On 10/18/15 8:05 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 10/18/2015 7:42 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 4:59:37 PM UTC-4,
wrote:
On Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:21:16 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
my dad taught me years ago to use the paper tape, and dip it in
water first.
===
That's a little counterintuitive. Do put down a thin layer of mud
first and then bed the tape in it?
Yes. A thin layer of mud, dip the paper tape in a bowl of water
(already cut to length), pull it through two fingers to get rid of the
excess water, then bed it into the mud using the taping knife with
just a touch of mud on top. Next day you come back and hit it just a
tiny bit with sandpaper to knock down the high spots, and there won't
be much, then do a second light coat. After that dries do the final
and sand. Again, the idea is to not leave a lot of mud to sand.
Not as fast as the pros, but I've always gotten good results.
When I was stationed at Fort Allen in Puerto Rico (only "Fort" in the US
Navy) there was a project going on to renovate the open space enlisted
barracks into many, two man rooms. The Sea Bees were in charge
of the project and they finished the sheetrock walls by smearing them
with mud and then, using a sponge, they "pulled" the mud straight out,
forming a wall with a gazillion little sharp spikes when it dried and
hardened.
The reason was to discourage drunks from coming back from the club and
punching holes in the walls. Didn't always work but at least they knew
who was hitting the walls with their fists.
Years ago, my wife "treated" some navy personnel from the Jax naval air
station who were ordered into therapy after getting drunk and beating
the crap out of their wives or girlfriends. It was up to my wife to
decide whether they could say in therapy for the number of sessions
assigned by the judges or whether they'd have to go to jail. I think
these were guys who were living off the base in civilian housing.
To help the fellas behave, the county stationed one of its extra tall
deputies outside the group therapy meeting room during sessions. One tap
on a buzzer and the deputy would rush in, take the offender by the
scruff of the neck, and toss him into a holding cell until he could be
transported to the county jail.
There was a significant drinking problem among some of the navy
personnel in those days. I doubt the percentage was large, but it was
enough to be singled out for special attention in the domestic violence
courts and among the patrol officers who looked for drinking drivers.