Walls and Ceilings - bigmtk - I dont understand one of your posts

bigmtk,

On this page you posted a quick and easy method for ripping drywall:
http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=235462

I have read it over and over and I just cant work it out in my mind. Can you add some more description so that it is even more explicit. Maybe I have a mental block - I just cant picture it.

If you can - thanks.

From what I read in the post, you measure to where the cut is to be made. Stick your knife in the board at this point. With the tape container on the left hand side of the board and the hook of the tape held against the blade of the knife with your thumb, you pinch the blade of the tape between your left thumb and forefinger. Now you have the tape stretched tight between the edge of the board with your left hand and the knife blade with the hook end of the tape on the right. Your left forefinger will be pressed against the edge of the drywall which will be holding the tape measure tight to the edge. This is why he asked about the callous. You will be sliding this finger down the edge of the board and the friction will build up. At the same time, your right hand will be holding the knife and tape hook and sliding down as you cut the board. Both hands moving downwards at the same time and speed. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Or horizontalily. Useing a drywall knife with a fixed blade is the correct tool, for the amount of blade exposed. The blades are also a heavier gauge metal and less prone to breakage.

After reading these two posts a few more times I FINALLY get it.

Whew!

Thanks.

majakdragon

Thank you, excellent rephrasing.

Snoonyb

You are correct, mostly I use this method for horizontal cuts or rips, sometimes I use it for cutting boards to length as well(though I usually use a tee square since I don't have to bend over as far, starting to feel old, years of toting those sheets takes its toll.

Also the blades are the same that are found in retracting knives, I prefer(and have never seen a pro hanger using a retracting knife) the fixed blade knife because the blade does stick out further as you described but also because retracting knives have a habit of allowing the blade to get pushed back into the hande while making cuts.

bigmtk,

Just for your information, Stanley offers the 11-921 and the 11-931 utility knife blades. The latter is a heavier blade which will not retract in my Evans or Sears retractable blade utility knives, and because I'm a cheap old f$$t and still sharpen my blades with a tube from knob and tube wiring.....

Yep, used to run the stairs with two 5/8, 4x8, now its hard to find a helper that can walk one.