# anyone using usgs new ultralight all purpose?



## jmr (Mar 22, 2010)

http://www.usg.com/images/products/...tralightweight-all-purpose-joint-compound.jpg

i had a rep give me like 10 boxes of it. i used it for taping and coating. i liked it for coating quite a bit, less pocking and it ran really smooth boxing with very little mixing. taping on the other hand, it had the same consistency as taping light, like a marshmellowy feel. i want to give it another shot just because i am sick of using the heavy green/black box (national gyp) all purpose.. doing the ring line in a 200 + sheet house starts to suck when taping with a bazooka..

what are you experiences?


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

We did a trial for another company's light-weight AP, coated and sanded nicely. Did not run through the taper very well. Every tape started out dry, even if you manually advanced some mud, would still get a dry spot. We figure that the light-weight mud compresses a bit, so when you got the taper going it would compress and then start moving.

Anyone else use light-weight in their tools? We broke out PA's mudrunner for a job the other week, to skim angles. Should of heard him cussing the mess it was making.:furious: Had mud oozing right out of the pump, because of the pressure needed to fill his mudrunner. The mudrunner is a closed system like a taper. He would fill it, stop pumping, pop the runner off, and the mud would ooze out of the pump.

On a side note, if you ask nicely, I think he'll sell his mudrunner:whistling2:


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## Whosnxt1776 (Oct 4, 2012)

We dont get paid enough to use USG or Rucco. We use Murrco M-500. It is a medium weight. It is actually made here in Paulaski TN (site of the founding of the KKK, not proud of that). But I believe it is sold all around I may be wrong. It is less pricey and once you use it you can make it look as good as any...


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

fr8train said:


> We did a trial for another company's light-weight AP, coated and sanded nicely. Did not run through the taper very well. Every tape started out dry, even if you manually advanced some mud, would still get a dry spot. We figure that the light-weight mud compresses a bit, so when you got the taper going it would compress and then start moving.
> 
> Anyone else use light-weight in their tools? We broke out PA's mudrunner for a job the other week, to skim angles. Should of heard him cussing the mess it was making.:furious:Had mud oozing right out of the pump, because of the pressure needed to fill his mudrunner. The mudrunner is a closed system like a taper. He would fill it, stop pumping, pop the runner off, and the mud would ooze out of the pump.
> 
> On a side note, if you ask nicely, I think he'll sell his mudrunner:whistling2:


Yea plus 3 does the same! Put an empty pail beside the pump 2 catch the filler that comes out:thumbup: Either that i mix the plus 3 with greentop and it stops that if the mix is right! Also if u mix Usg blue and green u get a very nice filler 2 use for boxing/corners and coating:thumbsup: Its a bit harder 2 sand with the green in it but it changes blue totally into a dif product! For the better i would say!:yes:


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

Whosnxt1776 said:


> We dont get paid enough to use USG or Rucco. We use Murrco M-500. It is a medium weight. It is actually made here in Paulaski TN (site of the founding of the KKK, not proud of that). But I believe it is sold all around I may be wrong. It is less pricey and once you use it you can make it look as good as any...


 I can get Murco M700 over here! But they have changed it from years ago! It used 2 b a lightwieght mud but not so much now!
I looked on the Murrco site and it says they can make any filler that u want into Light/Medium or heavy if u want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whats that about?


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## drywall guy158 (Dec 31, 2009)

u.s.g. ultra lite takes way to long to dry.....used some pro form lite on the last couple small jobs and its dry's very quick and seems to sand easy, my only bitch is all the dry stuff around the top of the bucket.


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

Whosnxt1776 said:


> We dont get paid enough to use USG or Rucco. We use Murrco M-500. It is a medium weight. It is actually made here in Paulaski TN (site of the founding of the KKK, not proud of that). But I believe it is sold all around I may be wrong. It is less pricey and once you use it you can make it look as good as any...


Ruco expensive where you are? That is the cheapest thing around here.... Very very good mud. It is extremelely dense and slick.


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## Whosnxt1776 (Oct 4, 2012)

thefinisher said:


> Ruco expensive where you are? That is the cheapest thing around here.... Very very good mud. It is extremelely dense and slick.


 
Ruco is the best I have ever used IMHO. But it is also a couple bucks a box more than the M-500 we use. I love the Ruco. We use it when the GC or home owner or whoever pays for the material. But the Murco finishes just fine. We never have any problems. The Ruco is just a little easier on the finisher. Less fish eyes means less whiping. And yes very slick...it has more vinyl in it is why. Also the reason I believe it cost more.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

cheap is cheap...Rucco is a roll up /gummy mix ..Mexicans love it! But then.. they will use whatevers there!
A supply I deal with started to carry rucco last year ..I won't touch it ..They keep my b/t and usg in stock [thank god] They send the rucco out to the lowballers / Mexicans.


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## Mudshark (Feb 8, 2009)

jmr said:


> http://www.usg.com/images/products/...tralightweight-all-purpose-joint-compound.jpg
> 
> i had a rep give me like 10 boxes of it. i used it for taping and coating.QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## carpentaper (Feb 28, 2009)

ultra light mud i would probably not tape with. all purpose mid and heavyweight in the states is a totally different animal than our light all purpose. i used some beadex all purpose( mid or heavy not sure) a while back and it blew our light taping muds away in terms of hardness and adhesion IMO. it was one of the worst muds i ever had to sand though. never again.


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## Whosnxt1776 (Oct 4, 2012)

carpentaper said:


> ultra light mud i would probably not tape with. all purpose mid and heavyweight in the states is a totally different animal than our light all purpose. i used some beadex all purpose( mid or heavy not sure) a while back and it blew our light taping muds away in terms of hardness and adhesion IMO. it was one of the worst muds i ever had to sand though. never again.


 
Try out some m-500, tapes, finishes and sands just fine...


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

Never seen Murco or Rucco, all I've ever seen around here is USG, Proform, and LaFarge. We use USG green lid (ames tool) to tape (unfortunately it's the gray variety), and Lafarge Rapid-Coat to finish.

Every now and then we get some non-Ames tool USG. The regular stuff isn't bad, but sometimes we get the Heavy Consistency, and that stuff EATS water!


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## kylemanley1 (Aug 30, 2012)

haha i've never heard of any of these. i use hamiltons blue dot heavy taping mud for taping ( stuff sticks so good it will rip the face paper off the board when you try to scrape a booger) hamiltons red dot ap for metal first coat (less shrinkage) hamiltons green dot topping for everything else. also have you guys ever tried putting a little soap in your mud to eliminate craters in your mud? old trick my dad taught me works great. only really need to with beadex around here though


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## Mudshark (Feb 8, 2009)

kylemanley1 said:


> also have you guys ever tried putting a little soap in your mud to eliminate craters in your mud? QUOTE]
> 
> Dont let the painter know that you do this.


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## kylemanley1 (Aug 30, 2012)

does it cause any issue with their paint?


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

kylemanley1 said:


> does it cause any issue with their paint?



No..... We have done hundreds and hundreds of houses and never once had a problem with soap in the mud :thumbsup:


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

moore said:


> cheap is cheap...Rucco is a roll up /gummy mix ..Mexicans love it! But then.. they will use whatevers there!
> A supply I deal with started to carry rucco last year ..I won't touch it ..They keep my b/t and usg in stock [thank god] They send the rucco out to the lowballers / Mexicans.


I'm really surprised you don't like it seeing as you prefer mud that is slick and dense. I have yet to find a denser mud than ruco, even the proform black top and usg green top. We use the middle weight not the all purpose. The middle weight is very heavy and the all purpose is even heavier. Ton of glue/vinyl in it.


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## jmr (Mar 22, 2010)

so second try with the stuff and i love it. i stocked 8 boxes on a house i started today. taping was a breeze it ran really well through the bazooka and coating was great as well. the weight difference is HUGE over regular all purpose. i taped the whole house out and had almost no fatigue. my problem with taping before was i mixed it to thin. this stuff takes almost no water. 

running it through boxes was great as well. coating bead and screws you can almost use out of the box, mix with no water. Pocking was a huge improvement over plus 3. monday will be the ultimate test to see how bad it shrinks. but in my opinion its worth it in the weight difference alone.

mudshark - national gyp and usg all purpose muds are OUR taping mud in this region. thing is, i would never use either of these for coating. dry WAY too fast and would be impossible to sand. plus they would shrink back way too much.

i don't see how trying new innovative products determines my professionalism. the rep unloaded 10 boxes so i could field test it because its a new product. not because its junk. its formulated to be a true all purpose mud. has a ton of glue for tape and bead. and doesn't shrink (supposedly) and sands well for coating. this is a fast prduction market we are working in. the "old way is the right way" mentality is for the old mules that take 3 weeks to finish a house. i have to have houses done in 3 days, so anything that saves me time, and saves my body from falling apart is good in my book.


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

jmr said:


> i have to have houses done in 3 days


What is the size of your average job? Our average job we would never be able to get it done in 3 days. Usually 4 minimum, 

Tape, Stick beads, and spot screws
Block everything and one side of odd angles
Skim everything and other side of odd angles
Sand and touch-up

That's two of us, to get done in 4 it needs to be no bigger than 250ish sheets, and not cut up.


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## sdrdrywall (Sep 4, 2010)

Im with you fr8t were usually 4days on 300 -350but we have to tape bead and coat first day usually pretty long first day after that not too bad.but we usually have a third guy


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Mudshark said:


> kylemanley1 said:
> 
> 
> > also have you guys ever tried putting a little soap in your mud to eliminate craters in your mud? QUOTE]
> ...


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## sdrdrywall (Sep 4, 2010)

We've been putting a little dish soap in our mud forever.never had a problem the only time I've seen guys have issues is they go overboard wth the soap


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## jmr (Mar 22, 2010)

fr8train said:


> What is the size of your average job? Our average job we would never be able to get it done in 3 days. Usually 4 minimum,
> 
> Tape, Stick beads, and spot screws
> Block everything and one side of odd angles
> ...


yeah nothing over 300 sheets. typically between 190 to 250, under a case of bead. pretty easy cookie cutter houses. i can do 200 sheeters by myself in 3 days no problem. as long as there is good heat on the jobsite.


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## smisner50s (Jan 6, 2011)

Useing ultralight this morning
And it working good no water jusy wipe it up


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## smisner50s (Jan 6, 2011)

Just whip it up


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## jmr (Mar 22, 2010)

nice! yeah overall i really liked it.. i will continue using it for tape coat. coating it is great but its .50 more then plus 3. so i think for coating i'll continue to use plus 3. i sound cheap but $.50 will turn out to be alot of dough over a year.


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## Toolnut (Aug 17, 2012)

Used the ultra (puke green lid) this week. Had a wallpaper removal then skimmed with the ultra. Really worked great for skim have not used it for tape yet.


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## spacklinfool (Sep 23, 2011)

it is fairly new to long island, I got a few buckets, and liked the weight alot..or lack of...I then mixed it with the plus 3 and the polish came out great....the combo seems to mix nicely..the 12 ran great with the mix, and the sanding was minimal...this is when I am not using VARIO


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