# Easier puddying?



## NeighborMike (Jul 17, 2016)

Is there an easier way to puddy rather then just putting it on your finger and just smashing it into the hole?


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

What kind of putty? 
With regular painters putty or glazing compound the easy way to me is to make a ball out of it and do it that way. Helps to dry it out just a bit from the can consistency. Add a little corn starch or Sheetrock dust, or rub it on cardboard to absorb some of the oil. Then make a ball. Push it into the holes and break it off laterally, then sand or wipe as normal. 

With spackle I do something similar, but it's harder to get the spackle to that perfect state of half-dryness to make a ball. And then it will eventually dry all the way out. 




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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

I keep a little zip lock bag of flour to mix with the putty to make a nice ball. I usually twist it a little with my fingers to a point the stick it into the hole, break off, and lightly rub. Done right, with a good ball, you can get it in one shot with minimal shrinkage and not have to sand it like Elmer's or light weight spackle.


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## NeighborMike (Jul 17, 2016)

Ok so we are all basically doing the same thing 

I ask cause as I mentioned in another post I just started painting and it seemed kind of primitive to have to make a little ball and manually do that. 

I was thinking there might be some kind if administration tool or something you could use rather then having to do it like that 

The person teaching me is in his 50s and learned from Union workers long ago so I was just thinking he's old school 

Here's another question:
Is there an easier way to tape off windows?

Currently we are just cutting sheets of plastic and taping them around the window frame? Is this basically how it's done or is there a better or more easy way?


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

Masking is much easier with a 3M hand masker.


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## NeighborMike (Jul 17, 2016)

PRC said:


> Masking is much easier with a 3M hand masker.


Thank you
So I assume you can buy this and find wrap long enough for the windows?


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

NeighborMike said:


> Thank you
> So I assume you can buy this and find wrap long enough for the windows?


The big box stores sell the handmasker, as do Sherwin Williams stores. You can purchase rolls of plastic that unfold to 4, 6, and 9 foot lengths.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

SemiproJohn said:


> The big box stores sell the handmasker, as do Sherwin Williams stores. You can purchase rolls of plastic that unfold to 4, 6, and 9 foot lengths.


And the plastic is 180 feet wide:jester:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Is that a sex thing? Sounds like a sex thing.

The puddy not the plastic. Although the plastic could be too.


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## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

PACman said:


> Is that a sex thing? Sounds like a sex thing.
> 
> The puddy not the plastic. Although the plastic could be too.



Ya'know, they say when you bring up this topic all the time,it means ya'ain't gettin' any,Mr. I've Had No Complaints.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

fauxlynn said:


> Ya'know, they say when you bring up this topic all the time,it means ya'ain't gettin' any,Mr. I've Had No Complaints.


Yeah it was the "smashing it in the hole" that got me!


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

SemiproJohn said:


> The big box stores sell the handmasker, as do Sherwin Williams stores. You can purchase rolls of plastic that unfold to 4, 6, and 9 foot lengths.





Gough said:


> And the plastic is 180 feet wide:jester:



I tell ya, that Gough doesn't miss a thing, does he? I mean _nothing_!:no:


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

slinger58 said:


> I tell ya, that Gough doesn't miss a thing, does he? I mean _nothing_!:no:


Well, he doesn't miss a thing. Yet, he did not differentiate between the sizes. The 4 foot plastic is 180ft long. I think the 6 and 9 are only 90ft long.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

This about the easiest there is... _(well somebody had to :yes_.


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## Sydnee (Jul 20, 2016)

An old timer showed me a trick to use whiting works great mixed with putty. Also run all your tape first then add the plastic saves time and headaches.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

SemiproJohn said:


> Well, he doesn't miss a thing. Yet, he did not differentiate between the sizes. The 4 foot plastic is 180ft long. I think the 6 and 9 are only 90ft long.


Ya learn somethin' every day. Nice to get that out of the way so early...now I can relax.

As unwieldy as the 4-foot *thick* plastic is, we never use the wider stuff. For bigger areas, we use "Painters' Plastic" and 3M Dual-Tac.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

View attachment 80194


Sydnee said:


> An old timer showed me a trick to use whiting works great mixed with putty. Also run all your tape first then add the plastic saves time and headaches.


I often use the technique below to mask windows.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

We no longer have the ability to post .gif files?


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

CApainter said:


> View attachment 80194
> 
> 
> I often use the technique below to mask windows.


Sharp! Could you please describe your process?


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

RH said:


> Sharp! Could you please describe your process?


 see post "18


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

RH said:


> Sharp! Could you please describe your process?


Here ya go!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

I was being a smart ass (surprise!). All I saw in your other post was the first pic.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

CApainter said:


> Here ya go!


Pretty colors!:vs_clouds::vs_clouds::vs_music::vs_balloons::vs_peace:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

CApainter said:


> Here ya go!


We eliminate the paper and use this:












3M did stop making the dispensers, but some other mfgs. have stepped up...mostly by hacking the regular 3M hand maskers.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

PACman said:


> Pretty colors!:vs_clouds::vs_clouds::vs_music::vs_balloons::vs_peace:


Here's how you can cover your window when one of your angry customers throws a quart of Kilz II through it.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Gough said:


> We eliminate the paper and use this:
> 
> 
> View attachment 80266
> ...


 I'll look into the double sided tape. 

Most of the time, I'm using just the plastic. Once it's anchored the taping goes pretty quick. I'll use the paper when I don't want a particular product's overspray to dry on the plastic.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

CApainter said:


> I'll look into the double sided tape.
> 
> Most of the time, I'm using just the plastic. Once it's anchored the taping goes pretty quick. I'll use the paper when I don't want a particular product's overspray to dry on the plastic.


Just to clarify, it's not double-sided tape. The dispenser applies the orange tape sticky side out and regular masking tape sticky side in. 

The early dispensers used a roll of blue tape with a 1-inch core. That was changed to accommodate tape with standard-size cores.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

CApainter said:


> Here's how you can cover your window when one of your angry customers throws a quart of Kilz II through it.


I don't sell Kilz II. I sell stuff that works as advertised!


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## csbeepee (Jun 29, 2015)

So back to the nail holes.. I have been using 3M patch/primer with great results. Apply with a putty knife and allow the blade to "float" so that you get the hole overfilled, with no residual on the trim, assuming we are talking flat millwork. For curves and detail work, I use my finger.

Nice artwork BTW.

Anyone here like using the OLFA tool for masking? I find the dull blade on the heel of the knife to be INVALUABLE. I love it.


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## wsudelt778 (Aug 13, 2016)

csbeepee said:


> So back to the nail holes.. I have been using 3M patch/primer with great results. Apply with a putty knife and allow the blade to "float" so that you get the hole overfilled, with no residual on the trim, assuming we are talking flat millwork. For curves and detail work, I use my finger.
> 
> Nice artwork BTW.
> 
> Anyone here like using the OLFA tool for masking? I find the dull blade on the heel of the knife to be INVALUABLE. I love it.




Which olfa tool are you talking about? I'd like to give it a try.


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## csbeepee (Jun 29, 2015)

OLFA Heavy Duty Utility Knife.

http://tinyurl.com/jurt6hb


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## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

Old thread but recently revived and I'm new. So I though I'd just add that I used to use the "painter's putty" - which is still just glazing compound - and in the same way as others have described.

But lately I've just been using DAP Fast N Final - I'm sure the same thing as the 3M. It's fast and easy to apply with a knife. It doesn't get hard and dry out, and doesn't shrink. If anything it expands a little so a quick, light scuff sand or shot with a putty knife to knock off the bulge takes care of it.

The DAP bills itself as not needing primer (unlike the 3M which sort of implies that it IS a primer), but it does flash like mad. If you're looking to 1 coat or are on your last coat, spotting to a full dry is a must. If you will end up 2 coating or priming anyway, it's not an issue. I wonder, csbeepee, if the 3M does the same?


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