Hit 500 square feet of drywall mudding this weekend and finally got why pros use a bazooka

I've been taping and mudding my basement myself, and after covering 500 square feet by hand with a 10 inch knife, my wrist started aching bad enough I couldn't grip a coffee cup Sunday morning. Has anyone here used one of those automatic taper tools, or is it overkill for a one-room job?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jade11d ago

Oh man, I felt that "couldn't grip a coffee cup" line deep in my bones. I did my garage last summer and after three straight weekends of mudding, I had to switch to tea because I couldn't hold a regular mug without dropping it. The repetitive wrist motion is no joke, especially with a 10 inch knife where you're really leaning into it. I ended up renting one of those automatic taper tools from Home Depot for a weekend, and honestly it was worth every penny just to save my joints. It's not cheap but for a one room job it might be the difference between finishing your basement and needing a brace for a month.

valwest10d ago

Doubt it's THAT bad, @coleman.jade, you probably just need a better grip.