Replies

1. 
   Mooney | Feb 04, 2003 04:13pm | #1

   Use two 1/4 or 3/8s instead of 1 -1/2 inch piece.

   Tim Mooney

2. 
   Zano | Feb 04, 2003 04:31pm | #2

   Go to your drywall yard and get High Flex drywall.  It bends to small radius without wetting the board.  It comes in 1/4", so double up.  Make sure your studs are minimum 6" oc, start from one end, bend it slowly, and then drywall glue, nail or screw the first layer.  On the second layer, use liberal amount of drywall glue on the first board and bend the second layer again slowly over the first one.  Screw or nail only around the perimeter of the second sheet - this will keep the integrity of the curve.  If you screw or nail in field of the second board, this may distort the integrity of the curve.  This board costs more than the regular 1/4', but well worth it as you don't have to wet it and eliminate possible breaking of the wet board.

1. 
   brisketbean | Feb 05, 2003 06:29am | #3

   but i dont want to use 1/4 ", i want to use half. any sugestions 

1. 
   dwcasey | Feb 05, 2003 06:49am | #4

   That's why Zano said to use two 1/4 boards.  Are you needing the half-inch thickness and only want to use a single sheet?

1. 
   brisketbean | Feb 05, 2003 08:55am | #5

   i want to use 1/2", one layer I don't want to do it twice, any sugestions 

1. 
   toolnut | Feb 05, 2003 09:37am | #6

   You would only need to tape and bed the final layer of 1/4" rock.    Why don't you want to use 1/4".   It is super plyable.

2. 
   MisterT | Feb 05, 2003 03:11pm | #7

   BB,

   If you try to use 1/2 you WILL do it twice.

   Or more.

   2  1/4 layers is the way to go.

   Besides on a curve the majority of the time is spent taping, and you wiil stil have to tape either way, and if you do get 1/2" to bend that tight it will likely need more time to tape to make it look good.

   JMNSHO

   Mr TDo not try this at home!

   I am a trained professional!

3. 
   Zano | Feb 05, 2003 03:23pm | #8

   Mr. T,

   He's inexperienced in this, if he uses one 1/2" he will do it several times. 

   OK, here's a worse alternative:  Get the one 1/2" you want, wet the board on both sides real well, get a rope and tie it around the board, bend the board as far as it will go and tighten the rope.  .

   After a few hours wet the board again on both sides and tighten the curve to a smaller radius - as far as it will go.

   Repeat this again and again till you almost have a 3 foot radius.

   Then wait till the board half dries and install it.  Start from one end, nail it at that end, and bend it slowly to the curve.  Nail the edges first gingerly.  Also apply drywall glue to the stud before installing the board.

   Now spot screw or nail on the field, not too many, just so that the board grabs the glue.  If your not using glue, use as litle nails/screws as possible to secure the board. 

   When it brakes, repeat this procedure, and when it brakes again, repeat it again!  Repeat it again, till you have it.  Suggest you have a helper who bends the board while the other nails/screws.

   When you give up and have a break in the board, try to spackle finish the curve - good luck!

2. 
   vonnat | Feb 07, 2003 09:37pm | #26

   1/4" 1/4" = 1/2"

2. 
   booch | Feb 07, 2003 01:16am | #18

   I agree. I used the 1/4 inch doubled layer thru an s shape that was 4' wide and it bent 18" out, sort of as an offset to the straight wall. I wet the bejeebers out of it each sheet for over 2 hours and it still cracked. Glued and screwed every 9" or so.

   If I knew the 1/4 inch wasn't high flex drywall i would have searched it out. No price could compensate for the hours spent making the wall look good.

   A skim coat was my only hope. It looks fine now.

   If Brisketbean wants to get it done with 1/2 inch I'd like to get a couple of beers, a chair and watch the swearing begin.

   I think the gypsum sets in drywall. This my supposition that it is much like concrete. I know it is heated for up to 8 hours in continuous processes. I don't think it dries. Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Feb 07, 2003 01:36am | #19

   brisket... see what happens when you go away for a couple months ?

   you really outta wander into the tavern and jump up on the tables like you used to..

   now show these guys some pics of your work so they'll shut upMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   brisketbean | Feb 07, 2003 05:33am | #21

   Hey Mike,                       How is life treating the old sage?  You seem to be the only one that understands my nature, I am kind of like the quiet man at a party, I don't try to impress everyone with what I know, I listen to find out what others know. There were some good sugestions, but Like Mike figured out, I had already bent the drywall before I posed the question, and I only had to bend it once. 

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 07, 2003 06:07am | #22

   so, anyways.. you must be a pretty good trowelman.. have you ever thought of plaster for some of your creations ?

2. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 07, 2003 06:15am | #23

   been working on a nice little gambrel...doubled it 's size  with a 16' x 28' addition..

   here's a before... and the entry framing .. and some of the exterior

   
3. 
   brisketbean | Feb 07, 2003 07:06am | #24

   nice little gambrel, my grandmother had a wonderfull gambrel, some of the best memories from my youth were there. I use plaster only on the domes that don't have planes, and I sub it out. I am a pretty fair drywall finisher and at my age I am not looking to master any trades that I am not already acomplished at, so I aint interested in the plaster work. There are only two kinds of plaster, cracked and fixing to crack, that is a feature that I can eliminate with drywall. I don't come to braektime too much any more, been playing a lot of online chess, there weren't any  people in my circle that could beat me at it, when I started playing on line I found out there are a lot of very good chess players out there, I am getting my butt kicked a whole lot more than I have a taste for. When i get some finished pics of some more ceilings I will post, but these big houses just move so slow, the ceilings I am doing now, I bid a year ago. Be blessed Mike                                                                                                                       

4. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 07, 2003 07:18am | #25

   my brother plays on-line chess.. i'll have to hook you  two up

5. 
   allenschell2 | Feb 08, 2003 12:11am | #27

   Mike, You boys are gettin perty good at that......ever think bout doin it fer a livin?

6. 
   xMikeSmith | Feb 08, 2003 01:26am | #28

   allen: wouldn't all the fun go out of it  ?

   Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

   
7. 
   andybuildz | Feb 08, 2003 05:27pm | #29

   Hey Mike

           Really nice job on those gambrels. I had to pipe in cause the gambrels I did on my last house in my website below the post was a small nightmare for me having never done one before.

     I like the way you did it which is different than the way I was shown by the architect.

   Next time I'm doing it your way.

   Be bent...lol

                Namaste

                         Andy"Attachment is the strongest block to realization"http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

2. 
   Zano | Feb 07, 2003 01:38am | #20

   If Brisketbean wants to get it done with 1/2 inch I'd like to get a couple of beers, a chair and watch the swearing begin.

   Booch,

   This is like a gal for the 1st time, very wet and round, but ya gotta treat is nice and easy, screw  or nail it very very carefully and hope for the best!  If ya don't succeed - try and try again!

   Try that High-Flex the next time, just assimilate it to the curve first.

   That other guy also does it right who posted before you!

   Actually, when sheetrock is wetted, when it dries, it's harder and stronger than before!

3. 
   Turtleneck | Feb 05, 2003 08:45pm | #9

   You are going to need something to screw the drywall to. Most of the curves of a rad of 36' I deal with are associated with curved stairs. The walls are constructed of a curved bottom and top plate cut from plywood. The studs are spaced very close together usually 4" to 6" to give the drywall a decent backing to adhere to. ½" drywall doesn't curve in the real sense, it attaches from point to point to point. The closer those points are together, the greater the illusion of a smooth curve. The same goes for baseboard. After the ½" drywall snaps into unusable pieces, get ¼" drywall and repeat.

    Turtleneck

   If your sitting at a poker table and can't tell who the sucker is... its you.  Paul Newman

4. 
   andybuildz | Feb 06, 2003 03:15am | #10

   I've done a barrel vaulted ceiling using closely spaced 2x4's and then wiggle board plywood and then 1/2" rock with no problem.

   See my website below...I think theres a small picture under "windows and doors"

   Be bent : )

             Namaste

                         Andy

   "Attachment is the strongest block to realization"
   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

   
   

   ---

   Edited 2/5/2003 7:17:19 PM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)

1. 
   Snort | Feb 06, 2003 03:44am | #11

   I'm working on a set of spiral stairs, at the moment, with a 32" radius. It was done with 1/2" sheetrock, by bozos (no offence to any rockers out there) and I'm sure they didn't use any special rock. It was framed by even bigger bozos.

   But, if i was sheetrocking it, I'd use two layers of 1/4". You've always seemed pretty sensible to me with your building techniques...are there politics involved here? EliphIno!

1. 
   brisketbean | Feb 06, 2003 07:11am | #12

   BB;  there are a couple of reasons why i decided to use 1/2 " instead of 1/4",  I can't get 1/4 in twelve foot sheets, and it costs more than 1/2, and also doubles the labor on the whole project. I am doing a groin vault with a 35 " radius and want to use whole sheets so that there will be no butt joints. I thought I might get some helpfull sugestions from some of the cutting edge contractors here at breaktime, but alas---------

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 06, 2003 07:40am | #13

   bb... better you should be telling us how to do it...

   but i've always wondered... why don't you switch over to expanded metal lath and two coat plaster it ?

   when you gonna post some more pics ?... c'mon... yur fan club is getting restless

2. 
   Zano | Feb 06, 2003 08:10am | #14

   BB,

   Go to this site, flat butt joints in 3 minutes on curved walls.  I did an exposed ceiling with steel joists running thru them, had the curves on the ceiling - perfectly round, radii was just about like yours.

   http://www.butttaper.com

3. 
   Frankie | Feb 06, 2003 10:07pm | #16

   The sheets cost more?!!! We are talking GWB not gold!

   Putting up 12' sheets in a vaulted ceiling is not a one man nor an easy task. You will need a couple of guys anyway. And if/ when you F-up it'll cost x per man to redo it Plus, because it is a concave curve you are trying to get you will have issues with sheet orientation and support while installing - bending and screwing.

   If you insist on 12' 1/2" sheets:

   First, apply a layer of wiggle board/ ply as Andy suggested. This way you won't have to worry about screw/ stud registration. There are 2 kinds of wiggle ply. Be sure to get the one whose grain spans the width of the panel.

   Second, lay another sheet of wiggle ply on the floor and a sheet of 12' GWB on top, face down. Wet the back face of the GBW. Continue to apply water as it is soaks in for 15min . Pick up both sheets and press them into place. This won't be easy due to weight and extreme flexibility - but you want to use 1/2" material. Install a few deadmen to support the sheets and allow the GBW to dry.

   Third, remove the deadmen, and slide the w.ply to the side a bit while you screw the GWB to the w.ply substrate.

   < I thought I might get some helpfull sugestions from some of the cutting edge contractors here at breaktime, but alas--------->

   You HAVE been getting "helpful suggestions from cutting egde contractors." And they are volunteering it. It has cost you nothing while it has cost them time. Just because you are not getting the answer you want is not an excuse to resort to insults or sarcasm. It is a jerky thing to say and only demonstrates how small a person you truely are. The trades and others on this site are more helpful than most realize. You have been a part of this forum long enough and should be well aware of this. Unfortunately you're not or you're simply unappreciative.

   Edited 2/6/2003 2:12:56 PM ET by Frankie

5. 
   Flathead | Feb 06, 2003 04:29pm | #15

   With all the time you wasted arguing about the 1/2", you could have used 1/4" and taped the joint. You would be finished already.

   Happy mudding

   WAHD

6. 
   baseboardking | Feb 07, 2003 01:15am | #17

   Here's how to do it with 1/2"-

   1. Prepare your framing at least 8"o.c. Sheath the wall with 1/4" masonite.

   2. Find a floor and a wall that you can use to bend the board.

   3. Nail a cleat to the floor

   4. Using a garden sprayer, gently spray both sides of the board

   5. Lean the board on the wall,using the cleat to limit the movement across the floor.

   6. The board will begin to "belly", forming the curve

   7. Allow it to sag under it's own weight,while continuing to wet it until it forms a curve slightly greater than you are after.

   8. Apply drywall to your masonite wall,using lots of glue, nailing only at the ends.You are trying to maintain surface tension.

   Baseboard been VERRRY good to me