# How many Blades do you carry while taping??



## 1/2 irish

In the taping world, it is definitely different thru-out the region from north to south. How many blades do you carry while you are taping? Up north we do not use any machines, pumps, bangos or boxes. I am inquiring because I hear a lot of "spotters" using a 2" blade then a 3" then finish w/ a 5". :confused1: Why?? 
I only use two sizes of blades... A 6" fullblade Hyde-Flex taping knife and a 12" Bowed trowel. Once in a while I will pull out a 8" fullblade Hyde Taping knife. Obviously I do have multiple sizes of blades in my arsenal for tight areas if need be. But that's all I tape with. How about you guys??


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## raven

I use a 5" for prefilling and spotting screws, and pullin corners. 8" for wiping tape. 10" for first coat bead and flatts. 12" for second coat bead, flatts, and butts. A rubber knife is good for wiping buckets. 14" is agood skimming knife. I skime coat with a 9" roller and wipe with a fourteen. I always buy knifes with straight as ppossible blades.


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## joepro0000

I carry 2" 3" and 4" knifes to get in tight corners, 5 and 6" for screws and angles, 8" for whipping tape and going around lights, 10" for 1st coat flats and beads, 12" for 2th coat, 14" to level out stuff. All taping knifes with pans of course.


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## raven

Great reply joepro what brand knifes do you prefer. And do you prefer stainless or blue steel


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## joepro0000

I love the AMES - Blue Steel 8", 10", 12", and 14" 
Richards - 3", 4", 5", 6" - Stainless Steel :thumbsup:


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## raven

I like the marshalltown durasoft` the ames are good knifes. I used to own a set of those ames feather lite knifes they had a wood handle.


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## joepro0000

raven said:


> I like the marshalltown durasoft` the ames are good knifes. I used to own a set of those ames feather lite knifes they had a wood handle.


I bought a marshalltown 6" knife to try it out, but I didn't like the big handle, kind of awkward. Same thing with the sheetrock brand knifes, I felt them too heavy.


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## moore

knife on right 5 cut down for wiping down angles.
knife on left for block and skim angles. 
flats /seams and bead ,, mint craft 10'' 12'' .
not a fan of the s/s knifes , seem to bow up / lose there edge to soon 
for what you pay for them .. 
hyde knifes are my right hand. marshal town hawk my left ... :thumbsup::thumbsup:
6'' hyde for spotting screws 3rd coat.. 
i TRY to keep all blades dry and clean , when a great working blade breaks, it's depressing .


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## raven

When i was working in wisconsin there was a lot of hawk and trowel guys i had a hard time learning this way, alway going to the bucket to get mud pan holds alot more mud. The guys that had expierence whith them did nice work . Trowels have stiffer blades flatter first coat.


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## Final touch drywall

4,5,then 6 on screws=less sanding.
8,10 than 12 on the flats.
Butts get what they need to make flat.
Bead gets 8 than 10.
If you step up each coat making just a tad wider each time You will have less sanding @ the end of the day. .

How many guys file there knives or run them quick with 80grit @ the start of every day?To me this is most important,dull knives leaves very bad edges.
By file I mean keeping a flat "sharp" edge.New guys always need to let me have at it with their knives.


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## moore

I file broad knifes 2-3 times, then throw them away.
new broad knifes every 2nd /3rd house/job.
14 x 14 hawk , small rolling scaffold nearby ,
continuous flow hawk!!


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## jmr

6" steel heratige blade which is so broken in im predicting it will snap within the next few months, which i will then cry because the thing coats and flexs like butter..

ames 10'' blue steel, totally broken in absolutely mint i use this for everything. 12'' stainless walboard very nice but very stiff. hard to break in stainless blades/trowels.. i use that for bead, big patches... 

alum hawk. pan. etc..

i had 10 and 12 marshalltown trowels but lost both, thats why i use knifes now..

its kinda lame but i take pride in my well broken in, beat up, worn out blades.. they look cool and work sweet.


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## raven

Jmr. I worked with a drywaller from your area his is jim devorak. Do you know him.


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## joepro0000

Final touch drywall said:


> 4,5,then 6 on screws=less sanding.
> 8,10 than 12 on the flats.
> Butts get what they need to make flat.
> Bead gets 8 than 10.
> If you step up each coat making just a tad wider each time You will have less sanding @ the end of the day. .
> 
> How many guys file there knives or run them quick with 80grit @ the start of every day?To me this is most important,dull knives leaves very bad edges.
> By file I mean keeping a flat "sharp" edge.New guys always need to let me have at it with their knives.


I file my knifes once in a while, but am guilty of not sharpening up all the time. I never tried the 80 grit sand paper, but will try it. I know a good file'd knife leaves the edges very thin and the sanding machine can sand them with no problem, vs having the to go over it with a sponge.


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## carpentaper

these are some of my tools. my six inch is my favourite knife. i almost never use my four or five. i use my angled three inch for picking three ways. don't use my broad knives much. the dirtier the tool the less i care about it. also a pic of my rarely used boxes and my new tapeshooter banjo. also a hitachi stick nailer and my ten inch hitachi slider. but you guys don't care about those except for maybe slim. i think he likes building stuff too. i've got a ton of carpentry tools too. i'm such a tool slut!


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## 2buckcanuck

carpentaper said:


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> these are some of my tools. my six inch is my favourite knife. i almost never use my four or five. i use my angled three inch for picking three ways. don't use my broad knives much. the dirtier the tool the less i care about it. also a pic of my rarely used boxes and my new tapeshooter banjo. also a hitachi stick nailer and my ten inch hitachi slider. but you guys don't care about those except for maybe slim. i think he likes building stuff too. i've got a ton of carpentry tools too. i'm such a tool slut!


BAD BAD carpentaper, mud on your handles


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## carpentaper

such a piggy.


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## fr8train

You have the same Irwin utility knife that I have, how do you like it? You didn't happen to find it on the ground in central PA did ya? Had one fall out of my pocket once. I liked that knife so much I went and bought another! PIC


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## carpentaper

mines a POS. i don't like where the release is. i always accidentally push it when i am cutting and the blade falls out. thats why it is with my taping tools not my hanging tools. as long as i'm not slide cutting with it it's fine.


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## carpentaper

i bet smisner and DSjohn are also into carpentry tools too. thats my guess.


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## carpentaper

also to answer the OP i use a pan and 8" blade when wiping tapes. for bed and skim coats i use a hawk and trowel and my 6" in my back pocket. 13x13 hawk and a 14.5"x4.5" curry trowel. i never got the hang of a bowed trowel and can't imagine trying to use one to float out walls. i do a lot of floating and skimming.


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## cazna

I have everything, the whole shbang, You name it i got it, wouldnt have it any other way, And ALL of them have NO mud on them, AT ALL, Hate that.

And i have a good stash of carpentry tools as well carpentaper, I have an apprentiship book for building 1/2 ticked off, The theory, I did a pretrade carpentry course for a year and did a few months building but was getting better money for painting as i was trade cert in that, I could board and paint the wall but couldnt tape it, So back to polytec i went, Just to learn to patch up, When i got back all hell broke loose, The taping work was everywhere and i was good at it, Nearly 15years ago now, Best thing i ever did learning how to tape :thumbsup:


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## raven

cazna, you sound like a hard core drywaller. hard working trade makes a persn a hard core worker , especially if you like what you doing. do you have a lot of competition where your at. its makes you feel appreciated when you get work because home owners hear about your work, instead of being hired be cause of a cheap price.


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## carpentaper

i don't care if my tools have a bit of mud on them. as long as its not enough to change the shape of the handles. i know one taper whose trowel handle has probably doubled in circumference i hear you on learning to tape. i enjoy it in a soul satisfying way. yeah there are problems and it can be a very demanding job sometimes but when i get left by myself with a whole lot of walls to cover and some good tunes i'm a happy camper.


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## smisner50s

carpentaper said:


> i bet smisner and DSjohn are also into carpentry tools too. thats my guess.


Thats funny you say that because my father and I run our own construction company.......not strickely drywall..new homes.remodels.commerical buildings.dad opened the company in the 70s.we do everything from forming the footers to handing you your front door key.I love building my owne stright.plum.level.square.wall.than hanging them.finishing them.than painting them..you become well rounded...and yes we have a shop filled with tools out the waaaazoooo....I have been doing this stuff sence I was 10......thats no bull....hands on learing the old school ways.


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## carpentaper

i got the feeling you knew what you were doing when i looked at all the projects you did from start to finish. it didn't look like you were guessing your way through the rest of the work. do you do mostly drywall now?


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## smisner50s

carpentaper said:


> i got the feeling you knew what you were doing when i looked at all the projects you did from start to finish. it didn't look like you were guessing your way through the rest of the work. do you do mostly drywall now?


No still doing all aspects...framing and drywall are my favorite though.


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