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Rust on drywall tools

jyang949 | Posted in Tools for Home Building on May 1, 2010 02:40am

I have a trowel and taping knives bought about ten years ago. Since I had never worked with drywall before and didn’t anticipate ever needing to again, these were just whatever the hardware store offered.  

These tools rust like crazy, literally within hours after they have been washed and dried. Is this normal, or is it a characteristic of tools of poor quality, or the wrong type of steel?–because I’ll replace them right away. Life is too short to mess with bad tools.

Myron Ferguson recommends using trowel that has a slight curve (longitudinally, I assume). He also said it is important to use a stiff taping knife that barely flexes under pressure. My rusters don’t flex at all.

Any idea where I can buy a curved trowel and the right kind of taping knife?

Janet

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Replies

  1. calvin | May 01, 2010 04:49pm | #1

    Janet

    A good drywall supply should have what you need.

    I use stainless for my big knife- Others are almost all Hyde-rust if you leave them lay around over each other in damp location.  In a bucket, dry, not overlapping each other-no.

    Ames has stores around the country.  Specializes in taping tools.  Look for one of them around you.

    1. jimcap | May 10, 2010 12:12am | #7

      Ames Tools

      I had a hard time finding a local Ames Tool distributor in the San Francisco Bay Area and recently read that they had gone bankrupt and were filing chapter 11. 

      1. calvin | May 10, 2010 06:17am | #8

        You could be right

        I haven't been by the local storefront in quite some time.

        Another one bites the dust.............

  2. DanH | May 01, 2010 08:43pm | #2

    Note that you can generally clean up a rusty knife pretty well if it's not too far gone -- steel wool or sandpaper.  It won't be quite as smooth as when new and so won't work quite as well, but generally fine for a few random patches and most DIY hack work.

    When you're done with the tools, scrape them, wash them, let them dry, then hit them with a shot of WD40 or some such (but be sure to wipe it off well before using them again).

  3. PaliBob | May 02, 2010 04:27am | #3

    Taping & Finishing Tools

    I  use All-Wall

    http://www.all-wall.com/Categories/Joint-Knives?whence=

    ...Bob

  4. User avater
    MarkH | May 02, 2010 07:49am | #4

    Most of those blue steel knives rust like crazy.  I usually just scrape it off with another putty knife.  The rust will not go very deep.  I'd just use what you have unless you're planning to do extensive drywall work. 

  5. sapwood | May 03, 2010 04:07pm | #5

    Rust is a patina... we get it too

    Most of my drywall tools rust. Just get them wet and wipe off the most of it. They'll work fine. What I don't understand is the advice to only use stiff knives. All of my knives have a good deal of flex. I can't fathom how a stiff knife would let one taper to a feather edge. It'd be like trying to spread mud with a board.

    You can bend in a slight curve yourself. I do this to my 10" and 12" knife. 

    1. jyang949 | May 08, 2010 02:49pm | #6

      Look at Myron's taping knife!

      It's supposedly a new taping knife, but it developed rust and he didn't remove it. Probably doesn't matter because it's on the side -of the blade that he doesn't use.

       

      -------------------

      Sapwood:

      The bend is in the trowel, not the taping knife, and was too tough for me to bend. I found Myron's trowel: 

      http://www.marshalltown.com/productDetail.aspx?prodID=12616

       

      Janet

    2. jyang949 | May 30, 2010 02:55pm | #9

      Why he likes flexible tools

      "Cheaper, flimsier knives are harder to work with and tend to leave too much joint compound on the surface. Stiffer knives give you more control over the amount of compound left on the surface." --from Drywall by Myron Ferguson.

      It occurs to me that the book is geared towards DIYers, who need every advantage. I think it would not apply to experienced drywallers (is that a real word?), who could probably use a kitchen spatula if necessary. 

      Janet

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