Decorating using mechanical finishing tools – USG Manufactured Housing Handbook User Manual

Page 18

Preparation
To use an automatic taping tool, you
must first install the drywall tape and
fill the taping tool with compound.

Generally, a standard-width paper
tape like S

HEETROCK

Brand Joint Tape

should be used in automatic taping
tools. If the tape is too wide, it will not
fit properly into the tool; if it is too
narrow, it may cause jamming.

To install the tape, remove the retain-
ing wire and place the roll of tape on
the spindle. Feed the tape through
the tape guide, with the back side of
the tape facing down, so that the tape
curls over the drive wheel.

You can fill the taping tool with com-
pound using a hand pump with a
gooseneck attachment. Attach the
gooseneck to the pump by placing a
pump gasket on the pump housing,
over the protruding studs. Place the
gooseneck over the studs and
tighten the hex nuts firmly to prevent
leaking.

The hand pump should be placed in a
standard five-gallon pail containing
joint compound that is well mixed
and lump-free. If the pump is new or
freshly cleaned, prime the pump by
pouring 1/2 cup of water into the out-
let (once the pump is full of com-
pound, no further priming is needed).

Before attaching the taping tool to
the gooseneck, make sure that the
taping tool’s gate control lever is in

the closed position. Pump material
until compound exits the nozzle.
Place the automatic taping tool on
the gooseneck, seating it firmly.
Move the pump handle to transfer
compound from the pail to the auto-
matic taping tool.

Tips
When filling a taping tool with com-
pound, keep the mud pail full to
avoid pumping air into the tool. To
avoid overfilling the taping tool, place
your fingers in the open end of the
tube while filling it. Stop pumping
when the piston reaches your fingers
(this will be about 9 pumps for an
empty taping tool).

When the taping tool is filled with
compound, remove it from the
gooseneck. Stand the taping tool on
end and move the gate valve control
lever to engage the drive mecha-
nism. Turn the key, located on the
drive gear sprocket, until compound
covers the leading edge of the joint
tape. (This step is required after each
loading of the taping tool.)

General Operation
To use the taping tool, push it along
the joint you wish to tape. Hold the
tool with one hand on the control
tube, and the other at the bottom of
the compound tube. The taping tool
will dispense compound onto the
tape and paste the tape to the wall.

At the end of the joint, you must
come to a complete stop and pull a
handle—connected to a built-in
blade—that will cut the tape to the
appropriate length. Then, advance
the taping tool with the wheel
against the wall until the tape and
compound appear.

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29 Priming

Prior to painting, apply S

HEETROCK

Brand First Coat or a flat latex paint
as a prime coat. Follow the manu-
facturer’s recommendations. For
best results, use airless spray
equipment. Closely follow equip-
ment manufacturer’s instructions
and all safety precautions.

30 Painting

After prime coat is dry, apply a
good quality interior paint. Follow
the recommendations on the
container.

Manual methods of joint finishing are
easy and reliable, and can be used in
any situation. Learning these meth-
ods is also the best way to gain an
understanding of the art of finishing,
and to develop a feeling for finishing
tools and materials.

If you tape and finish large areas of
drywall, however, it may be to your
advantage to learn how to use
mechanical drywall tools. These tools
help to increase productivity, and can
also make your work more consis-
tent. (They remain only part of the
solution, however; hand tools still
pick up where mechanical tools leave
off.)

Mechanical drywall tools are avail-
able from a variety of manufacturers.
Each version operates a little differ-
ently, and applicators have their own
preferences. The explanations that
follow are general guidelines for dif-
ferent tool types; for more detailed
information on the use, mainte-
nance, and cleaning of a specific
tool, you should refer to the instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer.

The section below describes the
design and use of the most popular
mechanical finishing tools. Following
this overview are some sample pro-
cedures that show how you can
combine different tools to accom-
plish a finishing task.

Automatic Taping Tool

An automatic taping tool is used to
apply tape to joints mechanically. The
taping tool places a measured
amount of compound on the tape;
applies the tape to the wall; and cuts
the tape to the correct length.

Decorating

Using Mechanical
Finishing Tools

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