Have i been taught right?

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scotty3968

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Good evening
Ive just recently done a short plastering course and was told to put your second coat of plaster on straight after the first wait a while then trowel,, Ive since read that after the first coat wait a while and trowel it flat before applying the second??
Which is right or is it preference?
Ive also been taught to use a plasterers sponge after trowling which i think is a great tool
cheerss
scotty
 
Plasterers sponge! :RpS_lol:
Rite what you wanna do is put your 1st coat on then next coat is called your 2nd coat once firmed up sponge like mad in figure of 8 motion then trowel when you think it's ready.
But only put the 2nd coat on last not first!!!! :RpS_thumbsup:
 
Put second coat on straight away, don't know about this sponge lark though - I think it's a new thing that this old dog hasn't tried (yet):RpS_wink:
 
if you turned up and worked for me with a sponge float ,ill tell you to sling your hook,only one way trowel,float,trowel.
 
Some folks seem to swear by 'em, so they might be good - I'm just waiting til I come across somebody with one to borrow........too greedy to buy one that I might never use again.:RpS_crying:
 
lol sponge.... maybe if you know how to di it right a sponge may produce a good finish but I have to say I never seen a good finish from a spread using a sponge

Danny
 
scotty. if the way you have been shown works for you and produces a smooth flat finish then stick with it and aim towards getting more plaster on in a set. The best plasterers can only achieve a smooth flat finish but with more speed. You will pick up bits of experience every time you go to work.
 
theblones said:
scotty. if the way you have been shown works for you and produces a smooth flat finish then stick with it and aim towards getting more plaster on in a set. The best plasterers can only achieve a smooth flat finish but with more speed. You will pick up bits of experience every time you go to work.
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thats some of the most sense that has been spoken on here in a long time - if it works do it - more than way to skin a cat :RpS_laugh: but dont be a rough spread theres enough of them about.... your only as good as your last job

Danny
 
with regards to the sponge thing, fella i used to work with used to bang on about people he used to work with using them. i always laughed and wouldnt let him use one on my jobs. i have always done myself, and insisted people working with me 2 coat, flatten, 2 wet trowels and a dry trowel. eventually on a job i said go on then show me this sponge float. again 2 coated, flattened, then when ready misted whole wall down with water sprayer, then sponged whole wall. then a trowel over. was a piece of piss and looked really nice. instead of the water sitting on the surface as normal, then troweling hard to pull some fat off, the sponge brings the fat out, so its really easy to trowel it off. obv dont smear it about, pull it off. then give it a min as usual, then a dry trowel. finished the wall a lot quicker than mine and looked pretty faultless. personally i dont use them, but we have on occasion when the gear has gone off a bit and got ahead of us. so in my opinion, i cant see the problem with them as long as you dont smear the fat all over the place
 
wow nick you found someone that can use one.... well done :)

i worked on hundreds of sites and when they have had the sponge treatment we start 2 coating and trowling up normally the site manager normally gets rid of teh others. NOthing beats quality in my opinion. Me personally if I lost a tenner a set but left a finish I was happy with then I dont care.

Danny
 
work well on board used a fine refina one when i first started but stopped when i realised i was making hard work for my self:rolleyes)
 
couldnt agree more. i think the difference between a decent spread and an average one is the small things like cutting out boxes properly and cleaning frames etc. any1 can get a decent finish on a wall, specially with skim. again ul probably find the guys using the sponge float were one coating and piling loads on and leaving it crap. like was said before, as long as its clean and tiday, and looks nice when painted up it doesnt matter how its done. whether its with a trowel, a spat, a sponge, stainless or steel, dry angles or wet angles.... who give a toss lol
 
Its not a new thing , all your doing with a sponge float is a term use called cross -graining its was done year s ago with lime plasters to bring up the fat and fill in any little misses , gypsum based plasters dont need cross graining , and its not just all about leaving a nice finish its also about leaving a job that will last long term , fat only weakens gypsum plasters unlike lime work .
 
ive seen some good work done with a sponge it was still 2 coated though so youre just giving yourself extra work .........real spreads one coat and give it 2 trowels lol
 
2 coats 1st coat lay it on as flat & as quick as u can 2 nd coat flaten 1st coat down lay 2nd tight coat on trowell up as normal only use sponge float on skim 2 fetch it back if iv lost the lot :RpS_cursing:
 
I always try to get the laying in coat on asap so as this coat gives you your flat wall surface and takes the rough out of the first coat, if the first coat has picked up then you will still have deveation underneath. the rest of the trowelling process then is just a case of closing down the surface and is much easier.

My preference as I am sure there will be loads of potty answers like get your fist coat on- have sandwich - trowel off the marks and ridges - then lay it down. waste of time IMO
 
lay first coat on with 18-20 inch trowel (you wont leave any lines) and you can get more on, then lay it down and trowel up. ironworks2
 
Geezer I used to work with had a plastic float with a bit of old carpet nailed to it. Carpet float!! Same job as a sponge float I s'pose. Only used to bring that bad boy out when things had really gone tits up!
 
plasterjfe said:
I always try to get the laying in coat on asap so as this coat gives you your flat wall surface and takes the rough out of the first coat, if the first coat has picked up then you will still have deveation underneath. the rest of the trowelling process then is just a case of closing down the surface and is much easier.

My preference as I am sure there will be loads of potty answers like get your fist coat on- have sandwich - trowel off the marks and ridges - then lay it down. waste of time IMO
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Same here matey!! I hate it when I'm working with my mate as he always wants to lay in with the same mix!!! I prefere to mix another smaller batch to lay in with!! Again personal preference I suppose?:huh:
 
when i was learning the blokes always used same mix to second coat. now im on my own i always mix a seperate batch now and its much better
 
Freerider said:
whats the float for when skimming? :p
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That is 100% right put on yer fist coat by the time youve used your first drum of skimmin lay it down with a second coat trowel in nicely then finish when ready (simples).Ive seen the finish with a sponge and the mess on the floor,and i'm afraid it's just not the right way to scim..(nuff said)Thats just me though awkward git
 
i have never used a sponge in my life on multifinish... whats the world coming to... just lay your first coat on reasonably level and flat try not to leave any lines as they could show through second coat... lay second coat on nice and flat... let it take up a bit then flatten in once or twice as required then finish with a small amount of water and a nice clean trowel... keep your sponge for the bathroom mate
 
I know 2 guys who always sponge ....they lay on huge sets then one goes sponging the other trowels up useing a skimming spat. Their work is PERFECT
 
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