Working time / Suction control

I've got an MT 14" preworn trowel :sisi:

Mouldyoldspudgun said:
You need to flatten in your first coat and put your second on quite tight so it looks pretty much like your last photo only flatter. It will take time to suss this out but it will make it much easier to trowel up. I think you give it a first trowel to quick you need to let it pick up and use pressure on the trowel if you need it, I suspect your trowel is no where near broken in, is it stainless steel? If so you may find it easier with a carbon steel trowel which I will probably get a s**t load of abuse from all the kids with their new dangled things
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When I was learning that is something the teacher was telling me I need to do - not to be scared of showing it who's boss :endesacuerdo:

But when I start to drag it as it stiffens I'm leaving really nasty marks behind real hard bits like orange peel

Mouldyoldspudgun said:
Okay, shouldn’t be any problem, I use a normal carbon steel straight out of the box maybe you need more pressure don’t be worried about pushing on the stuff, if you stroke it gently it won’t purrr and you don’t really do anything
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LarryTheLag said:
When I was learning that is something the teacher was telling me I need to do - not to be scared of showing it who's boss :endesacuerdo:

But when I start to drag it as it stiffens I'm leaving really nasty marks behind real hard bits like orange peel
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Sounds like your gear is f**k*d before you start has it got lumps in it? If not maybe where the drags are, you have put it on too tight, don’t be afraid to fill with the stuff on your trowel on the first couple of trowels, it’s only when you get the fat on your trowel you shouldn’t use it, having said that most do but the fat doesn’t go off like the plaster, no guts in it you see
 
When I'm mixing I'm throwing in a few handfuls at a time and mix reasonably slow, no hard bits or clumps in there

Mouldyoldspudgun said:
Sounds like your gear is f**k*d before you start has it got lumps in it? If not maybe where the drags are, you have put it on too tight, don’t be afraid to fill with the stuff on your trowel on the first couple of trowels, it’s only when you get the fat on your trowel you shouldn’t use it, having said that most do but the fat doesn’t go off like the plaster, no guts in it you see
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LarryTheLag said:
I actually did that on the bathroom ceiling, I found it was the equivalent of trying to drag sand across the surface, but it worked pretty well! I did have backache that day before starting
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Are you angling your trowel too sharp when you trowel up? Try closing the gap down between the edge that doesn’t touch the wall and the wall, see if it helps
 
Was taught to do it a finger's width as I'm throwing it on? The speedskim I'm trying to keep at the same angle but it's a little tricky as I'm walking across pulling it

I'm doing:

Clean up edges (left->right & right->left / up & down by a foot)
Working it left->right then up->down before it gets too hard to do anything with

Mouldyoldspudgun said:
Are you angling your trowel too sharp when you trowel up? Try closing the gap down between the edge that doesn’t touch the wall and the wall, see if it helps
Click to expand...
 
LarryTheLag said:
Was taught to do it a finger's width as I'm throwing it on? The speedskim I'm trying to keep at the same angle but it's a little tricky as I'm walking across pulling it

I'm doing:

Clean up edges (left->right & right->left / up & down by a foot)
Working it left->right then up->down before it gets too hard to do anything with
Click to expand...
You just have to trust your legs, watch the wall as you use the speed skim and use it as soon as you have second coated, Topspread is right, you need to let the first coat pick up before you second coat, looking at your second coat it seems you are scared of the stuff going off before you can get to it, you must remember you are in control and a better top coat makes it easier for you. I know it’s hard because the wall is small but don’t be tempted to run before you can walk.
 
For me, it's always the dragging that puts me right off and I get incredibly frustrated as I'm a perfectionist, when I was learning it was snowing and freezing so the mix was easily workable even after 3/4 hour, coming into new 'environment' conditions throws out what timings I have, by the time I took the bucket upstairs the mix was already going pretty warm

Mouldyoldspudgun said:
You just have to trust your legs, watch the wall as you use the speed skim and use it as soon as you have second coated, Topspread is right, you need to let the first coat pick up before you second coat, looking at your second coat it seems you are scared of the stuff going off before you can get to it, you must remember you are in control and a better top coat makes it easier for you. I know it’s hard because the wall is small but don’t be tempted to run before you can walk.
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When your skimming bare skim it always has an awkward stage where it drags, get it flat and lines out before that and then leave it alone in that stage and then trowel it once it's hardened a bit more
 
Ahhh I can't help myself in fiddling (with the wall) I've just gone to have a touch and it's looking very firm, I'll clean up the wall and take another photo (who wants another of the dog too?)

Lodan said:
When your skimming bare skim it always has an awkward stage where it drags, get it flat and lines out before that and then leave it alone in that stage and then trowel it once it's hardened a bit more
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LarryTheLag said:
For me, it's always the dragging that puts me right off and I get incredibly frustrated as I'm a perfectionist, when I was learning it was snowing and freezing so the mix was easily workable even after 3/4 hour, coming into new 'environment' conditions throws out what timings I have, by the time I took the bucket upstairs the mix was already going pretty warm
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First thing Larry, knock up where you are working as carting stuff around just wears your body out, just cover the floor with anti Knox or something waterproof where you knock up, obviously cover the rest of the floor but make sure it’s safe as in no polythene on stairwells, it would be good if you had a board and stand but if you work out of the bucket, keep it clean, dirty buckets make your stuff go off. If your bucket has dried plaster on the sides at the end of the day fill it with water to where they stop and leave it over night, in the morning empty it out and run a brush over the shite and it should come off. If you are using one of those gorilla tubs try leaving it in a water butt over night
 
Ello all! Back again, someone came around offering her plumbs :inocente:

I'm 5mins from Leighton Buzzard - off to Liverpool tonight to help the elderly inlaws for 10days (I do construction and painting - better than my plastering!!)

[edit] I can travel to have a look - will happily pay for lunch! (and biscuits)
 
You'll get it Larry and I understand the temptation to keep messing with it, most people do to begin with.

Worst case, if you're not happy with the finish, just try and get it as flat as possible, then re-coat.

Im still learning this s**t and have on occasion 3 coated, because I wasn't happy, as will most on here at somepoint.
 
That wall has had 3 coats on now lol

The thing is I know it's me, I don't know how I can work any faster to work with the mix while it's drying

ChrispyUK said:
You'll get it Larry and I understand the temptation to keep messing with it, most people do to begin with.

Worst case, if you're not happy with the finish, just try and get it as flat as possible, then re-coat.

Im still learning this s**t and have on occasion 3 coated, because I wasn't happy, as will most on here at somepoint.
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Its all the little things that add up.

Skim seems to smell fear, but the more you practice, the more time you have to flatten it. :)

Watch a good spread, and they're not rushing, they have good consistency, but that takes time.
 
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