How to Box Off Butt Joints (Flat Box and by Hand)

Butt joints can be tricky here is a simple solution.
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[@ImOnAnEffinBoat]

Drywall doctor i love letting the buttts dry before closing them like you said. Product comes so nice

[@6xRedDevilx9]

I'm doing a basement Reno at my home . Doing it all myself, have some experience at musing and taping , but I am terrible at coating butt joints, thanks for the video this help enormously!

[@robbob4872]

let's see some pics of the results...lol

[@adamwise1790]

After a year of learning on a hawk and trowel. I’ve gotten very proficient, I pretty much use a 12 and 16 inch trowel with a 6 inch knife. I’m still trying to master the 20 inch pool trowel like Kirk giradino uses easier than it looks 😂

[@michaelaarness2699]

Love your tips wish I could stay as clean as you do I am covered by the end of the day.

[@michaelaarness2699]

I triple out my butt joints as well. Then during the final touch up hand skim the butts tight a third time it doesn't take lone at all and they end up like glass.

[@MrLuridan]

What's the learning time for the boxing tools? Are they worth the money? I tape with knife and trowels now, thought I'd give the boxes a shot on big jobs.

[@endoalley680]

For second coat on butts, we often coat the center, and kick the box down one notch and run the two outsides of the butt joints. In essence tripling them out so that the hump created by splitting them out gets tapered out even more. On a big house we will second coat all the butt joints, (running them out a little farther, band to band and chasing them with a 12" knife) let them dry overnight, and come back next morning to finish box the bands straight through the dry butt joints. No crossing necessary. You did similar on a few of them .

[@gregmiller9159]

Endo Alley What setting are you on for the box when you first do butts?

[@endoalley680]

I suppose you should ask the DOCTOR this. But generally I check the butt joint with a straight 12" drywall blade. If it sits recessed I would probably run it on a "1" setting down the center. And then split it out on a "two" for the second coat. If the But is perfectly flat on the wall, I would split it out on a "1" setting. And finish coat on a "2" setting. If the butt sits quite proud , I would split it out with the box wide open. And triple it out second coat with the box on "2". But always check your work with a nice straight blade to make sure. Sometimes we use "Butt Boards" to recess our butt joints.

[@skoden204]

Its easy the way we do it I do the same with my butts

[@michaelaarness2699]

The Doc is definitely a master

[@gregmaffei4820]

Nice explanation,

[@604jade]

U only use the box to polish coat your beads? Or do you actually fill your first coat with the box aswell? Im only curious because you don't see many tapers using boxes on there corner bead

[@ajohnson929]

Great videos. I'm learning a lot. Thanks

[@julianarchuleta2830]

You run the 10” box on 0 for straight down the center??

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

Sometimes

[@wolfingstar1751]

What is he doing I still don’t understand

[@dorkyvideos5905]

Hello sir, so it looks like you hit the buttjoints with just the 10” box on the sides and then the next day right down the middle. What if the buttjoint isn’t perfectly even, have you done another coat with the 12” on sides and then middle? Thank you. I tried this at work for the first time and I accidentally used a 12” the second coat but wow was I impressed on how flat it was. Also you mentioned in one of your videos the number to box with, I was using a 3 for both seams and buttjoints. But I think I remember you saying use like a 1 or so on buttjoints?

[@Ocanadakiter]

Thanks. . Going to try that for sure...

[@Ocanadakiter]

How do butts and flats same day with out getting wheeel lines???thxs Ryan

[@brianreece3322]

Split with 10 box. Triple with 12 box. Tight coat with 12 " knife.

[@juanojeda2982]

Only when 12”box doesn’t cover tape down middle on skim then yea… but if it covers good why? Just adding more unnecessary steps

[@ImOnAnEffinBoat]

@@juanojeda2982 covering tape, and making it flat are 2 different things. What he's done on that one joint , where he ran it down the middle on "0" i wouldn't do. 0 leaves too much mud especially in the centre. Also i dont care who you are if you do this and don't do any further skim, when you sand and prime, look back with a light and it just wont looks as good .

[@cmlet794]

Hi Doc. You're a Master Boxer! I watched your videos on Boxing a 9' foot ceiling. Can a flat and a butt and a cross off be accomplished all a once? Oh-boy, I hope your still standing! lol. Keep doing Great.

[@edgarorozco9830]

Why do drywall boards only have minimum amount of screws?? Every stud should have 2 screws on walls and 3 screws on ceiling

[@huskg0dgaming]

That def varies for a lot of different circumstances lol

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

Not if it's glued

[@firstchoice76]

Hi Doc! some great videos thanks! My question is when taping a ceiling with a banjo do I prefill the joint with mud?

[@KevinsDisobedience]

He would say yes, but we only pre-fill big gaps, say, anything over 1/4”.

[@artisticdrywall7368]

Drywall doc do you have apprentices on the job working helping with the labor or do you save money and do the small job alone

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

I just got a helper and yes I try to save my builders money and do the small jobs alone

[@KevinsDisobedience]

When you run horizontal flats with the box, are you able to fill all the way into the inside corner, or does it leave an 1/8 gap or so? I’m new to boxes and am having that problem. Thanks

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

More like 1/2 inch to an inch when I talk about crossing off that's part of it.

[@EdGutierrez69]

Great technique! Which brand is your box?

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

That would be a drywall master

[@EdGutierrez69]

Thank you for the reply! I'm buying my first set of boxes pretty soon 😁

[@hankwells6863]

Do you only use the 10" for every coat

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

10 then 12

[@Ocanadakiter]

What number for down the center? I feel 0 is too much

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

Not for a butt joint

[@Ocanadakiter]

@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 ok i did master bed on number 2 . I think the ones in living room on zero might be a bit humpty dumpy now lol...

[@eldarakaev5934]

Молодец хорошую работу делаешь 👍

[@Ocanadakiter]

What number is your box on?thxs in advance

[@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1]

I box on 2 for the seams 0 on butts but all boxes are different other boxes I've had the box on three

[@Ocanadakiter]

@@THEDRYWALLDOCTOR1 thanks appreciate it. Im going to try it on my next job.

[@abelpedraza299]

Your work ethic sucks i work way different from you. I run the 10 inch box for the first coat 12 inch box to cross the second coat. After it all dries i do touch ups or crossing on everything. Basically i give my mud jobs 4 coats before i sand

[@robbob4872]

your work must suck if it needs 4 coats...lol

[@slutliver]

4 coats and you still sand?? wow...dude...idk what to say