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Radius wall butt joints.

9K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  tapingfool 
#1 · (Edited)
I am about to do a huge radius wall, with a ton of butt joints. I don't know how many of you have experience with these things, but they are a big pain. They never look right. The wall is curved (round) and the butts always show up.

I was wondering if I used like a 2ft piece of tin or something and bent it over the thing. Obviously regular knives dont bend and finishing them the regular way, leaves a high point.


Do any of you have any tips to hiding the darn things?
 
#2 · (Edited)
On similar situations I would go to a plastic company and buy a thin piece of (plastic) sheet about 24 inches to 3 feet long. After mudding the butts I'd pull the plastic "screed" down (or up) each side of the butt seam to fill the void(s) between the high point of the seam and the wall further away. It would usually take a couple of coats to get everything smoothed out properly. Be sure that the plastic is long and ridged enough to span the distance without being too flexible. You want to get that surface contour consistent with the overall shape of the wall. Make sure that the plastic guy cuts both long edges straight and smooth, and make efforts to protect them! A lttle nick can ruin your day.

The plastic piece only needs to be wide enough to be comfortable and to load with a little mud as it's pulled down the wall. PVC is the most flexible but depending on the radius, 1/8th inch acrylic may be best. UHMW and Delrin are too expensive.

Initially it's an awkward manouver so don't rush it.

Hope that helps, maybe someone else has a better idea...
 
#6 ·
We use a slicker which is basically a flexiable piece of aluminum which works great for a bigger radius, just load up your butt and pull it up the joint no prob :thumbsup:[/quote



That's exactly what I was picturing in my mind to do. Finding one that dont scratch or have a nick, might be challenging.

So that works good? Go over the entire thing, not just do each side of the high point of the butt?
 
#7 ·
Thats what we do this way you can do your butts in just two coats like you would normally do. Less time and back tracking

You should be able to purchase a slicker at a good comercial drywall for about $40 company Lowes or HD will have no idea what you are talking about.

The slicker is a completly smooth tool and is thinner on the blade side but since it is aluminum you have to take good care because they will nick easily.
 
#10 · (Edited)
#12 ·
I've done plenty of concave and convex walls. First I now make a jig of the curve esp if it the same through out the wall. For small areas I use 3 layers of cardboard and some hockey tape on the edge to make it smooth. Bigger stuff I'll make a more durable tool. This is to get the correct shape ( coating vertical) then I trowel horizontal. I use the same method to correct barrel ceilings that are out of round. I've made many a tool for this type of job and FOR ME anything that changes shape of that you have to hold at the correct curve, is troublesome. Pex plummer hose is the stiffest at a larger thickness but I prefer to make the tool, always a tempate out of cardboard (quick)then transfer to 1/4" to 3/8"Acrylic=strongest most durable, MDF, Corregated cardboard( each layer, switch carregation for strength). Hope this helps
 
#15 ·
I have done these types of walls before, and my solution is simple. I went to the local seller of rubber products, and get a piece of firm thick rubber, about 2 feet wide and say 4-6 inches in length. After applying the compound to the joints a few passes with the rubber tool gives it a great finish and you see no high areas in the butt joint..send pictures...
 
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