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The fast-set compound that cured my crumbly corners, but gave me a new headache
I switched to a 45-minute fast-set compound for my last two jobs, mainly to cut down on the wait between coats. Corners and screw pops turned out rock solid, no shrinkage at all, which was great. But the unexpected part was how much harder it got to sand, even with a damp sponge it felt like I was fighting the surface. I figured out I was waiting too long to start the second coat, the stuff was already kicking off before I barely touched it. Now I mix smaller batches and work in tighter sections, maybe 10 feet at a time instead of the whole wall. Has anyone else seen this same issue with the quick-set bags, or do you just accept the extra sanding as the trade-off?
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evan_grant701mo ago
Heard a drywall guy on a podcast say the fast-set stuff has a different crystal structure when it cures, makes it denser than the regular mud. That would explain why the sponge barely dents it. He said the trick is to hit it with the knife while it's still green, like right when it stops feeling tacky, and you can shave most of the ridges off before it fully hardens. Waiting even 20 minutes past that point is what turns it into sanding concrete.
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