Lady plasterer... Soon to be :-)

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Sooze

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Evening all! Just wanted to say 'hi'!! I've been formally offered my place at college today to start studying plastering level 1...

Just after some advice really... Best tools to be buying in advance (is there more than one tool that you prefer?) best places to be buying them and how much you think I should be spending... I don't want to get ripped off cuz I'm a girl ;-)

any hints and tips to get me started would be much appreciated!

(Do we sign off our posts with kisses on here?! ;-)) x
 
Arrr them carrot crunchers are on the trowel, marshalltown are always a good tool to buy,you can buy them in most builders merchants but the are generally dear in the shops, one or two of our sponsors sell tools on here so they will be along to tempt you,
kisses are always good, lots of ladies on here ,some of them female also, best of luck..only teasing , I loved my few weekends in Bristol,
 
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Welcome to the forum Sooze :RpS_thumbup:

This has been asked many many times on here so if you do a search for best trowel, best start up tools etc it's all on here :RpS_thumbsup:
 
johniosaif said:
Arrr them carrot crunchers are on the trowel, marshalltown are always a good tool to buy,you can buy them in most builders merchants but the are generally dear in the shops, one or two of our sponsors sell tools on here so they will be along to tempt you,
kisses are always good, lots of ladies on here ,some of them female also, best of luck..
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:huh: , What are you on :RpS_confused:
 
if you dnt want to spend too much to start with buy a nice 14" ox trowel, i got one the other week and used it all last week for rendering and its breaking in a treat, cheaper than marshalltown aswell
 
mayti said:
start reading up on your health and safety
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I've got my CSCS card, it was the way to gurantee my place on the course so i'm good with the basics... Is there much more on top of that? I know there is a H&S part to the course that is unrelated to the CSCS, but that I can take with me if I choose to do something else... bricklaying for example...!? x
 
yes there 3 parts which you have to do no matter what trade you take general health and safety I think other two parts to make your credits would be how to mix plaster and how to fix plasterboard for example with the mixing plaster you would state what ppe etc you would wear and what precautions like select well ventilated area
 
Sooze said:
Thanks hun, how long have you had it? Is it something you'd buy again? x
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i would definatly buy again, and would recomend for you there cheap built well nice feel and balance to them, loads of rivits in the spine so much less chance of the blade popping, use mine everyday now only really use my old marshalltown for flattening in cross trowel and first wet trowel
 
jrplastering said:
i would definatly buy again, and would recomend for you there cheap built well nice feel and balance to them, loads of rivits in the spine so much less chance of the blade popping, use mine everyday now only really use my old marshalltown for flattening in cross trowel and first wet trowel
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so you only really use your MT for the majority of the plastering process.....................:RpS_laugh:
 
ox lays on both coats and flattens the first coat, i did only get it not last week but the week before so needs a bit more work before i think about using it more than my 10 year old marshalltown
 
used it all last week for rendering though and when i get back from holidays ive got a couple of days screeding for it, but to be fair i have about 15 trowels or so in my bag so i like to switch them up every now and then
 
welcome Sooze. Marshaltown Permashape. At least it is bent the right way which is what any profesional plasterer would need so a trainee certainly will. Avoid the plastic hand board or hawk as some call it, they break to easy. A 5" 125mm flat brush at least not an expensive one. A creosote brush as cheap as for cleaning out the bucket, whisk etc. Dont clog your flat brush up cleaning tools of with it. A 15-25mm paintbrush for cleaning out your angles with. A small tool.

I would have thought a college would supply you with the tools? Dont bother to much with books they are probably out of date anyway. Ask on here and watch vids on youtube. Try and spend a day with a plasterer if only to watch, although that might not be as easy as it sounds.

Good luck with it and try to be more than just a skimmer! Loads of those around. x
 
Rigsby said:
welcome Sooze. Marshaltown Permashape. At least it is bent the right way which is what any profesional plasterer would need so a trainee certainly will. Avoid the plastic hand board or hawk as some call it, they break to easy. A 5" 125mm flat brush at least not an expensive one. A creosote brush as cheap as for cleaning out the bucket, whisk etc. Dont clog your flat brush up cleaning tools of with it. A 15-25mm paintbrush for cleaning out your angles with. A small tool.

I would have thought a college would supply you with the tools? Dont bother to much with books they are probably out of date anyway. Ask on here and watch vids on youtube. Try and spend a day with a plasterer if only to watch, although that might not be as easy as it sounds.

Good luck with it and try to be more than just a skimmer! Loads of those around. x
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Thank you SO much! And yes - i'll be doing all three levels so i'll be up there with the best of ya ;-)
A day with a plasterer is a good idea, perhaps i'll ask Spunky if he'll let me observe!

The college supply tools but I want to build my collection during the 18 months on the courses so that I dont have a shock when I finish and am ready to work! :) I really cant wait to start! I've wanted to do this for so long!! x
 
spunky said:
because its shite lol what part of Bristol are you from im in yate
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Why are you doing it then? Arent you newly qualified?? Why do you think its shite??
Are you working for a company or on your own? Mind if I tag along and watch you for a few hours one day?
 
You won't be able to sooze Danny blackmails everyone into making loads of posts before they can, plasterings ok really its more of an average income than it used to be its not that bad but after a while it gets on youre tits
I've been doing it a few years youre welcome to come along and watch no problemo I mainly do site work and bits and pieces of domestic
There's a couple of other lads on here from Bristol bod sptplastering and adcar plastering
 
Hi Sooze.
Well done for choosing to be part of the best trade in the building industry. :-)
As far as tools are concerned I would go with Marshall Town every time. Why pay £20-00 less for something inferior when this is going to be your living? Would Michealangelo have brought a paint brush from Wilko? No.
If you can find an experienced spread to work with for a few days (even for free) then do it.
Wishing you all the best from deepest South Somerset.
 
spunky said:
You won't be able to sooze Danny blackmails everyone into making loads of posts before they can, plasterings ok really its more of an average income than it used to be its not that bad but after a while it gets on youre tits
I've been doing it a few years youre welcome to come along and watch no problemo I mainly do site work and bits and pieces of domestic
There's a couple of other lads on here from Bristol bod sptplastering and adcar plastering
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I don't plaster anymore. I used to stand back at the end of the day and say 'I've done that!' but putting it on the walls during the day I used to say to myself, 'come on, you can put your brains to something better than this!'

Yes I was enthusiastic to start with but apart from the muck of the job other spreads and builders knocked the enthusiasm out of me! Plasterers not liking one another and under cutting each other. Builders treating us like we are the lowest of all trades. No, if I carried on I would have had a break down but that was also with trying to be in business, might have been different as an employee.

Went off doing rendering, me and a lab on domestics. No builders screwing me and no back stabbing off my fellow spreads. Just bloody 9 months of the year and thats if it's not raining or too hot! Got 2 lads now on paye but they are lazy sods, just can't motivate them with money. Now give them job and off they will become bodgit and scarper, anything so long as they can get off by 1!
 
Thank you everyone! Well - i'm planning on working for a reputable company for a couple of years to gain experience and build my portfolio. Once i've done that I want to set up on my own. There are hardly any female plasterers around here and with my business head firmly screwed on, i'm planning to make it big. I'm determined and self motivated so I dont see why it should be an issue. I've chosen this line of work because I would be unusual and hopefully talked about... also - I want to be able to work while my son is at school and still be able to pick him up when he finishes! Thats the plan anyway! I guess I need to get through college first!!

Whats the hardest part for you guys about this trade? x
 
Captaincaveman said:
Hi Sooze.
Well done for choosing to be part of the best trade in the building industry. :-)
As far as tools are concerned I would go with Marshall Town every time. Why pay £20-00 less for something inferior when this is going to be your living? Would Michealangelo have brought a paint brush from Wilko? No.
If you can find an experienced spread to work with for a few days (even for free) then do it.
Wishing you all the best from deepest South Somerset.
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Even for free? of course!

I have had cheeky sods ringing me saying can they come on a mono spraying day and they will gladly labour for free so long as they can get some hands on experience with spraying and finishing. They make themselves look like a bargain!

So let me get this right. Someone wants to slow me down, spray not knowing how to and leave any crap for me to put right, teach them how to finish mono and in return they will let me off with having to pay them for their time meanwhile they are making plans to become my competition or work for them?

Whenever I need some sort of training I have to pay for it! But saying that I did ask 2 lads of the old L&D forum if I could come and watch and they let me just that! Only watch but I learned a lot on those 3 days and non of these lads was anywhere near my territory so it was safe. One job was 137 miles away but it was worth every mile. How to use Weber Santane and at the same time how to finish bucket coat. The other was 60 miles away watching machine rendering. Those lads since has had quite a bit of work passed their way by me.
 
Rigsby said:
I don't plaster anymore. I used to stand back at the end of the day and say 'I've done that!' but putting it on the walls during the day I used to say to myself, 'come on, you can put your brains to something better than this!'
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So you went outside and did a very similar thing. :RpS_lol:

I know what you mean though, it's quite repetitive.

Any pics Sooze?
 
Confession time :RpS_blushing:

When I first started I was so proud of my walls I used to write my signature in every one of them!! (below the skirting line)
But after 30+ years the enthusiasm leaves you a bit :RpS_thumbup:
 
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