Walls and Ceilings - Drywall Repair

I boarded up a doorway and used an all purpose joint compound to cover the seams. The compound dried very hard maiking it difficult to sand. I sanded down a different area on a ceiling that a previous owner patched and it sanded down very easily. Obviously two different products. In short, I think I probably used a product that may not have been ideal for the repair. Before I jump into my second coat, can someone offer some suggestions on choosing a compound that is easier to work with and sand for a first time dry wall repair do it yourselfer?

Also, which size putty knives are the best to have on hand for drywall repairs?

You're right. All purpose dries very hard and sticks very well. All purpose is generally used to bed tape. All other fill coats are done with light weight. I would have a five, and ten inch knife on hand. You can do a lot with those two.

Ditto on the knives. If I was only buying two, that is what they would be.

What grit sandpaper did you use? I use 150 grit. If you used Durabond or something like it, you may want to knock it down using 100 grit, coat using a lightweight mud, and finish with 150 (some people use 200).

Either way, the roller texture is going to be bigger than the texture of 150 paper.

I hope this helps.

Thank you very much.

I was using the mesh sanding sheets Medium and Fine for drywall. I beleive one was 150 and one was 220.