Haha, been there with the dust storm—felt like I was coughing up drywall mud for days. You're spot on about the taping knife; those plastic ones are basically toys. Once I switched to a decent metal blade, it was like night and day. And yeah, mud consistency is a tricky beast... took me forever to stop making pancake batter or concrete mix.
One thing that helped me was doing thinner coats and letting each one dry fully before adding another. It feels slower at first, but trust me, it saves you from sanding your arms off later. Sounds like you're already getting the hang of it though—soon enough you'll be eyeballing walls in restaurants and judging their joints too (occupational hazard, haha). Keep at it, you're doing great.
Totally agree about the thin layers—it's tedious but worth it. Have you tried using a bright work light angled along the wall to spot imperfections early? It saved me from endless sanding...though now I can't unsee every tiny flaw everywhere I go.
You're spot on about the angled lighting—it's a double-edged sword. Once you see those imperfections, they're impossible to ignore. But honestly, that's the mark of someone who cares about quality work. Most homeowners won't notice half the flaws we obsess over. I've found that stepping back occasionally and viewing the wall from different angles helps keep perspective. Sounds like you're doing everything right, just don't drive yourself too crazy chasing perfection... drywall has a way of humbling even the best of us.
"drywall has a way of humbling even the best of us."
Haha, ain't that the truth... I've spent hours chasing shadows that only show up under the harshest lighting conditions. One trick I've learned is to use a handheld LED work light and move it around slowly—helps catch imperfections early before they drive you nuts later. But honestly, sometimes stepping away for a coffee break and coming back fresh makes all the difference. Perfection's great, but sanity matters too.
"sometimes stepping away for a coffee break and coming back fresh makes all the difference."
This is spot-on. I've noticed the more I obsess over tiny imperfections, the worse they seem to get. Ever try thinning your mud slightly? I found it helps get smoother joints without as much sanding later. Still, drywall has a sneaky way of reminding you who's boss...