# Using a hair dryer to speed up curing



## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

of 1/16" to 1/8" thk spackling that would otherwise take many hours.


Dos and don'ts?


I'm aiming for just enough curing to put a coat of primer on it.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

It will of course dry the outside first- and might be a problem if you seal it before inside is dry. But it is done that way, or with a fan all the time. 

I carry a couple of blower fans and use them to dry stuff almost every day.


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

Brushjockey said:


> I carry a couple of blower fans and use them to dry stuff almost every day.


With just moving air, or heat + air? How long does it take?

This hair dryer thing seems to work well, and if I had real skill I'd use it with hot mud.
I should make holes in scrap drywall chunks and practice, practice, practice.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

What are you patching? Usually I have a room, might have a few issues- i mud as needed- put the fan on the worst and go find something else to do. 
Much of pro or efficient painting is procedure and timing.
I seldom use a heat gun or dryer.

You make it sound like you have a million holes, and do them one at a time! lol


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

This would definitely be a time to use some quickset joint compound. Nice thing about it you can mix up just what you need. You could use the 20 minute drying compound and not have to worry about breaking out a hairdryer or fan. There's also something called Water Putty that sets in short order. Spackling is great but not if you're in a hurry for it to dry.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

(please- no Rock hard water putty..)


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Brushjockey said:


> (please- no Rock hard water putty..)


:thumbsup:


:no::no::no:


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

Well, it's two clusters of three half-inch holes but I keep having to go back to the HO for one reason or another. Like, when I leave it looks good and will be ready for priming and when I come back it doesn't look so good.

I may go back to trying hot mud but I will also buy a hair dryer. 
They make a good test load for checking household wiring integrity and they're also good for getting a grill going with stubborn or wet coals. 
Wet hair? I can live with it.

Thanks, folks. . .


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

BTW Gym- hot mud sets up quick- but you still cant paint until the moisture is out of it. It's great for getting multiple coats up quick, but you still have to wait..


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

It worked out very well except for the brush strokes in the Kilz primer. Probably lightly tamping this with a damp rag would have fixed it.

And even though I brought my own, the HO gave me a hair dryer she had no use for. What a day :laughing:


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

chrisn said:


> :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> :no::no::no:


It is a bi*** to work with, but the idea was to give the poster products that set up quickly.........didn't think standing in front of a patch for three hours with a hair dryer was the way to go when other products set up quicker. Hot mud, sure, you don't want to paint over it right away if you DON'T HAVE TO.....but, in a pinch and in a hurry, well you gotta do what you gotta do.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Yoyizit said:


> It worked out very well except for the brush strokes in the Kilz primer. Probably lightly tamping this with a damp rag would have fixed it.
> 
> And even though I brought my own, the HO gave me a hair dryer she had no use for. What a day :laughing:


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

The hair dryer sets up the 24 hr spackling within a minute. You can almost watch it shrink, so you repeat it twice or 3x, then you're done.
I'll have to refine this technique on scrap drywall.


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