Using automatic taping tools

Capt-sheetrock

Well ya know, ya got to take care of your tools !!!!

columbia

Hey Scott,

We have a quick 8 minute DVD to show the sequence for taping on facebook. Look up Columbia Taping Tools and have a look. Going Automatic tools will be a small learning curve but you will pick it up quickly. Enjoy making money!

2buckcanuck

wow there's money in taping ?????????since when

Capt-sheetrock

Shhh,,, don't tell the rest of em,, they will all want to get into the act !!!!

Scott_w

Tried the taper today.... a little bit of a learning curve for me! I think I had the mud right the first time I mixed it, but stupid me I decided I would try it thinner. Then it was dripping on me doing the ceiling!

I think I need to oil the crap out of it. It doesn't seem to run smooth. Do you oil the tube anyways? Or just all the end.

Also when you get the tab to start, why don't I have mud on it, or much mud?

When advancing it through it seems the mud doesn't cover the whole tap side to side all the time. Is this normal? It seems ok when wiping down as it squeezes out.

Well tomorrow I go back at it.

I now have 3 sizes of Northstar heads and 2 and 3" nailspotters. I am still waiting on the spotters, they won't be here in time for this job.

thanks...scott

Capt-sheetrock

Scott, the first day I ran a taper, I went home, sat on the couch,, and honestly wanted to cry like a Bitch.

The reason the mud was dripping on you from the ceiling is because you were trying to run BOTH wheels flat on the lid. Just run the right wheel for about 6 feet, then swing the taper over and run the left wheel for the next 6 feet, then the right again. (if you run just the right wheel all the way, the tape will peel off and fall in the floor. It was NOT dripping because it was too thin. (it is possible to get it too thin, but coming from hand-tapeing, I'd bet a c note you did not have it too thin). I can run stomp mud through a taper,, now thats thin.

As for oiling it,,, I spray my entire tube, up, down, in and out with wd-40. I mean I grease it. Look at it like haveing sex,,, lube makes everything go better. I had my DM tube re-built by all-wall (its black) they sent it back with a neon green sticker on it that said "DO NOT USE WD-40" It evidently is a quality sticker, cause I have been spraying that sticker with wd for 3 years now and it has held up considerably well.

2buckcanuck

to get mud on the tape turn/crank the rectangle thing where the gear/wheel(chain) is,push up on tape feeder and turn wheel by hand,this will get mud on tape,(for angles only[if needed]) dont really need to have mud at end of tape for flats
or drive to london and will show you how to run one for free,

Scott_w

Thanks! I did have it peel off and hit the floor! I could have thrown it through the windows!

What about the mud not full covering the tape? Or lack of mud on the tab?

thanks..scott

Scott_w

Thanks, I appreciate the offer! Thats only about an hour or so away. I'll see what happens tomorrow. All else fails I will have to use the super taper just to keep the job moving.

scott

2buckcanuck

might be starting one (house ) tuesday ,let me know,we run 2 bazooka's when we tape.....,have you taping like a pro in one day,pm me if things dont improve ,not joking,dont mind teaching

Scott_w

Greatly appreciated! I am heading out soon for round 2

scott

Mudstar

I seems hard at first but you will have to learn to crawl for the first couple of rolls then soon after you will be walking after a box, 10 rolls. Then I'd say once you have a couple miles of tape on the wall you will be jogging along with a smile.

Scott_w

Thanks, my jobs will be quite small in comparison to you guys. This house is a small 2 story, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom. It is about 700sft of floor space per floor and about 4500sqft of drywall.

Thanks, I appreciate all the input!

scott

Capt-sheetrock

Scott, the only thing that cause a dry spot"mechanically" is air in the tube. Never let your pump suck air.ever, keep your bucket full. The other way air gets in there is if your clicker brake is slipping. If the wheels roll backwards at all, you have a dry spot. Make sure you can't roll the wheels backwards with you fingers, if you can't the clicker is working.

If all is well in your bucket and with your clicker, then dry spots are operator error, which gets better everytime you use your taper.

Most dry spots by beginners are caused by not haveing the smooth transistion from cutting the tape and starting to roll again, just have to be aware of this and practice. come to a complete stop,cut,then roll again without sliding the taper. Oh yeah, one other thing, if you let the taper "slide" (not enough pressure to turn the wheels", you will drag dry tape out beacuse the tape is already stuck and will pull out even if your not rolling the wheels. Hope that makes sense to ya.

Good luck and hang in thar

Scott_w

I did a little better today...just got in. It is slow going for me for sure!

Using the angle head though I kept catching and tearing the tape!

My new (used) 3 1/2 northstar keeps tearing the paper on the outside. I had to switch back to the other old head I picked up.

I was having some trouble rolling and glazing with the mudrunner too.

Ill see what happens tomo... have to run with the kids to dairy queen!

thanks for the advice..

scott

proficient Mudder

Just adding my 2 cents and agreeing with others,
The mixture of the compound plays a major role in taping. I like to make my mud for flats where it will barely start to fall through a hand mixer when lifting it out of the compound and alittle thinner for angles. If you get it to thin for flats than it can make a streaming mess and even make the tape harder to stick until wiped tight, plus it only allows shorter wipe down stokes because of keeping the mud from running off your knife.
If you get the compound to thick than it might cause you to drag your angles to short, bad angle glazing and gum up the taper pretty fast.
I always try to pull my tape down tight and take the excess mud from every pull and pull it back over the tight tape to fill the bevel beside the tape lines as i go for a nice smooth tape job.

The compound should be even across the tape as it comes out at all times or it could cause dry spots (tape blistering). It has already been said that making sure the wheel is not spinning backwards is something to always make sure of. Another thing is keeping the head cleaned out from any previous mud that will dry up and block the mud from evenly covering the tape.

Keeping mud on the tab can be easily done by stopping at every flat and turning the wheel with chain at the same time of adjusting about 3 inches of tape into it or you can just learn to start the tape off alittle by rolling it a few inches on the joint before starting the whole flat.

Bill

Scott_w

Thanks for the advice Bill, and welcome to Drywall talk! I will try some of that out today. I am heading out again shortly.

I think I have the taper running much better. I gave it a really good cleaning and soaked it in WD40. Made a big difference in how smooth it ran. The mud on the tape issue seems to have cleared up as well.

I figured out why I wasn't getting mud on the advanced tab. I couldn't figure out how to advance the tape other than the control tube. Turning the wheel didn't bring it forward with mud. I THINK... it turned out my mud was way to thin and wouldn't build up enough in the head to push the paper out on the wheel if that makes sense.

Now my biggest issue is the angle heads, my flushers seem so much easier to use. Now am I "pushing" the angle head like a flusher?

The angle head just seems to scrape along the wall for me and not glide.

I'll play some more today... yes a sunday! Not making any money on this one! But a good chance to learn. I think the boxes should be easier to use... i hope

thanks for the input...scott

proficient Mudder

you probably already know, but If your taping angles and glazing them down with the angle head make sure the finish blade is always in the back as you pull across the tape, if not it will only skip and/or tear the tape. This is with the angle running as well. Once your using the angle box for angle coating than make sure the mud is about the thickness of when taping. If not you will be straining your arse off and leaving skip marks across the angle which will take several times of travel to fill the angle smoothly. If the mud is to thin, than it will run out the path of the angle head blades and leave a bad edge and mess, plus the mud will not bond to the nail or screw in the angle when running across it leaving it to dry in a bulge of thin mud.

Bill

Scott_w

Things went much better today with everything. I had to pull out the super taper to do the closets and small bathroom though. I am too clumsy in a small cramped area with the bazooka.

I am also getting the hang of the angle head and mudrunner. I am using my 3" columbia head right now on the first coat.

I bought 3 Northstar heads off ebay (2 separate sellers) supposed to be a 2.5, 3 and 3.5. I didn't know northstar didn't have a 3" so apparently the seller miss labeled the auction. Now I have 2 - 3.5" heads! Oh well, I emailed him.

Thanks for the help. I will try the northstar heads again. I think I was using them wrong and thats why the drywall face was tearing.

scott

taper71

Dont worry about having extra angle heads. I have 2 sets, that way when one set is down Im not losing time while it gets rebuilt or re set. I send mine in to columbia . I just cant figure out how to adjust the blades properly and 2 wait a week or 2 while columbia plays with them costs me too much down time and money.