whats the big fascination with the sponge float?????

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ive used this week when 2 coating on re-skims ive been using it instead of a wet trowel not gone crazy on water only giving a gentle circular rub and a rub along edges, timing as with everything is important, i can honestly say its provided a great uniform finish way better than normal wet trowel sorts all those little ripples,blemishes out with no shiny/dull areas when looking down a wall side ways on with a light which is near impossible normaly.

Havent tried 1 coating board with it but should imagine once scrims and beads have been bedded down and your timings right would give you the right opportunity to provide a decent finish, imagine it still wouldnt be as good as 2 coat but if your on site tbh so long as it provides you a finish that doesnt get pulled who cares why make any harder for yourselves, sites cant have it all there own way...f**kem!

Zombie:RpS_thumbup:
 
Zombie don't know if I've asked you before mate have you tried these plastic trowels?

REFINA s*p*r*lex PLASTIC SKIMMING TROWEL 14" - eBay Mobile (item 220756450194 17/04/2011 16:38:41)
 
Eyup Spunky!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh no not seen them! Am i missing out on another little trick!

Teach me! Teach me! Teach me!

Ps - Going sponge float shopping this afternoon! used to just use mine for backing coats so need another now!

Actualy spent longer making sure it was cleaner at the end of the day yesterday than my best finish trowel even wrapped it up all snugly in a NEXT carrier bag lol!!!!!

Zombie:RpS_thumbup:
 
Lol if you haven't got one get one and use them before you polish to cross trowel watch out for beads don't go up and down them or you'll nick them they polish the wall up lovely and you don't need water to use them trust me if I had to lose my sponge or my plastic trowel it would be a hard choice
 
Best way to clean a sponge Is hold it in water and keep pressing you're fingers in you're sponge my last one lasted a week from scraping it on the edge of buckets
 
LOL! Must be good then! keep both and throw the water sprayer away dont need them anymore glad realy used to make my wrist hurt hehe

Ill look into them then im a new man now f**k making life hard for yourself my new moto is if its easier f**kin do it!

Zombie:RpS_thumbup:
 
i really must learn this sponge float business i do use one but only to do feathering in as you dnt have to pay it hardly any attention, i just havent plucked up the courage to do it in someones house wen ive never done it before on a whole set, might try it tomorow see how it goes (proberly bottle it again though haha)
 
Its absoloutley f**kin mint mate once youve sussed out im just starting to get into it big time!...done it again today im still 2 coating as i work on domestic re-skims im using instead of a wet trowel as with all things plastering your timings got to be right....but f**k me it dunt half sort your walls out takes all them little ripplles,blemishes,hollows etc and evens wall out then its trowels up great totaly even dunt even need another pass half of the time i just give it a dry after out of habbit...just a little water not to much gentle rub down your edges gentle circular motion then walla!!!!!!!!!!!!

More spongefloat meat for you spunky!

Zombie:RpS_thumbup:
 
ive already worked out the plastic trowel system and am a BIG fan of this way i find i only have to give it one trowel then a rub over with the plastic trowel and its pukka much better than a 2 trowel finish.
zombie how do you do the sponge float then in my head its like this (bear in mind i also want to do 2 coats aswell)
first coat, flatten, second coat, flatten, then im guessing sponge float?? how long do you leave it before you sponge it, do you wait longer than you would with a normal trowel or not, and also do you sponge an area then run the trowel over it or do you spoonge up the whole area then trowel up?? i wanna work out how to do this properly
 
me too

I also have refina spat and pole on the way and im gonna do a small wall in my house on thus and i wanna know do you use spat to flatten wall in a up and down motion or side to side or does it matter.
 
i dnt have a spat yet, i will be getting one of the s*p*r*lex spats soon though but i would imagin you would use it both ways to make it a nice uniform skim all over, as i said though i dnt have one yet so im no expert. im sure someone will be able to tell ya.
 
sponge 1 to 2 meters area at a time & trowell to keep on top if you sponge a whole wall you can make more work for your self as it tends to dry out and makes more work to get the lines out had my sponge float 4 3 years now dont use it much just now & again to get me out of s**t :RpS_thumbup:
 
No you need to sponge the lot if not the whole set or you'll see the lines it's common sense and trial and error, get you're two coats on let it pick up and flatten it then soak the Walls with a sprayer sponge and trowel
 
spunky said:
No you need to sponge the lot if not the whole set or you'll see the lines it's common sense and trial and error, get you're two coats on let it pick up and flatten it then soak the Walls with a sprayer sponge and trowel
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Yep this is how I do it....been using a sponge float for years after a spread I worker with taught me how to use properly, never looked back....can catch u out in the summer, had a wall get away from me before o got pulled on.....
 
I only asked a genuine question.I worked on a site in brum for 2 years doing the electrics on a price,when i finished i'd enjoyed helping the plasterers because i had an interest in it.I ended up plastering the communals using their gear and never saw any of them use a sponge float - hence my question! When i asked their gaffer (who owned the firm) about getting in to plastering he said that the majority of plasterers would n't want to help any one else because their greddy unhelpful T***s - his words and he employed between 40 and 60 at different times. So i'm sorry if my question dissapoints you but i have an interest in plastering and really enjoy doing it.
 
its not your question i just dont see what this magic tool does that a trowel has done for years
 
Hi JRPlastering, not been on for a few days hence no reply have you got all your info now fela?

zombie:RpS_thumbup:
 
Right lads

Was doing d and d on a chimney breat in me mates house today. I fancied using the sponge on the finish and he was cool with it. Put on 1st coat, flattened with plastic trowel. 2nd coat and flattended with stainless. Had a few misses and hollows but just left em. Let wall pick up a bit and used sponge on it. s**t myself at first as even though the gear was setting it dosent half disturb the finish . But perservered and rubbed up both reveals. Flattended off with plastic and it seemed to create nice flat uniform surface and seemed great for getting all hollows and misses sorted.

We had bright halogens on the work as it was an experiemnt but the work seemed good. Gave it one last trowel with steel.

Cud see if being usefull for doing big hits and gettin u out the s**t. Will check in the week once dried and comment on the final finish.

Initial feelings was that it was good but felt like cowboy doin it :huh:
 
Yeah same here I hate it when someone comes In the room and you look like you're artexing, whatever works for you mate but I'd save the plastic till you're past the wet trowel stage and just cross trowel it with the plastic
 
spunky said:
Yeah same here I hate it when someone comes In the room and you look like you're artexing, whatever works for you mate but I'd save the plastic till you're past the wet trowel stage and just cross trowel it with the plastic
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i love it when they walk in and havent a clue...

theyre looking at you like 'is that finished then?'...

'yeh just thought id sit and read the paper and s**t down your bog before i f'ck off'...

better still.... when youve just floated a patch out and they think thats it... :RpS_laugh:
 
Hi Windy, Im proper getting knack now fela its my new wet trowel so to speak its f**kin mega pal once you get jist can look sideways down a wall with halogen no ripples hollows, shiny bits dull bits 1 uniform finish mint! however use at wrong time at your peril lol

zombie:RpS_thumbup:
 
yeah i got everything coverd now thanks zombie im yet to try it out yet still havent pluckd up the courage to haha.
 
Honestly jr the finish is mint PROVIDING you catch right would advise trying on a small area when youve got plenty of time fela like i say i treat as a wet trowel i flatten first coat and tidy edges...flatten second coat tidy edges and second trowel by now no hollows as such odd little line and bits....then dampen sponge trowel a couple of meters at a time then trowel out..then dry trowel after...best finish ive ever provided but i rekon if you dont work through right can screw you up.

just to mention i put realy thick coats on dont know if thats why it works so well for me:RpS_thumbup:

good luck!

keep us posted boss

zombie
 
ignore that just seen yer last post. If you hit the sponge very late does it still scratch the surface?
 
ever tried a hardness test comparing a wall done with little water and a wall done with sh'tloads of water and a sponge float?

i can one coat most things without the need for a sponge...

its just a case of get it on, get it down and keep it down...

now one coat plaster, if you can get a decent finish WITHOUT a friggin sponge on a good sized area youre a better man than i am...

just thought i'd mention it, thats all...
 
It's only if you catch it wrong you're bringing up fat it's no different than running a wet brush up and down the wall we do it in one go
 
i was on about these lads that mention hitting it with the garden sprayer and goin mad at it like you do with one coat...

i just get on it soon as its on the wall and give it another pass straight away, do slightly smaller sets than a 2 coat job but get it trowelled up earlier, well earlier...

only have to wet it up when ive lost it or ive got it on silly thick and im gettin ripples... THEN a sponge is handy...

speaking of handy, essex andy give me a tip for 'sponging' while back.... sommat to do with carpets... :RpS_wink:
 
I dont get the sponging crew it seemed to be all the rage a few years ago when i was on a big site in cardiff every one saying it was alot faster but we were knocking out flats a day earlier than the spongers and there finish wasnt as good....... 2 coat all the way.
 
hi bod, ive been using when 2 coating instead of a wet trowel so speeds not been an issue for me but finish defo better......though dont see how if 1 gangs 1 coating and sponging you can be 2 coating faster unless there just sh**e:RpS_thumbup:

zombie
 
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