# To wet or not to wet that is the question



## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Why add an extra step you don't need?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I have never seen a pro wet the tape---Why would any body do that?
The embedding mud is designed to use with dry paper.

I am curious---Where did you hear about using wet tape?


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## baum (Jul 14, 2009)

There was a couple of online videos that i saw showed it. I also had a buddy talk to me about it too. He is not a pro.

Here is 1 that talks about it (on the bottom is a link to the video)

http://www.drywallinfo.com/insidecorners.html


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Completely unnecessary.---There are three different types of mud--do you know why? and what they are used for?


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## baum (Jul 14, 2009)

no and what are they for? please tell me


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Baum--The three common muds-----

Durrabond--bag mix--chemical set--times 20--45--90 minutes--used to fill gaps before taping--
fast setting--very hard to sand. Can also be used to set paper.

Green top bucket--used to set paper--loaded with glue--relatively fast setting--hard to sand.

Blue top bucket--used for the final coats--slow drying easy to sand.

Having the harder muds at the bottom helps to keep you from sanding through the paper.


An experienced pro can use the wrong mud and still get a good job. 
These are the most common uses and will make a job easier.--Mike--


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## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

I did not know that either. That's a good thing to keep in mind when I eventually replace all this drywall I took down. I met a guy in my Xray department once who told me he was a taper. Then he had to tell me what a taper was. We had just had major remodeling done hospital-wide, but being a small hospital it was done on a very low budget. I asked him if he had done any jobs locally that I may have seen. He looked around at the very visable wall joints in this particular room and said "Well I can tell you I did not do this room."


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

What you lack in taping skills --you will make up for with sanding!

Buy a high quality set of taping knives--6--10--12 inch--The 6" blade should be the best you can find.

Flexible yet firm. You will be using it to mix the Durrabond--apply the tape--do the corners and scoop mud from the pails. They take a beating--I buy them 2 at a time so there is always a good one available if I ding up the one I'm using.

You will want to have a mud mixer and a stout drill---the mud need to be whipped smooth --
It's to lumpy right out of the bucket--You could mix it in the pan with your 6" blade--but what a time waster.

Most novices try to put on to thick of a coat---several thinner coats will give you a better result.

Unless you have a mess on your hands---no sanding should be needed between coats--
Just take one of your blades and 'knife off' any ridges in the last coat and you are good to go.


Any more drywall questions? There are a couple of real pros here who may wish to add a tip or two
I'd like to hear from any body with tips for the novice.--Mike--


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

oh'mike said:


> What you lack in taping skills --you will make up for with sanding!
> 
> Buy a high quality set of taping knives--6--10--12 inch--The 6" blade should be the best you can find.
> 
> ...


You have posted this step before. I must say that in going through probably a hundred 5's of mud,I have never had to do this, just lucky I guess:laughing:


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Chrisn----Next time you have a mud job give the whip a try--I think you will like the results!


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## mark942 (Feb 2, 2008)

oh'mike said:


> Chrisn----Next time you have a mud job give the whip a try--I think you will like the results!


oh`Mike, I am with you on the use of a whip. :thumbsup:


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Even with my older mind I know I saw a show recently where the taper was running the tape through a machine which applied the mud to the tape. He ran enough tape for a top corner on one wall, sort of folded it up (bookended?), step up on a small platform and literally ran this run of tape on the joint. Yeh, I know, he was an expert - but I've never seen one of those before. David


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Thurman--That tool was either a Bazooka--or a Banjo---Huge time saver--it used to be the Bazooka was only available as a yearly lease--no purchase possible.

The Banjo is an aluminum box to hold the mud-a paper holder and a small blade to press the paper into the mud---Still a time saver--The mud must be mixed very thin and runny.(use a drill and whip)

Wait till you see an automatic mud box---it looks like an old fashioned floor sweeper.
applies a perfect 12" layer of mud.

----Mike---


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

He was likely using a bazooka and followed up with boxes to apply remaining coats, as Mike said. Great for production work, but quite costly. And these aren't "finishing tools" that magically do the work for you. They are merely "mud applicators". These tools in the wrong hands can make just as big of a mess as someone hand finishing who doesn't know what he's doing. 
Mike pretty much nailed it as far as tools you'll need. You can get by without mixing the mud, but mixing makes the mud pull much easier and makes for a nicer finish. Stiff mud tends to leave more of a ridge on the edges when "feathered" and pulled.....
And as to the original question, absolutely no reason to wet the tape.


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## kgphoto (Dec 2, 2007)

Actually, from the description he was using a slop box or a commercially made tool called the Super-Taper. It applies mud to several feet of tape and you carry it around in a bucket strapped to your waist. This way many guys can apply tape at one time. It is a product of the Better Than Ever Tool Company in Canada. Sold here in the states at All-Wall.

Wetting tape is practiced where there is high temperatures, so the tape doesn't starve the mud for moisture. Some feel that this will provide a better bond as they dry out equally. I haven't seen an advantage.

The Super Taper system, described above, slightly wets the tape due to its operation as do wet and dry banjo's, the wet being more so.


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