As a texture guy I greatly appreciate you not over sanding. Some tapers here in Colorado love over sanding with those electric sanders or even with pole sanders. After we texture all that over sanding on the joints flashes when it’s painted. Especially in areas with big windows or glass doors. Great job Doc. 🤙
I use a power sander for two reasons. First, my shoulders just won't take the hand sanding anymore (two torn rotator cuffs). I can still tape, but sanding kills me. Second, most of my jobs are remodels and hand sanding just makes too much dust. With my set-up I make more mess detailing than I do sanding. I'm really careful not to over sand (220 on the walls). I spray usg first-coat and back roll to get rid of fuzz. Things turn out terrific. Even with a light the joints don't show.
That sounds perfect I used my power sander on small patches with 220 Grit but they were using 150 and then were sanding everything by hand it was crazy
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 yeah Doc a man is only as good as the tools are. If you get a finer grit and run that power sander without stopping and starting you are less apt to leave swirls and grooves. If a man puts his mud on right there's very little sanding like you said. Great video Doc new subscriber 👍🏼
I agree you really need to know your power sander and think how to use it in different situations - much higher grit for detailing final sanding and turn the power down with the planex 2 the led helps a bunch to see where sanding is needed and where it’s not. Keeping the air clean in a remodel home is critical ..
Hi Doc! As a DIY'er/Home owner I have found the "secret" to Drywall finishing is to hire someone else, ha ha. Seriously. After lots of practice it comes down to your mix (too thick or thin depending on the application required) and sanding (too much/not enough) to ruin your finish. I do agree that sanding should be called "Dusting" as the application should be enough that all your have to do is blend the mud with the drywall. Even Drywall hanging can assist in a good finish as can knowning how to paint. I thought I knew how to paint, then I watched a professional patch, finish and paint a wall in a hospital - yeah, I don't know how to paint!
Thanks Ray , I have work ahed an you are very encouraging as the sanding is the hardest part to me . I do believe that nowadays there are to many electrical device to do anything but as my very little experience even sanding old furnitures sanding by hands or “hand tools “ you have more kind of sensibility and control about hand pressure on the wall , also touching the wall by hand once a while..is a good thing.. it make to don’t take away too much mud from on top the tape .. thanks again you always a good teacher God bless you.
First week I started in my first trade a guy told me ….. it’s gonna be 10 years before you have seen it all. 20 years before you know what to do with all of it. 30 before your the best you can be. That’s a fact. Listen to people with this much experience and stop going to the 24 year old guy who is more of a TH-camr than a craftsman.
There is a way around the flashing... but IDK i still sand the walls after i prime because for 1 thing.... i usually do knockdown texture and i do not cover the walls w/plastic so i scrape the over spray off the walls... but still don't get it all so i like to prime then k.d, then scrape walls, then come back next day and sand all walls. For another thing i tend to get dirt that sticks to the lower walls after spraying the primer and a sander pole will clean that off the walls also. Then i can go ahead and orange peel. .... The other secret is you can prime the walls 1st and then the ceiling which will tend to not let those raised fibers on the wall catch primer drifting down from the ceiling. However if you sand walls like i do... it may not matter so much if you prime the ceiling 1st. So some people cover the walls w/polly to catch most or all of the overspray, (i did this years ago). Now i do it differently without poly and i just scrape walls best i can and then do a 1nce over-sanding on the walls. There are tons of ways of doing things. Just gotta find what works for you best. I know some people will mop...which water is cheap. But walls gotta be primed anyways... so as a one-man show, to save a little bit of time/labor.... i usually don't mop, unless you know the job is just so small &/or there are finished surfaces that i don't wanna take chance of overspray. And i also add a little bit of primer in w/my texture(plus 3)... which helps the painters out a little bit.
Thanks Ray you and I were obviously thought by the right journeymen. If you do the work the same way on each job and always get great results then never deviate from doing the operations differently or out of sequence.
For top coat sanding 120 grit is way to rough for hand sanding or machine sander. I use 180 grit to sand back my base coat. And 220 grit to smooth sand my top coat.
Back in the 70's we used 100 grit when the lightweight compounds came out we had to go to a finer grit. 150 clogged really fast so I use 120 for everything. Once you get use to it you learn how to sand without scratches. USG recommended 150.
Hay buddy were did you get that big headed square sander????? I got the old school one and the round one I want one of those big fat square ones those look awesome???????
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 Swirl marks can definitely be a problem, that's why I've switched to the Mirka. It's a random orbit, and doesn't leave any swirl marks. Very little hand sanding has to be done after, and it drops next to zero dust.
Hope I am not redundant here but when you say “ultra light” for taping, you mean the one with light green lid by USG? That mud got enough strength/glue to hold tape with confidence? Or am I misunderstanding something here. Thanks in advance. 👽
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 Thanks a bunch D-Dr! I did used it once (not for taping) and did not like the air bubbles in it. ObviouslyI used it for a wrong application. The experience your are willing to share is priceless and much, much appreciated. 👍
@@splanzza I use it on all 4 coats. The trick is knowing how much water, salt will help it dry faster, and dish detergent on the skim coat to make it slick.
@@Hamp72 Ultra-light (light green lid) on all four coats? Interesting. I doubt there is no more confusion in the trades then with drywall muds. USG must have made all those products and left it to one’s freestyle type artistic interpretation to be used.
@@splanzza well in the town that I live in there's only 2 places that sells mud and that's all that they get other than hot mud easy sand. I have been doing drywall since the late 80's and it's just how I was taught. Yes the green top usg is all that you need. On your taping coat you may want to thin it down a little bit, then on your bed coat I just mix no water and then the skim coat(last) thin it down a little bit. The only time I use hot mud is on patch jobs and small jobs. It's a lot easier learning from someone that knows. I worked for another man for about 5 years before I went out and started my own business. I hope that helps you.
in many ways i wish the drywall guys would do drywall, and i just fix to perfection so to say,,, but i have to do all,,, so the process is different ,,i want to sand to "perfect",, then paint,,
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 if u wouldn’t mind , what is a small job for you like - a patch to a day’s work -as a low skilled diy’er I’d just mix up enough to make the time allowed n go like hell. I found I could do a room in a day because of the time I didn’t have to wait for the mud to dry. I did coat two n three with the regular mud but afterwards I saw quickset for the last two. Very little sanding to finish.
Guys complaining at electrical sanders, make sure your sanding disc is in line with brush skirting to avoid pushing it against wall. It should glide and sand and it should be quick and easy, whole purpose if it. Yes you will see tiny lines on occasions, to get rid of those i zoom along with non electrical pole sander after sanding, just quick buff one or two swipes. Same as cleaning internals of that ridge that sander will leave you
May I ask what sanding grit do you use on the sanding machine to sand the finishing coat? And do you get a swirling mark on the joints from the machine sander.
@@bounyangthammakanh6831 depending on material my papers in van are between 100-220. Mostly 180 does it nice on Proform, Knauff, 4T and alike. I buy cheapest brown papers of eBay, about 40£ for 100 disks
Steel studs make huge difference.....alot straighter than wood We only use steel studs in commercial out here....or very little in residential work But yeah you shouldn't have to grind down your work if you know what y I ur doin
I’m seeing more new houses, especially custom ones, using engineered wood studs in areas where straightness is especially important (i.e., kitchens, bathrooms, two story walls, etc.). Their uniformity and resistance to bowing, twisting and cupping compared to regular framing lumber makes drywalling much easier.
The easiest way that I have found to sand drywall is to be the one that does the mudding. Been around many guys who Mud and then another team comes in and does the sanding. And complain about all the sanding they have to do. You mud it, you have nothing to complain about. Got to love trying to sand after a guy that looks like he's been using his fingers in it. After all, if you're not the one that has to sand it then why worry about making it perfect.
Lol that's what I said, damn this man started helping his dad when he must have been 5 (in my head) when he said that. Pigmented has a different tint to it so you know what you have done and not done yet.
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 I used the stuff in the bucket to redo my moms bathroom. Turned out good but I sure did have a lot of dust. I’m not a drywaller lol.
Yeah if you do a good job taping/muding... touchups shouldn't take that long. I'm one of the fastest touchup guys i know. However there's ways of touching up that are bettter than others. So if you wanna shortcut and not use a light much...this can be done but and the customer may not be that fussy....offten times they are more focused on the wood work, etc..
and drywall primer can be different to "Regular" primer which still does the job. A professional plasterer/painter I know told me to always buy good quality primer rather than expensive top coat paint. Less coats, easier application and better coverage.
As a taper from the UK I appreciate your good clean work and I enjoy watching your videos but sanding without dust suppression or a mask is just asking for lung disease or cancer! You should be practicing good safe work especially as millions of other people could watch your videos. Just a bit of feedback you might want to consider for your own health and the health of potential viewers
You should do a shitty job mudding and show us how to sand that. Not all of us have your experience. I'm nearing the end of my house finally and it's my first time mudding. I used the green all purpose on everything and may have put to much in areas.
Big fan of anyone working the trades and willing to share their knowledge. Would love to buy you a drink Ray. 🥂
You make it seem so simple and easy! If only I weren't sanding in my furnished home.
As a texture guy I greatly appreciate you not over sanding. Some tapers here in Colorado love over sanding with those electric sanders or even with pole sanders. After we texture all that over sanding on the joints flashes when it’s painted. Especially in areas with big windows or glass doors.
Great job Doc. 🤙
As a painter THANKS for texture!
I use a power sander for two reasons. First, my shoulders just won't take the hand sanding anymore (two torn rotator cuffs). I can still tape, but sanding kills me. Second, most of my jobs are remodels and hand sanding just makes too much dust. With my set-up I make more mess detailing than I do sanding. I'm really careful not to over sand (220 on the walls). I spray usg first-coat and back roll to get rid of fuzz. Things turn out terrific. Even with a light the joints don't show.
That sounds perfect I used my power sander on small patches with 220 Grit but they were using 150 and then were sanding everything by hand it was crazy
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 yeah Doc a man is only as good as the tools are. If you get a finer grit and run that power sander without stopping and starting you are less apt to leave swirls and grooves. If a man puts his mud on right there's very little sanding like you said. Great video Doc new subscriber 👍🏼
I agree you really need to know your power sander and think how to use it in different situations - much higher grit for detailing final sanding and turn the power down with the planex 2 the led helps a bunch to see where sanding is needed and where it’s not. Keeping the air clean in a remodel home is critical ..
Your definitely what I call a true tradesmen you do very good work👍 thank you for you videos
Hi Doc! As a DIY'er/Home owner I have found the "secret" to Drywall finishing is to hire someone else, ha ha. Seriously. After lots of practice it comes down to your mix (too thick or thin depending on the application required) and sanding (too much/not enough) to ruin your finish. I do agree that sanding should be called "Dusting" as the application should be enough that all your have to do is blend the mud with the drywall. Even Drywall hanging can assist in a good finish as can knowning how to paint. I thought I knew how to paint, then I watched a professional patch, finish and paint a wall in a hospital - yeah, I don't know how to paint!
This guy is the scotty Kilmer of drywall
Wow that's quite a compliment thank you.
True
I wish I had five million subscribers
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 if you rev up your power sander engine. 🤙
the triangle sander does great,, same brand as the round one,,, makes inside corners almost done ,,, little hand sand just to make nice,, done
Thank you Ray for all of your wisdom. I agree about the Durabond pre fill. Durabond is one of the best products they ever came up with.
Ray - thanks for another great tip for all of us non pros!
Good sander is a key for me. I use flex ge5, it's supper light at 3.9kg i can sand ceilings all day long with it
Thanks Ray ,
I have work ahed an you are very encouraging as the sanding is the hardest part to me .
I do believe that nowadays there are to many electrical device to do anything but as my very little experience even sanding old furnitures sanding by hands or “hand tools “ you have more kind of sensibility and control about hand pressure on the wall , also touching the wall by hand once a while..is a good thing.. it make to don’t take away too much mud from on top the tape ..
thanks again you always a good teacher God bless you.
Mirka leros, expensive, but makes sanding soooooo much nicer......
indeed, hand or machine finished, it will do an amazing job. And it will suck dust a lot better than the one he's shown in the video.
I do small repairs and cant make dust I sand my drywall with a 5" orbital makita sander hooked up to the shop vac it gets 95% of the dust.
First week I started in my first trade a guy told me ….. it’s gonna be 10 years before you have seen it all. 20 years before you know what to do with all of it. 30 before your the best you can be. That’s a fact. Listen to people with this much experience and stop going to the 24 year old guy who is more of a TH-camr than a craftsman.
I love your video's ! They have really helped me ! Thank you !
Thank you very much 🌹👍🙏🙏🙏
Good tips.
yep, where i live norway. i do from a to z,,, and yep it works out differently for people who will make the final finish
there is nothing more satisfying than a 60meter ceiling that need just a touch up sparkle or two.. flat, no scrapes, a screw hole maybe 2
There is a way around the flashing... but IDK i still sand the walls after i prime because for 1 thing.... i usually do knockdown texture and i do not cover the walls w/plastic so i scrape the over spray off the walls... but still don't get it all so i like to prime then k.d, then scrape walls, then come back next day and sand all walls. For another thing i tend to get dirt that sticks to the lower walls after spraying the primer and a sander pole will clean that off the walls also. Then i can go ahead and orange peel. .... The other secret is you can prime the walls 1st and then the ceiling which will tend to not let those raised fibers on the wall catch primer drifting down from the ceiling. However if you sand walls like i do... it may not matter so much if you prime the ceiling 1st. So some people cover the walls w/polly to catch most or all of the overspray, (i did this years ago). Now i do it differently without poly and i just scrape walls best i can and then do a 1nce over-sanding on the walls. There are tons of ways of doing things. Just gotta find what works for you best. I know some people will mop...which water is cheap. But walls gotta be primed anyways... so as a one-man show, to save a little bit of time/labor.... i usually don't mop, unless you know the job is just so small &/or there are finished surfaces that i don't wanna take chance of overspray. And i also add a little bit of primer in w/my texture(plus 3)... which helps the painters out a little bit.
👍🏼 there you go
Good vid , thank you.
Thanks Ray you and I were obviously thought by the right journeymen.
If you do the work the same way on each job and always get great results then never deviate from doing the operations differently or out of sequence.
Is 120 grits s bit rough for sanding the finishing coat?
I don't think so just don't push hard on the wall
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 I think he may have been talking about with the power sander. 🤷
O yes way to rough for a power sander
For top coat sanding 120 grit is way to rough for hand sanding or machine sander. I use 180 grit to sand back my base coat. And 220 grit to smooth sand my top coat.
Back in the 70's we used 100 grit when the lightweight compounds came out we had to go to a finer grit. 150 clogged really fast so I use 120 for everything. Once you get use to it you learn how to sand without scratches. USG recommended 150.
Hay buddy were did you get that big headed square sander????? I got the old school one and the round one I want one of those big fat square ones those look awesome???????
Trim Tex Black Widow
You can get the speed and dust free features of the power sander without over sanding if you know how to run the sander.
I haven't seen it. I've seen experienced sanders running it, and they still left circular sanding marks that needed to be sanded out.
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 Swirl marks can definitely be a problem, that's why I've switched to the Mirka. It's a random orbit, and doesn't leave any swirl marks. Very little hand sanding has to be done after, and it drops next to zero dust.
Where can I get that square sand pole
I think any big box stores would have them
Hope I am not redundant here but when you say “ultra light” for taping, you mean the one with light green lid by USG? That mud got enough strength/glue to hold tape with confidence? Or am I misunderstanding something here. Thanks in advance. 👽
You're exactly right and yes that mud is very good for taping
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 Thanks a bunch D-Dr! I did used it once (not for taping) and did not like the air bubbles in it. ObviouslyI used it for a wrong application. The experience your are willing to share is priceless and much, much appreciated. 👍
@@splanzza I use it on all 4 coats. The trick is knowing how much water, salt will help it dry faster, and dish detergent on the skim coat to make it slick.
@@Hamp72 Ultra-light (light green lid) on all four coats? Interesting. I doubt there is no more confusion in the trades then with drywall muds. USG must have made all those products and left it to one’s freestyle type artistic interpretation to be used.
@@splanzza well in the town that I live in there's only 2 places that sells mud and that's all that they get other than hot mud easy sand. I have been doing drywall since the late 80's and it's just how I was taught. Yes the green top usg is all that you need. On your taping coat you may want to thin it down a little bit, then on your bed coat I just mix no water and then the skim coat(last) thin it down a little bit. The only time I use hot mud is on patch jobs and small jobs. It's a lot easier learning from someone that knows. I worked for another man for about 5 years before I went out and started my own business. I hope that helps you.
Where can I find one of those big square sanders?
I can get it at Menards around me
High asf learning and I wonder why you don’t have a electric sander? I always think about making the work easier
in many ways i wish the drywall guys would do drywall, and i just fix to perfection so to say,,, but i have to do all,,, so the process is different ,,i want to sand to "perfect",, then paint,,
I have a question for the master. When u prefill with the durabond do u apply the tape then as it appears to me that would save u another step.
Only on small jobs most of the big jobs I can barely get the durabon on before it sets
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 if u wouldn’t mind , what is a small job for you like - a patch to a day’s work -as a low skilled diy’er I’d just mix up enough to make the time allowed n go like hell. I found I could do a room in a day because of the time I didn’t have to wait for the mud to dry. I did coat two n three with the regular mud but afterwards I saw quickset for the last two. Very little sanding to finish.
Small jobs are 20 12' sheets or less
Guys complaining at electrical sanders, make sure your sanding disc is in line with brush skirting to avoid pushing it against wall. It should glide and sand and it should be quick and easy, whole purpose if it. Yes you will see tiny lines on occasions, to get rid of those i zoom along with non electrical pole sander after sanding, just quick buff one or two swipes. Same as cleaning internals of that ridge that sander will leave you
May I ask what sanding grit do you use on the sanding machine to sand the finishing coat? And do you get a swirling mark on the joints from the machine sander.
@@bounyangthammakanh6831 depending on material my papers in van are between 100-220. Mostly 180 does it nice on Proform, Knauff, 4T and alike.
I buy cheapest brown papers of eBay, about 40£ for 100 disks
Steel studs make huge difference.....alot straighter than wood
We only use steel studs in commercial out here....or very little in residential work
But yeah you shouldn't have to grind down your work if you know what y I ur doin
I’m seeing more new houses, especially custom ones, using engineered wood studs in areas where straightness is especially important (i.e., kitchens, bathrooms, two story walls, etc.). Their uniformity and resistance to bowing, twisting and cupping compared to regular framing lumber makes drywalling much easier.
The easiest way that I have found to sand drywall is to be the one that does the mudding. Been around many guys who Mud and then another team comes in and does the sanding. And complain about all the sanding they have to do. You mud it, you have nothing to complain about.
Got to love trying to sand after a guy that looks like he's been using his fingers in it.
After all, if you're not the one that has to sand it then why worry about making it perfect.
thank you
How u sand with a 120 without scratching your mud up
Lightly sand with little pressure
and also touchup sanding w/ sponge sander &/or touchup mud....
You must have started doing drywall when you were 12 years old . Lol and what is Pigmented compound. Great video keep up the work
Lol that's what I said, damn this man started helping his dad when he must have been 5 (in my head) when he said that. Pigmented has a different tint to it so you know what you have done and not done yet.
Hey Ray, do you ever use Mesh tape instead of paper tape with Durabond and easy sand?
Only certain things. Definitely if I'm butting plaster to drywall I only use mesh tape
You sure don’t have much dust there when you sand. Is the material you’re using that cuts down on the dust?
No it's just +3
@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 I used the stuff in the bucket to redo my moms bathroom. Turned out good but I sure did have a lot of dust. I’m not a drywaller lol.
120 is way too course for finish sanding...
I always use 180 to 200 grit
I use 120 for presand, 150/180 for finish.
Yeah if you do a good job taping/muding... touchups shouldn't take that long. I'm one of the fastest touchup guys i know. However there's ways of touching up that are bettter than others. So if you wanna shortcut and not use a light much...this can be done but and the customer may not be that fussy....offten times they are more focused on the wood work, etc..
Priming is key... its called drywall primer for a reason lol
and drywall primer can be different to "Regular" primer which still does the job. A professional plasterer/painter I know told me to always buy good quality primer rather than expensive top coat paint. Less coats, easier application and better coverage.
Put a mask on OG!!!
As a taper from the UK I appreciate your good clean work and I enjoy watching your videos but sanding without dust suppression or a mask is just asking for lung disease or cancer! You should be practicing good safe work especially as millions of other people could watch your videos. Just a bit of feedback you might want to consider for your own health and the health of potential viewers
Ray your lungs must be like a shield of steel, from 1976! nice job though🙂
Dang, you sweep up after yourself...? in elgin, the boys just leave the dust for the painter to deal with...
👌
You should do a shitty job mudding and show us how to sand that. Not all of us have your experience. I'm nearing the end of my house finally and it's my first time mudding. I used the green all purpose on everything and may have put to much in areas.
Dude.... Please wear a respirator!
Get a Mirka.
Have one
sanding machines are a waste of time look at all that dust
Dude put on a mask 😷