When you apply backing coats (bonding/hardwall) or sand and cement as been right handed, what way do all of you work? As skimming is left to right, I was taught floating should be right to left? Was on a job at the weekend with a plasterer and he was floating left to right then skimmed it left to right? A couple of weeks ago I was bonding an uneven wall out and I started from the right and worked my way over. I then skimmed it left to right. Even that job the plasterer asked me why I was floating right to left. He said he only floats left to right the same as skimming. Even the plasterer I was with at the weekend said the same? I have always been taught floating right to left..because when you put your first band of bonding on the far right, the next band of bonding gets applied to the left of it, the heel of the trowel passes over your previous band! It makes sense...
Working from left to right...or right to left
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henry
Private Member
by the book from years gone by, the right handed plasterer would do the browning or basecoat from right to left ...the finish coats would be run from left to right .
this has more to do with the toe and heal of the trowel than anything else...the toe of the trowel is always by nature the most worn in and will leave less trowel marks on the wall,
the edge of the trowel nearest the finger tips is the most worked side of the trowel,although both sides can and do wear evenly ....hence the modern day trapezoidal trowel for finishing plasters.
when browning or base coating,working from right to left (if your a right hander) is actually faster,because the end of every trowel stroke makes a pass on the previously laid on material,with excess material filling voids in the wall....right handers naturally arc to the right ...lefties to the left...makes sense right Tongue
working right to left creates forward progression in application...imagine doing it in reverse and constantly stopping to drop back to tidy up your work.
Interior Exterior Lime Plastering
this has more to do with the toe and heal of the trowel than anything else...the toe of the trowel is always by nature the most worn in and will leave less trowel marks on the wall,
the edge of the trowel nearest the finger tips is the most worked side of the trowel,although both sides can and do wear evenly ....hence the modern day trapezoidal trowel for finishing plasters.
when browning or base coating,working from right to left (if your a right hander) is actually faster,because the end of every trowel stroke makes a pass on the previously laid on material,with excess material filling voids in the wall....right handers naturally arc to the right ...lefties to the left...makes sense right Tongue
working right to left creates forward progression in application...imagine doing it in reverse and constantly stopping to drop back to tidy up your work.
Interior Exterior Lime Plastering
Freerider
Member
I havent floated many rooms? most of my works floating, its very rare I dot n dab, you telling me you dont float any more because its old hat? obviously, if someone whose 25 is to young to know what it is! old mug!
your obviously not very happy that a younger generation is doing what you do!
bubbles65
Well-Known Member
Alright freerider - what I should have said was "You probably haven't floated many rooms under pressure - i.e. FAST" If you have had to do them at speed, so you can turn round and skim them in the afternoon, you would see there is a difference - I'm talking about more than a couple of walls here. And nowadays it's unusual to find clients/customers who want floating & skimming......Now pick up yer dummy n fk off.
Render Systems
Private Member
well i worked with flynny and he is a right to left hand floater and im a left to right hand floater so we started opposite ends of the building and were meant to meet in the middle... trouble is i did 3/4's of the wall hahhaha anyway enough of that... when i float i allways lay on up and down then float over horizontaally then derby or spatular the render/browning flat so i say so long as the jobs a goodun do what you want....
Freerider
Member
Yeah I apreciate that, it does make sense! now shut ya gob and fack awf!
..good to see the posts getting thrashed out to the end,
When I done my city and guilds I was taught backing plaster/floating - right to left, so i think i'll stick to that, The few walls that i have floated
outside of the course was right to left and it felt right but i will try left to right next time
When I done my city and guilds I was taught backing plaster/floating - right to left, so i think i'll stick to that, The few walls that i have floated
outside of the course was right to left and it felt right but i will try left to right next time
The Apprentice
Well-Known Member
Right to left setting and left to right floating. The reason is that you put on more pressure with the heel of your trowel, which means that you compact backing plastrer or render on to the wall. Left to right when setting the wall because you leave less or not as deep trowel lines. Ohh and by the way opposite way if ur a left hooker.
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