Taping knife chatter after 20 minutes, skill or tool problem?

So I'm on a ceiling patch job over by the old mill in Lowell, and my 12 inch taping knife starts chattering like crazy on the second coat, same motion I always use. My buddy swears it's the cheap flex in the blade, but I think it's the mud being too stiff since it was like 55 degrees in there. I switched to a 10 inch and added a splash of water to the bucket, and honestly it got smoother, but now I'm second guessing if I should just buy the higher end knife. Any of you run into this and figure out if it's the tool or the hand, what fixed it for you?

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kelly_west7416d ago

Man I feel you, that chatter is the worst when you're already tired of holding your arms up. Cold mud always messes with me too, especially on those old mill jobs where the heat ain't kicked in yet. I've had the same thing happen where adding a bit of water fixed it right up, so I'd say it's more the mud than the blade. But yeah, I also got a nicer knife last year and honestly the flex difference is real, it just feels more forgiving. If you got the cash, grab one, but don't blame yourself either way.