Nail spotters versus spotting nails

Mudshark

Want to hear from some of you on the nail spotters as I have never had the pleasure of using one. Find it hard to beat the simple way of spotting nails using knife and pan. Which is faster?

TonyM

No comparison mate. Get a nail spotter and an extendable handle.

Tim0282

Nail spotter is many times faster. Extendable handle will reach eighteen foot ceiling from floor. That's extreme, but you can easily do eight, nine and ten foot ceilings from the floor. And if you really want to, just screw on another handle and reach about whatever you want. I like Blue Line because it has the guide wheels on it and two foot and four foot screw on handles. Any brand is worth the money. Make your mud a little stiffer than regular box mud and they are a little less messy.

Whitey97

I'm up for opinions here, but I find that I have to just about have my mud full strength for it to work right

Tim0282

I'm not sure what you mean by full strength.

Whitey97

straight out of the box, no water added... what the hell do you call it?

Bevelation

I have the Blue Line spotters. They do cut a lot of time down, and I changed my system a bit to make things more efficient. I now push in all the duds on the wall and hit all screws with the 2" spotter before any tape goes down. I have also pre-filled with the 2" and it works fine. I run through the flats on both coats so that there won't be any need to touch up screws that the box doesn't usually fill. The day after all the tapes are on, I second coat the screws with the 3" before I box the first fill coat. Apart from fixing ceiling duds and small touch up, I don't touch another screw after that until finish sand.

I also use next-to out-of-the-box mud for first coat. Gotta reef on it sometimes to fill the top screws right.

I'll go as far as saying this: I would rather tape by hand and use the spotters than use a bazooka and hand coat screws. To me they're just that good of an investment.

The only thing I find is it's really easy to leave big lift-off ridges at times. Doesn't make sanding fun.

Whitey97

That's the part I don't like about mine, is when I lift off.

you aren't worried about hitting screws that weren't put in all the way? I feel that if I don't 1st coat the nails by hand, I'll f up my blade. If it's on a ceiling, then I have to get a ladder and at that point it's a total waste of time.

Tim0282

Stiffen the mud a touch and tighten that screw and the lift off will be less. Nail spotters work great on flat angles. Two inch, then the three inch. Great tool for pre fill like you say.

Whitey97

What screw? My box is a 2" It's blue, and I think it's made by Priemer, if that sounds right.

Tim0282

There is a screw at the end of the handle. Kind of goes on a plate. It just spreads the two pieces on that plate. It tightens the box to the handle. Man I am not making sense here. Sorry. Trust me though, there is a screw on the box that will help the lift off. Kind of on the lid. And replacing the bushings right in that same area when they get worn really helps, too. They are white plastic. All Wall carries them. Pretty inexpensive. I have the same kind as you. The Blue Line used to be called Premier. I sure like theirs better than Tape Tech. Have both.

Whitey97

hell yeah, I'm going to go out in the shop and check it out now! Thanks!

Tim0282

When I go to Northern Minnesota to fish in May, I'll stop by and check your spotter out.

Whitey97

I'm south of the Twin Cities though..... Where do you go? I have a cabin "up nort"

Tim0282

In the Grand Rapids area. Opening weekend every year for umpteen years.

Bevelation

Check for a set screw / wingnut type thing on the box itself. That's where mine is located. It's used to adjust the pivot stiffness. And I will try that suggestion as well, thank you!

Those blades are tougher than you think. I try to sink or pull all dud screws as I can, but it always happens that you miss. But these spotters are more forgiving than what one fears running over a bad screw. Same with angle heads.

__________________
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Tim0282

Agree. I think because the nail spotter doesn't hold much mud or weight, it floats over the unset screw. Wait, what unset screw? The hangers NEVER leave a screw out. That's what they want me to think. I did break a blade one time. They seem to last almost forever.

Whitey97

well, I'm thinking when I use it, I'll stay on my stilts, only because if I'm not there to monitor the rocking, screws won't be set all the way, and then I'll have a wire edge. If I weren't on the stilts, as I was saying, I think it would end up being a waste of time.

josh6106

not to hijack a thread but since your talking about nailspotters, i have a blue line aswell and i find it leaves too much mud on, is there a way to adjust the blade? i only have a 2" was thinking of getting a 3" cause when i put two coats on with the two inch it is hard to sand obviously.
thanks

Tim0282

Just have to use the two then the three. Stiffer mud and less pressure will leave less mud and holding the handle at the right angle to the wall. Keep the handle out in front of the box. Don't run it like your seven, ten or twelve, because there is no break on the handle. I still like to run screws from the floor and go back the next time I am on stilts to fix the "stuff". You can run about two thousand feet of ceiling in fifteen or twenty minutes. I can run a fast knife, but not that fast.