Switched to a 12-inch knife for the first coat and my finish time got cut in half

I was doing a big ceiling job in a new build over in Springfield and my buddy said to try his 12-inch knife instead of my usual 10-inch for the first coat. I knocked out the whole 20x15 room in about 4 hours, which used to take me a full day. Anyone else find a bigger knife makes that much of a difference on the first pass?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.nora22d ago

Got to disagree on the time saving. A bigger knife covers more area, sure. But you're moving more mud with each stroke. That extra weight and drag will wear out your shoulder way faster on a ceiling. You might finish the first coat quicker, but you'll be too tired to do a good second coat. Speed isn't everything if your finish work suffers later.

laurag7919d ago

Watch Bennett.Nora worry about shoulder fatigue from a bigger knife. I switched to a 14-inch for ceilings last year and my only real issue was hitting the ceiling fan. Twice. The extra width means you're not constantly reloading, so you stay in a rhythm. Sure, your arm gets tired, but that's what cheap beer is for after work. You save more time by not stopping every thirty seconds than you lose by being a little sore.

lucasw8222d ago

Bennett's got a point about the shoulder fatigue, but it's more about technique than the tool itself. A bigger knife forces you to use your whole arm and body, not just your wrist. If you're getting worn out, you're probably fighting the mud instead of letting the knife do the work. The real time save comes from fewer trips back to the pan, which is where most people lose minutes.