a lot better


Bill, I agree, HOWEVER, in the land I live in,,, (OZ) people expect to SEE a certain thing, they don't care ifin its right or ifin its wrong. I know, THATS DUMB, but they wright the checks. THERFORE, we don't run em from the top to the bottom (wish we could) but if we did, they would flip the sh&t out, ya know????.

Its like this,,, I asked my Girlfriend if she loved me,, and she said" you want the truth?",,, so of course I told her,,, naw baby, LIE TO ME


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## Mudstar (Feb 15, 2008)

Sounds like a lot of sanding no matter how you do it with a spotter. 

Extra mud on the wall is extra sanding I thought. 

Happy sanding


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Mudstar said:


> Sounds like a lot of sanding no matter how you do it with a spotter.
> 
> Extra mud on the wall is extra sanding I thought.
> 
> Happy sanding


Well I use a porta-cable sander, so there is no such thing as "too much sanding". However, my nail spooter (as the op put it) leaves no more mud than a hand finisher does.

So YES, I do have happy sanding days :thumbsup:


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## Mudstar (Feb 15, 2008)

so all the mud between the screws is just sanded off then?


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## Bill from Indy (Apr 26, 2010)

Capt-sheetrock said:


> Bill, I agree, HOWEVER, in the land I live in,,, (OZ) people expect to SEE a certain thing, they don't care ifin its right or ifin its wrong. I know, THATS DUMB, but they wright the checks. THERFORE, we don't run em from the top to the bottom (wish we could) but if we did, they would flip the sh&t out, ya know????.
> 
> Its like this,,, I asked my Girlfriend if she loved me,, and she said" you want the truth?",,, so of course I told her,,, naw baby, LIE TO ME


I understand totally capt..I have some that go both ways...not literally, i mean some prefer it and some don't...they don't complain in the end result and that is what matters to me...if it boils down to having to be done "there" way, i will or would..i just tell them that if they have an issue with the final product, I will happily make it right...

walls I can understand both ways..but ceilings 90% of the time get textured here and it makes absolutely no sense to stop and start...but i can't knock those that do it there way...just "what works for me" scenario

to the one that commented on there being more to sand, actually it is easier and does less damage to the board...as in scuffing (fuzzing) the paper


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## tricounty dwall (Apr 29, 2010)

ty guys for all ur input and help. i ordered my nail spooter today. and got free bead boxers to try so it was a good deal


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## mudslingercor (Jul 2, 2009)

I might just jump one the wagon too. I can run a 3" twice after hand spotting first coat. With no presand between? If that will work I'll have to give it a try. 15 years of hand spotting 3 coats painted ceilings, time to try something new


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## pipercub17 (Feb 26, 2010)

funny how a nail spotter is one of the first auto tools that ever came out 
and alot of guys are just learning about them now 
i think my spotter one of the best tools i own :thumbsup:


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Its a funny thing, how people are always comparing hand work to tools. A tool will ALWAYS give a better and more consistant job than a human hand will. Hand finishers are always trying to point to a "problem" of tools,,, as if hand finishers never have "issues" with their jobs.

Next time you find yourself wondering about tools,,, ask yourself,,, SELF, do I drive a truck or do I use a horse and buggy to haul my mud to a job??? :thumbsup:


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## tricounty dwall (Apr 29, 2010)

Capt-sheetrock said:


> Its a funny thing, how people are always comparing hand work to tools. A tool will ALWAYS give a better and more consistant job than a human hand will. Hand finishers are always trying to point to a "problem" of tools,,, as if hand finishers never have "issues" with their jobs.
> 
> Next time you find yourself wondering about tools,,, ask yourself,,, SELF, do I drive a truck or do I use a horse and buggy to haul my mud to a job??? :thumbsup:


 
i agree. i have been hand finishing for 15 years and saw the light. i have tendanitis in my hand. and tools do a great job. :thumbup:. i use to knock them till i tried them. tools to a taper are like a computer to a secretary.


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

Mudstar said:


> so all the mud between the screws is just sanded off then?


Mudstar, ask yourself,,, "Do I leave a bunch of mud to be sanded off when I hand finish?" 

Then ask yourself, "You reckon these guys that use nail spotters, leave a bunch of mud that they have to sand off,,, just cause they like to sand????"


Kinda like self-expalnatory,,, ya reckon???


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