Technique and method beginner question.

[Tee17]

Hi all, i wanted to know what method is the quickest and easiest to tape butt joints, external joints and normal board to board joints? also which tools are used. im a beginner and want to develop the best technique to advance as a taper and jointer easier. many thanks.

[E.K Taper]

I use scrim tape for flat joints (tapered edge, and butt joints ) Paper tape for all internal joints and flex tape for external corners. Everyone's different though Tee so its whatever suits you. I know TonyM will come on and slate me for using flex tape(he thinks its sh!te) , other tapers hate scrim tape with a vengeance cos they prefer to use paper tape thru the bazooka.
Try out the advice given by a few tapers and take what suits you. No two tapers work the same way, its just whatever you feel comfortable doing.

[Tee17]

what is this flex tape you speak of? the tapes most commonly used by the company i work for is fiber tape, paper corner tape (internal) and the metal external strip paper tape (forgot its proper name) just trying to develop a technique for doing it all by hand using a 4", 6" filling knife and a 14 inch trowel to fill skirting gaps for example. i have noticed even today that if i spend too much time trying to perfect the finishing aimz coat on window reveals for example i get really frustrated, any tips on that as it would help me with my internals and externals? thanks.

[E.K Taper]

what is this flex tape you speak of? the tapes most commonly used by the company i work for is fiber tape, paper corner tape (internal) and the metal external strip paper tape (forgot its proper name) just trying to develop a technique for doing it all by hand using a 4", 6" filling knife and a 14 inch trowel to fill skirting gaps for example. i have noticed even today that if i spend too much time trying to perfect the finishing aimz coat on window reveals for example i get really frustrated, any tips on that as it would help me with my internals and externals? thanks.

That'll be the flex tape then! We call them different names depending where you come from. Flex tape, metal tape, beads, steels. All the same. Fiba tape is also scrim tape or mesh tape

[amestaper]

i have noticed even today that if i spend too much time trying to perfect the finishing aimz coat on window reveals for example i get really frustrated, any tips on that as it would help me with my internals and externals? thanks.

My top tip for windows or external corners to load your blade or trowel with a huge dollop of joint cement then be generous.

I have seen people messing around for ages (I used to too) trying to add a bit here and there until it looks flush....

This is a waste of your time and energy as you could have already solved this problem in 15 to 20 seconds by applying too much gear. All you have to do now is spread it out, feather the edges, remove excess joint cement and big snots.

Get it on and back off as fast as you can. Uprights should take about 60 seconds, reasonable sized windows around 2 minutes. If you have a loud radio to find a rhythm and a few days to practice, you would master this in no time.

Dont flap about trying to perfect the finishing ames coat, thats what the sanders for.

[Tee17]

My top tip for windows or external corners to load your blade or trowel with a huge dollop of joint cement then be generous.

I have seen people messing around for ages (I used to too) trying to add a bit here and there until it looks flush....

This is a waste of your time and energy as you could have already solved this problem in 15 to 20 seconds by applying too much gear. All you have to do now is spread it out, feather the edges, remove excess joint cement and big snots.

Get it on and back off as fast as you can. Uprights should take about 60 seconds, reasonable sized windows around 2 minutes. If you have a loud radio to find a rhythm and a few days to practice, you would master this in no time.

Dont flap about trying to perfect the finishing ames coat, thats what the sanders for.

great advice and i see where your coming from with the sander, doesnt have to be perfect but has to be feathered and then the sander does its job. Great help!
might have to take my headphones to work then as the only time i hear the radio is when im working around a chippy or plumber.

another question. when filling or taping is it a good technique to apply filler with say a 4" blade and then aimz with a 6" to avoid making the aimz coat too wide?

[amestaper]

A 4 inch is good for internals, screws and snagging. No such thing as too wide either, I've coated over 5 foot wide to sweeten a bad join on a renovation. Its your job to make it look flat and smooth even if the surface isnt exactly plumb or level. You see my point i made earlier about hand taping and learning trowel trades as it could be difficult with bad sheeting if you conform to only using 12 inch boxes?

If i was still hand taping (which I'm not) in fact I'm not taping at all these days.

Flat tapes 7 or 8 on first coat, 10 on second, and 12 for third. I kept big blades in my armoury for exceptions and they were used regularly.
Externals 7, 7 or 8 then a 10 or larger if needed.
Internals 4, and 4 again feathered tightly for the second coat.
Screws 4, followed by another 4, followed by 6.

The last coat is always very, very thin and dries out in a short time. I would then give my work, plots, areas a once over before leaving them to sand on a Friday when they could all be crashed the same day.

This is more info than you asked for, but you seem genuinely interested enough and I've had nothing to do for the last hour.

This method worked for me over 19 years. Good luck.

[Tee17]

A 4 inch is good for internals, screws and snagging. No such thing as too wide either, I've coated over 5 foot wide to sweeten a bad join on a renovation. Its your job to make it look flat and smooth even if the surface isnt exactly plumb or level. You see my point i made earlier about hand taping and learning trowel trades as it could be difficult with bad sheeting if you conform to only using 12 inch boxes?

If i was still hand taping (which I'm not) in fact I'm not taping at all these days.


Flat tapes 7 or 8 on first coat, 10 on second, and 12 for third. I kept big blades in my armoury for exceptions and they were used regularly.
Externals 7, 7 or 8 then a 10 or larger if needed.
Internals 4, and 4 again feathered tightly for the second coat.
Screws 4, followed by another 4, followed by 6.

The last coat is always very, very thin and dries out in a short time. I would then give my work, plots, areas a once over before leaving them to sand on a Friday when they could all be crashed the same day.

This is more info than you asked for, but you seem genuinely interested enough and I've had nothing to do for the last hour.

This method worked for me over 19 years. Good luck.

i really appreciate your time and advice, yes i am genuinly interested in T&J and hope to earn a living in the future from it, i dont want to take the making good mans word on how to do it as he yesterday told me he cant T&J -.- so ive resorted to you juys from all over to enlighten me with your knowledge.

as for the 7, 8, 10, 12 are you refering to filling knives or trowels as at the moment i only have a 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6 and a 14" trowel
many thanks once again.

[amestaper]

I had a trowel but it got rusty due to not being used enough. All those sizes I mentioned were taping knives, I have them in most sizes all the way up to a 14. Sometimes even those aren't small enough when you have an acute angle, under a stair for instance, and I would use my finger instead lol. I just preferred them due to flexibility, and I could carry 30+ in a bag. My weapons of choice were Marshalltown, Richard and USG blades.

If you have to find out whether or not you are leaving a reasonable finish, ask the painters, not the make good guy.

[forestbhoy]

My top tip for windows or external corners to load your blade or trowel with a huge dollop of joint cement then be generous.

I have seen people messing around for ages (I used to too) trying to add a bit here and there until it looks flush....

This is a waste of your time and energy as you could have already solved this problem in 15 to 20 seconds by applying too much gear. All you have to do now is spread it out, feather the edges, remove excess joint cement and big snots.

Get it on and back off as fast as you can. Uprights should take about 60 seconds, reasonable sized windows around 2 minutes. If you have a loud radio to find a rhythm and a few days to practice, you would master this in no time.

Dont flap about trying to perfect the finishing ames coat, thats what the sanders for.

This is the difference between us and plasterer's,we put it on with the edge tight and they put it on "flat" to get overall thickness.

By the way,scrim for any flats first and fill as you go,gaps etc...then flexes and then paper the internals.Everyone is different,but see how experienced tapers do it,nick ideas and see if they work for you.Eventually after 40 years you get it sussed and then you want to retire...