"Roger E. Fournier, Sr." wrote in message
...
The house is over 25 years old and the crack has been there for many
years.
There was a popcorn finish on the ceiling so that the crack wasn't very
obvious. I have removed the popcorn crap and need to somehow repair the
crack before painting the ceiling. It is about 5 feet long and probably
about a sixteenth of an inch wide (or less). It in a second story bathroom
and there are no other such cracks in the house.

Tape is a must. It will take 3 coats at least, the first embedding the tape
and the next 2 feathering the compound wider. You will need something wider
than your normal "spackling" knife.