All
Here is a poor man’s banjo for small remodelers and DIYs.
This is an old box that we have used for years. They are easy to build.
I have trouble with air pockets behind tape when I tape by hand. Using the banjo I almost never have a problem with air pockets.
This will speed up your 1st coat of joint compound.
I always thin the mud that I use this 1st step.
I screw the box to a saw horse.
Pull the tape out like this.
In this picture I had to leave the job for dinner, so I just put plastic over the JC.
Place a 4″ knife on the tape and pull the tape up and sideways.
Rich
Replies
All
More pics.
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I do tape runs up to 8' long by lapping it like this.
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I hold the assembly screws back about 3" and I hold the bottom board up about 3/8", this allows me to control the opeing size by setting the screw a little tighter.
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Picture of the opening. I bevel the bottom of the V board to make cleaning easier.
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Did you screw up and let the JC dry on the box. No problem, remove a couple of screws and cleaning dried JC is done very quickly.
Well there is my poor man's banjo. Go forth and spread some joint compound.
Rich
Edited 4/19/2009 10:38 pm ET by cargin
Wow...very cool. The Flinstone's Banjo...way to go Rich : ) I love it !!!!
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
Thanks Andy
The guy who taught me carpentry used a box like this 30 years ago.
I certainly didn't come up with this concept on my own.
I sometimes wonder why i don't buy a banjo. Next job come along and we just get out the box and get it done.
One advantage is several guys can work out of one box.
Rich
Now that's ingenuity at it's best. Thanks for sharing.
I'll build me one tomorrow. It will look great next to all my wooden toolboxes!
~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netMeet me at House & Builder!
Edited 4/20/2009 1:04 am by Ted W.
I like that. I used to have trouble with bubbles all the time then I started soaking the tape before I put it on the wall.
I watched my drywall guys and realized their banjo wet the tape first, so now I rip paper to size and place it in a bucket of water while I slather the first coat of mud on the wall. Works well but could certainly save time with your tool. (the banjo).
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
MSA1
I hope it helps you.
I think you are right the tape needs just a little bit of time to absorb some moisture from the mud.
That's why the banjo has helped with my bubble problem.
Rich
I absolutely love it! Banjos are great if you
are doing any sizable taping. I have one but don't use it anymore since when I do have to tape, it's too small & not worth the effort.
really cool though, thanks.
Where's the strings go? Where's the drum? How do you make music with that thing?My Blog
Rich...meant to tell you in my post. Ever since i saw my drywall guy using his corner "roller" I bought one and will never go back. Shaped to roll the corner . I just thin the mud down a "little" roll the corner with mud in two seconds...ok...maybe five seconds. Beats cleaning out "any" kinda banjo.
He said he always used a brush until he tried a roller which is much better.
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
Edited 4/20/2009 7:41 am ET by andybuildz
Edited 4/20/2009 7:43 am ET by andybuildz
We are supposed to clean out banjos?
Andy
I have never seen one like you describe.
Is this used with the 1st coat and tape?
I have seen the drywall pros and their tools.
Rich
The roller I use is like a mop roller shaped into a triangle. You dip it into the thinned mud and roll it down the corner applying the mud to both sides of the corner as it goes on, about an inch and a half either side, just right for the tape. Crease your tape and apply with cornering tool. Done.
Very fast and slick as snot.
Jer
I have never seen anybody use anything like that.
Do you have any trouble with bubbles or air pockets.
When i use the "poor man banjo", it gives the mud and the tape time to "book, like wall paper" .
I have had trouble with air pockets in the 1st coat (under the tape) when I tape by hand. By that I mean apply mud with a trowel and then apply tape, then smooth it out.
Maybe I just thin the mud more when I use the "banjo".
Rich
I always add a little more water to the mud before I mix it and make sure the bedding coat is plenteous so it can full cover the one side of the tape. I like to use the green top for bedding and blue for finish.
Steve...what Jer said.
If you can't find the mop roller I've used a foam paint corner roller. Just get the heaviest foam roller they sell. BE sure to thin the mud before you use it...then apply the tape. You shouldn't see much in the way of air bubbles...specially when the mud gets thinned.
I used to use a big brush which also works really well. I used one of those $20 wide flat topped brushes you use to paint hand splits. The hold a good deal of mud and stay the right stiffness and are still pretty soft.
I only use these techniques when I have at least an entire room or more to do.
Between that and the stilts...and oh yeh, tunes...you fly through it although i still hate it....after the second coat....lol.
One thing I wish i had was the PC sander with tool activated vacuum. It's one of those things you never get a good deal on...on Ebay , just like the MM....at least the vacuum part you can't get a deal on.
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
I admire your set up, I am old school also. Been in drywall since the 70's.
Thought I would share this with you though. Kind of a rich man's banjo.
Our company demo'd this tool last week, I think three guys ran over 2000 ft. of bead in 2 hrs at a school we are doing. We bought one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuuQMcA-11c
http://autoslam.com/
Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
Cargin,Thanks for posting this. I've been struggling with air bubbles underneath my paper tape joints and this looks like it would really help things out.
DC
You're welcome. Thin the mud.
Good luck.
Rich
mike
That was amazing.
I have never seen anything like that.
How did you like the guy on the 5 gal bucket, walking it across the floor?
Thanks for the link.
Rich
Yeah bucket walking is becoming a lost art. I've seen guys do it with 8' ladders too. Two skills that are "falling" by the wayside. ; ^ )
The guys that make that machine are the same guys that make No-coat flexbead, one of the better drywall innovations in a longtime. Not sure what the machine costs though, drywall companies are kinda known to be cheap that way. Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
The old bucket shimmy can be dangerous but it's highly effective. I can still do it and do on occasion, but not as much as I did 20 or so years ago.
I turned 60 last Jan. and I still do the bucket boogaloo - pirouettes even - just to blow the young boy's minds.
I am in favor of waterboardin', but only on people who use the euphemism "enhanced interrogation techniques".
That's pretty cool. I don't see the point of usin' it for the inside corners, though.
When I was doin' highrise condo's, someone bought adjacent 2 and 3 bedroom units and joined them (either for a MIL suite or maybe servant's quarters). Between the two apt.'s I counted over a half mile of bead.
Our front three rooms took 95) 500' rolls of paper tape to repair the old plaster. Looks great, kept the old plaster, and I traded a plasterer buddy for some nice wainscoting for his house.
Forrest
They used to make a gypsum impregnated wallpaper for jobs like that.
Hang it with regular wallpaper paste, then skim over with joint compound.
Yeah, but we wanted to still see the shadows of the wood lath instead of railroad paper.
Forrest
Also, I don't think you can say impregn@ted here.
Forrest
I once #### in a #### on a #### for a #### until I #### a #### and then #### a #### atleast every ten ####!
I am in favor of waterboardin', but only on people who use the euphemism "enhanced interrogation techniques".
Well you can, but only in that thread about 17yo girls and their pill collections.But I'm curious about this 'railroad paper' term. From where does that originate? Atlanta patois? Never heard it before.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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I'm not sure, It's heavy paper/cloth, with a pronounced grain or weave, so maybe that's the origin.
Forrest
McDesign
I would like to see 3' wide fibertape for those kind of situations.
Stick the tape to the wall and skim coat it.
Rich
I've thought for years that in this day and age....I can't believe no ones come up with a kind of tape/compound you iron (or some kinda contraption) on the seams and it's done in one shot dead smooth.
I think I'll work on that after I finish finding the cure to AIDS down my basement in my spare time...just been kinda busy lately finishing up a bathroom...lol
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
I've got a roll of 4" mesh tape I picked up somewhere. I think its used in EIFS on styrofoam. Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
They make it.
Fiba tape or something like that, Fiba - something...Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Here.
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(atoubd20eh5jpvnpz1c2frz0)/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=1338417
They make others too. I picked some up recently at Menards locally. Coupla years ago I did a whole house with it - don't remember where i got it then. 20 -30 rolls.
Pretty easy to use.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
JHOLE
Thank you, I saved that in favorites. I could probably order thru the lumber yards (both Do-It-Best)
We have Menards, Lowes and HD about 30 miles away, but I don't go there often.
On date night with my wife I say "Let's go to Lowes and look around at waht's new" and she says "Let's not."
So I usually only go there on a mission.
I really could have used that stuff a couple of years ago when we redid our living room. http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=86158.1
Thanks again
Rich
Rich...I was JUST holding a roll of that in my hands a few days ago at HD reading through the directions....no reason...I just happen to be standing right there waiting for someone.
Wonder if you can Google fiberglass tape and find bigger rolls for less money somewhere like maybe Ebay. I saw rolls of Kerdi and Ditra on eBay cheaper...not that that'd help you...lol
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
Andy
Thanks.
I don't need any right now.
But projects do come up where that kind of fiber tape would be very handy.
I will look for it at HD next time I am in the big city.
Although HD is 3rd (out of 3) on my list of favorite big box stores.
Thanks again
Rich
Got a good condo story from the height of the dotcom craze in SF.
A 20 something instant millionaire bought one on an upper story, while we we still trying to finish up parts of the public areas. We were hired to do some framing changes inside. On the weekend he had a party and we came in Monday. The place was thrashed, spray paint everywhere and holes through the walls. Lucky they didn't shear off a water line.
Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
Rich folks are really into that "distressed" look.
I am in favor of waterboardin', but only on people who use the euphemism "enhanced interrogation techniques".
According to the links you sent, you should be able to get up to 150 ft/min! So it took your three guys two hours to do what could be accomplished in about 14 min?
In the video, one guy took nine minutes for the prep. I am guessing it would have taken him another ten min to apply the mud.
It took two guys ten min to do the whole job.
I am not seeing the advantage here.
Although there was some waste with the first guy, I am guessing that the waste in filling and cleaning the expensive equipment except on really big jobs would be about the same. You also have the power requirement for the machine, the setup time, and the cleanup time. You also have to lock up the equipment at night.How can you understand God if you can't understand people? How can you understand people if you can't understand yourself?
According to the links you sent, you should be able to get up to 150 ft/min!
I don't think that figure is accurate, maybe watch it again. Then keep in mind it is a promotional video, nobody even had a tool to wipe down the bead.
In my first post I made a mistake also, it was 3 guys 4 hours = 2000 ft bead.
In a pretty straight forward job a good guy can run about 500f ft of bead a day.
With the machine we ran 2000 in 12 hrs.
The machine is also an electric pump and fills the boxes and bazookas.
It holds 15 gallons of mud instead of 5 and I don't think you have to do anything but flush it out at the end of the day.
Hey, I just posted the link... cutting edge and all that. ; ^ ) Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
I didn't doubt your experience. I just read their home page and watched the video and could not see an advantage in their numbers. I still like the idea of how the machine spits out the pieces you need.How can you understand God if you can't understand people? How can you understand people if you can't understand yourself?
Cargin,
Thanks for posting this. I like that the unit is screwed to the horse so you cannot ruin your body trying to hoist a banjo overhead with one hand while smoothing tape with the other.
I have had 2 banjos, and sold them each time so I would not be tempted to use them. I try to cultivate the image of being a guy who does not do drywall, but on smaller jobs it seems unavoidable.
Bill
Bill
I am glad you like it.
but on smaller jobs it seems unavoidable.
That's why we do it too.
I would wait for months to get a taper to do a bathroom job.
Rich
Thanks for sharing that. What I like about yours is the ease of filling and the large hopper.
I have a cheap aluminum handheld banjo I bought at home depot 15 years ago that works ok but the mud compartment is pretty small and I grow frustrated with having to fill it often.
Have you ever thought about making a lid for yours to slow the drying of the mud and keep foreign material out of it?
Karl
karl
I usually put excess mud back into the banjo after I apply a piece of tape and trowel it into the joint.
I am not too picky about reusing mud on the 1st coat.
I do not take mud out of banjo and return it to the bucket.
I am very picky about contaminating mud on the 2nd and 3rd coats.
I have cut a piece of SR and put that over the top instead of plastic when I want to go for dinner.
Rich