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My dad always said to use a 6 inch knife for taping, but I found out the hard way on a big ceiling job.
He's been doing this for 30 years, so I listened when he told me a 6 inch knife gives you more control. I tried it on a 12 by 14 foot ceiling last week and my wrist was killing me after the first coat. I switched to a 10 inch knife for the second coat and it went so much faster, with way less strain. I think his advice works for walls, but for a big flat ceiling, you need the wider blade. Has anyone else found that the right knife size totally depends on the surface you're working on?
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ryanm601mo ago
Yeah, it's also about the mud consistency. Thinner mud for ceilings needs that bigger knife to hold enough, or you're just going back to the pan constantly.
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nguyen.morgan1mo ago
A 14-inch knife made my ceiling job way faster with that thin mud.
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logan5611mo ago
Nah, a 12-inch is the sweet spot for control.
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the_piper1mo ago
Exactly what @ryanm60 is getting at. The mud thickness really does dictate the tool size more than people think. Stiff mud on a 12-inch is a pain, but a 14-inch handles thin mud way better because you're not constantly dipping back in the pan.
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