drywallfinishinginterior
I've been researching drywall finishing techniques and have noticed that when a first coat of mud compound is used, a smaller 6 inch taping knife is used… then on the second mud application, a larger knife is used (usually 6 – 12 inch)… then on a third coat, a 10 – 12 inch knife is used.
Is this just personal preference? Why are progressively larger drywall knives used after each pass?
-M
I almost always use the self-drilling stud solver type anchors. I find that they are tough enough to hang just about anything.
Aside from those, the only other anchors I've found that I like are the toggle-bolt type, which are more useful if you need to hang something from the ceiling.
I know this isn't the answer you want to hear, but I don't think priming and painting will hide the tape.
Before you apply any more primer, I'd add another thicker coat of mud. Slather on the mud thick first - it doesn't have to be smooth. Then smooth it out by angling your 12" knife so it's almost parallel with the drywall as you drag it along the surface. You'll have to press fairly firmly in order to avoid air gaps appearing in the thick coat you're smoothing out.
You may have to get a feel for it. If you push too hard and can see the tape again, redo that section until you get it just right.
Wait for the thicker coat to dry, then sand the edges as smooth as you can get them. Very carefully/lightly sand over area covering the tape if you didn't get it quite smooth. You may need to do a second coat along both sides of the thicker coat to make it join the drywall surface smoothly.
Best Answer
You're spreading the mud out over a progressively larger area so that instead of a small but sharp bump (or dip) in the middle of the joint, you have a much more gradual bump (or dip). That way, any irregularities in the surface are much less noticeable and can be easily masked by texturing.