# bazooka



## cdwoodcox (Jan 3, 2011)

Well guys I finally broke down and bought a bazooka today. I was in the supply house and they had a rebuilt tape-tech . Man was I ever frustrated takes some getting used too. The only real issue I have is after cutting tape the tape will not progress, some times the needle that feeds tape tears tape other times it just glides over tape and does nothing . For some reason one side of the tape gets jammed up and I have to pull tape out tear off cleanly then tape feeds through no problem. could this be operator error or bad blade. Also how wet do you mix your taping mud compared too a banjo say. I'm taping with usg all purpose. I know all you bazooka guys have already dealt with all these issues so any advice or tips will be greatly appreciated. :thumbsup:


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

Mud I use in bazooka is thinner than banjo mud. Something from Columbia's online operating manual:

_As a quick reference, after mixing compound, run your finger through the mud. For taping, the compound is thin enough to not leave an open “trough”._

and

_When you are first using the taper, it is OK to experiment a bit with the mud to find the mix that works best for you. A few ounces more or less water can make a great difference in the ease of operation._

One place to access the whole online Columbia manual, which has a # of pages on operating a taper, is by clicking on the area that says 'See users manual' on this AllWall page: http://www.all-wall.com/Categories/Automatic-Tapers/Columbia-Tools-Automatic-Taper


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## fr8train (Jan 20, 2008)

CD,

When you cut the tape, make sure that you are stopped completely!
Stop
Cut the tape
Advance the head.

If you don't stop completely, the blade can tear through the last little bit of tape and cause some problems. 

The self-feed mechanism can be adjusted in several ways. You can adjust the needle, or you can adjust the plate that kicks the needle towards the tape.

If I need to I'll try to get some pics of what I am talking about later.

Mike


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## D's (Jan 15, 2009)

You should make sure there is a new blade in there with no nicks and that it's cutting cleanly through the tape. You can also check for obstructions by running a thin hacksaw blade through the track the tape runs through.


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## saskataper (Mar 6, 2011)

Try using fibafuse it runs really nice in a bazooka
I'm a newbie to taping but i was trained on fibafuse and i tried to run paper the other day in the angles because i thought it would work better with my new angle head and that lasted all of one room. 
With paper you have to account for tape drag in the angles and leave about three inches extra at the start, fibafuse you only need maybe an inch plus you can see exactly where you have dry tapes.
You just have to be a little gentler when wiping and running flushers because it will tear easier and don't let it sit to long before you wipe\roll.
The other upside to fibafuse is that it dries way faster.


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## cdwoodcox (Jan 3, 2011)

fr8train said:


> CD,
> 
> When you cut the tape, make sure that you are stopped completely!
> Stop
> ...


Thanks Mike
That sounds like my problem I was trying to cut while still moving. I will thin mud down a little bit and be sure too stop while cutting. :gunsmilie:

Just me
alot of very good info on website thanks for the post. :thumbup1:

I was on the verge of breaking the banjo out today I was taught with banjo and only worked for one drywaller before going out on my own so I have only seen a bazooka run on video. little more to it than I thought although once I get the hang of it I'm sure it will make taping go alot faster and alot easier that is the main thing. I am not getting any younger.::yes:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

If you find it's jamming a lot on one side, it could be b/c your cutting chain is not returning to it's proper resting place. Which in laymen terms means, the tape is rubbing up against the cutting blade. Do what fr8train said too, very important for newbies to come to full stop. make sure you have one of those diamond cutting blades in it too, their more forgiving when cutting.
to know if the tape is catching on the cutting blade, if it don't seem to want to advance forward, like there's something stopping the tape moving forward on the inside, just give the cutting chain a quick tug (think spring side) If the tape then advances............well ......then ill let the boys from Columbia explain that fix.

keep your banjo on stand buy, you will get frustrated, but once you master the godzukie, you will never look back:thumbsup:


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## cdwoodcox (Jan 3, 2011)

I made it through the house with bazooka kind of an awkward tool too self learn. The columbia tool user manual saved my ass. My employee can actually run it better than me but his grandfathers drywall company ran them for years so he atleast had a vague idea how it was supposed to work. He just kept saying pappy never took this long or pappy never had this problem. Maybe I will like it better when I get to a normal house the house I just taped is all 10' ceilings. Trying too run it off stilts short or not kind of sucked 8' ceilings has too be easier. 
Just out of curiosity how many people are self taught or learned from someone else.


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## smisner50s (Jan 6, 2011)

:thumbup:


cdwoodcox said:


> I made it through the house with bazooka kind of an awkward tool too self learn. The columbia tool user manual saved my ass. My employee can actually run it better than me but his grandfathers drywall company ran them for years so he atleast had a vague idea how it was supposed to work. He just kept saying pappy never took this long or pappy never had this problem. Maybe I will like it better when I get to a normal house the house I just taped is all 10' ceilings. Trying too run it off stilts short or not kind of sucked 8' ceilings has too be easier.
> Just out of curiosity how many people are self taught or learned from someone else.


 IM SELF TAUGHT ...WHEN I BAUGHT MY TAPER I HATED IT ICOULD NOT RUN IT NO ONE TO SHOW ME ..TAPE FALLING OFF ON.. LIDS OUT OF CORNERS SUCKED ...UNTILL I SLOWED DOWN AND LEARNED THE FUNDAMENTALS..NOW IT SWEEEEEET TAPING...TOOK A FEW JOBES ..HANG INTHERE...HELL LAST WEEK 10000 LINEL FEET OF TAPE PUT ON 1 HELPER..WATCH ALL KINDS OF UTUBE VIDEOS AND WATCH HOW THE GOOD ONE DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAINE REPTION IS THE KEY


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## raven (Feb 17, 2011)

500 foot rolls is all I use 250 run out too fast.


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## sdrdrywall (Sep 4, 2010)

smisner50s said:


> :thumbup:
> IM SELF TAUGHT ...WHEN I BAUGHT MY TAPER I HATED IT ICOULD NOT RUN IT NO ONE TO SHOW ME ..TAPE FALLING OFF ON.. LIDS OUT OF CORNERS SUCKED ...UNTILL I SLOWED DOWN AND LEARNED THE FUNDAMENTALS..NOW IT SWEEEEEET TAPING...TOOK A FEW JOBES ..HANG INTHERE...HELL LAST WEEK 10000 LINEL FEET OF TAPE PUT ON 1 HELPER..WATCH ALL KINDS OF UTUBE VIDEOS AND WATCH HOW THE GOOD ONE DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAINE REPTION IS THE KEY


I agree just gotta stick with it first day coulda threw that tube out the window but now I love it and would never tape without it:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

I wiped behind a lot of tapers, but it was a golden rule with them not to teach you how to run one. The 1st one I bought was a used concord for $400, off another taper on a large commercial job I was on.He would come by and give me pointers here and there. But I could not believe how much I sucked, even after seeing them in action so much. I would have empty mud boxes full of tape that fell on the floor.I didn't know it at the time, but that tube was a piece of crap. each payday I would revamp a new part on it. I called it a contec when I was done with it. It was a concord tube with tape tec parts.

What made me get good one day, was a large group of people (about 10) came into a house I was working on. They were like "oh a bazooka !!!!! How fast can those things go" Well,, I had done about the equivalent of ten houses or so by now, so I gave them a show.I was nervous as hell, but suddenly, I was like a master on the damn thing, you would of thought superman was running the bazooka. When they left they were like WOW, and I was like WOW !!!, WTF was I doing.........speed was the secret.

Do what smismer50 said, start out slow, get the feel for them, have some patience. But when you think your starting to get the hang of it, increase your speed. Don't baby the bazooka, their tougher than you think, the faster you run them, the better they go.

We will help you though this CD:thumbsup:


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## justadrywallguy (Sep 10, 2010)

JustMe said:


> Mud I use in bazooka is thinner than banjo mud. Something from Columbia's online operating manual:
> 
> _As a quick reference, after mixing compound, run your finger through the mud. For taping, the compound is thin enough to not leave an open “trough”._
> 
> ...


Yeah dont except Tape Tech to help you any, I tried to call them when I got my tube, only person I talked to was a old mexican lady. She gave me a number to call, it went to voicemail and no one ever called back. I even emailed the top guy at Tape Tech telling him there service sucked after the sell. Still never responded. So when I go buy anything to replace what I got it will be either Columbia or Drywall Master!!'em


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## DSJOHN (Apr 5, 2010)

raven said:


> 500 foot rolls is all I use 250 run out too fast.


Totally agree:yes:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

here's a little video for you new guys on the bazooka and you too cdwoodcox 




It's for the guys learning, not you masters, the start up in the angles is for when you got to do ones over 8 foot long. just some vary vary basic pointers


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## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

justadrywallguy said:


> Yeah dont except Tape Tech to help you any, I tried to call them when I got my tube, only person I talked to was a old mexican lady. She gave me a number to call, it went to voicemail and no one ever called back. I even emailed the top guy at Tape Tech telling him there service sucked after the sell. Still never responded. So when I go buy anything to replace what I got it will be either Columbia or Drywall Master!!'em


Don't get too mad at Tape Tech. At least they made your buying decisions easier. That's got to be helpful.


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuck said:


> here's a little video for you new guys on the bazooka and you too cdwoodcox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xooYBevv-Ck
> 
> It's for the guys learning, not you masters, the start up in the angles is for when you got to do ones over 8 foot long. just some vary vary basic pointers


Most bazooka videos are 2 parts showing off and 1 part teaching, good job, keep em coming :thumbsup:


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## justadrywallguy (Sep 10, 2010)

justadrywallguy said:


> Yeah dont except Tape Tech to help you any, I tried to call them when I got my tube, only person I talked to was a old mexican lady. She gave me a number to call, it went to voicemail and no one ever called back. I even emailed the top guy at Tape Tech telling him there service sucked after the sell. Still never responded. So when I go buy anything to replace what I got it will be either Columbia or Drywall Master!!'em


Well Tape Tech did get ahold of me 4 weeks after I called with a question. I must say they did do a good job at saying how sorry they where for there lack of service after the sell. Since I am doing a plaster job right now, they said if I sent my tube in to them, they would refit it for a easy clean, at no charge just to make up for it. Being a one man show, basically, I will take anything I can to help make my life easier. Told me they where going to have big meeting on customer service. Just wanted to let everyone know me and Tape Tech kissed and made up!:jester:


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## Scott_w (Jun 16, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> here's a little video for you new guys on the bazooka and you too cdwoodcox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xooYBevv-Ck
> 
> It's for the guys learning, not you masters, the start up in the angles is for when you got to do ones over 8 foot long. just some vary vary basic pointers


Great vids 2buck! Maybe I should just drive up and you can teach me in person!  I kindof got the hang of the taper, but lids were a challenge. I also had problems with cutting tape.

The boxes were the only thing I got right away. The angle heads also gave me trouble.

I don't use it enough to learn it though. I almost have to re-learn it every time I use it. 

thanks...scott


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## cdwoodcox (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for video I need all the help I can get.


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## Jason (Feb 27, 2011)

justadrywallguy said:


> Well Tape Tech did get ahold of me 4 weeks after I called with a question. I must say they did do a good job at saying how sorry they where for there lack of service after the sell. Since I am doing a plaster job right now, they said if I sent my tube in to them, they would refit it for a easy clean, at no charge just to make up for it. Being a one man show, basically, I will take anything I can to help make my life easier. Told me they where going to have big meeting on customer service. Just wanted to let everyone know me and Tape Tech kissed and made up!:jester:


There's no nice way to say this: They are completely full of ****. "Ya we're gonna have a meeting about that." Well that's dandy.

I bought my first angle head about 8 years ago (over $600 in Australia) and had no one to show me how to use it. Naturally, it was tearing the center of the [rolled] tape. I must have spoken to 10 different people at Tape Tech and not one of them gave a damn or had any useful advice to offer, such as, "We like to ensure that the corner on our angle head blades is way sharper than the radius left by our roller so that people who buy our products can't use them without putting an angle grinder to them first."

They're complete idiots. There's so many points on their tools which show they haven't got a clue.


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