I miss the days of hand mixing hot mud on big jobs

I was on a big office build last month with a crew that uses these automatic mixers for everything. They had this huge pump setup with pre-mixed compound in buckets... it's fast, okay. But I watched them struggle with the consistency for an hour before they got it right. Then I thought back to 15 years ago when my old boss and I would mix a 50 pound bag of hot mud by hand on a board, and we could feel the texture change in our hands. You knew when it was just right for taping or for top coating. The premix stuff never seems to grab as good on the first coat either. I find myself having to do more passes now than I used to. Do any of you guys still mix your own on site or am I just old school?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_martin5618d ago

Feeling the texture change in your hands" - that right there is the whole difference. I read a article from a drywall trade journal that said the premix stuff has more air and filler to keep it shelf stable, so it never firms up the same way. We still mix our own for tight residential patches, and the grab on the first coat is night and day. You ain't old school, you just know what works.

oscarm2418d ago

Reminds me of the time I tried using old spackle that had separated in the basement. What a mess.