Tried a 14-inch knife on a weird angled ceiling and it actually worked

Had this vaulted ceiling job in a Portland remodel last week, all these tight angles where my 12-inch just felt clumsy. Grabbed my old 14-inch Marshalltown on a whim, and the extra length let me feather the joint compound way smoother in one pull. Learned that sometimes the bigger tool is better for control, not just for big flats. Anyone else find a weird spot where a bigger knife saved the day?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_simon3mo ago

That's a good point about the extra length giving you more control on an angle. Did you find the 14-inch was too flexible for that kind of work, or did the stiffness help keep a consistent pressure across the whole blade? I usually avoid anything over 12 inches for ceilings because they can get wobbly.

michaeld483mo ago

You mentioned wobble on ceilings, is that from the blade flexing or the handle joint getting loose? My 14-inch felt solid until the lock wore down a bit.

olivia_moore3mo ago

Yeah the stiffness is key, it's not just about length. A floppy 14 is a nightmare, but a good stiff one acts like a big lever to keep the angle steady.

amy_anderson1mo ago

That Marshalltown 14 is a beast for those tight ceiling angles. I had the same thing happen on a mid-century modern reno with these crazy 30 degree sloped ceilings near a skylight. The 14's stiffness let me ride the angle and keep a consistent bed of mud on the first pass without any of the flop you'd get from a thinner blade. Plus, I found the extra reach meant I could keep my off-hand on the handle for stability instead of having to pinch the blade.