black.mark•3mo agoMost Upvoted

I finally gave in and tried a 12-inch taping knife for the first coat

I always stuck with a 10-inch for everything, thought bigger was just for show. Then I saw a video from a guy in Kansas City who timed himself, and he was a full 20% faster on a big flat ceiling using the 12-inch. I tried it on a garage job last Thursday, and it really does cover more ground with fewer strokes. Anyone else make the switch and notice a difference on certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

gray_roberts3mo agoProlific Poster

Bigger knives just feel clumsy for cutting in corners though.

willow_martin3mo agoTop Commenter

What if you try a small paring knife for corners, @gray_roberts?

fiona_clark1mo ago

A paring knife can work for some corners, but what about when the corner is super tight, like where two cabinet faces meet? Does the paring knife handle that ok without nicking up the adjacent surface, or do you still end up gouging the wood a little? I tried a small one once and it felt like I was wrestling the blade around that inside angle and still left a messy edge. Maybe the trick is in the angle you hold it, but that seems like a lot of fussing for one little spot. Seems like you'd need a specific knife grind for it to really shine there.