4
My buddy in Phoenix called my tape lines 'wavy' and it stung, but he was right.
He pointed out that on a big ceiling job I did, the light was hitting the seams just wrong and you could see every tiny bump. I switched from a standard 6-inch knife to a 10-inch for my second coat, and started holding my light at a sharper angle to check as I go. Has anyone else found that a longer knife makes that much of a difference on flat seams?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
quinna891mo ago
Yeah, the longer knife thing makes sense. It's like it just floats over the high spots instead of digging into them. But what about the mud itself? Did you change your mix at all when you switched knives, or just go with the same consistency? I've heard some guys thin it out a bit more for the final coat with a bigger knife.
6
robins831mo ago
Vera's point about the light is the whole game. It's not just about finding flaws, it's about using that sharp angle to guide your knife. You see a shadow behind a tiny ridge, and your 10-inch knife knows to ride high on that spot and press down on the low area next to it. The longer blade doesn't just bridge imperfections, it uses the light as a map to fix them. You stop just hoping it's flat and start making it flat.
5
vera_lewis21mo ago
That bit about the light hitting it wrong is so true. It reminds me of how a simple change in angle can reveal flaws in anything, like how a clean floor looks spotless until the sun hits it in the morning. Switching to a longer knife is like that, it just bridges over more of the small imperfections you can't even feel.
4