plasterer's tools

[Fred]

Hi,

I am getting ready to have a go at plastering for the first time. I will be plastering onto plasterboard. I know I'll need a trowel (or is it a float - what's the difference?) and a hawk but what about these feather edges and darbys I have seen in the Screwfix/tool station/machine mart catalogues?

A quick google suggests they are used to apply the back coat of plaster. But can they/are they used for finishing coats too? Would it be useful for me to get one to make sure my coat of plaster is completely smooth and level?

TIA

[Phil L]

Definately not. For skimming (board finish, multi-finish etc) you want a hawk and trowel, and a flat brush for wetting, these are the only tools you'll need. A darby is for backing plaster and render, and is completely useless for skimming.

[Jim K]

I agree on the darbys etc

Tho instead of a flat brush & bucket I prefer a handheld pump-up pressurised garden sprayer - =A35odd in Asda etc

(Naturally I am not a profeshunal plasterer.....)

Cheers Jim K

[Dave Liquorice]

you'll

Isn't it easier to do the application and polishing with a float rather than a trowel? An old float is best, one were the sharp edges facing the wall have been gently worn/rounded away. Take a bit of fine emery paper wrapped around a block of wood to a new float.

useless

Yep.

Sprayer works but I've found a plastic pasting brush and bucket is best. You can clean the float with the brush in the bucket.

Ditto.

[Tim Watts]

Fred wibbled on Wednesday 07 July 2010 12:33

Re Trowel:

is absolutely worth the money. I've used an old flat steel float and one of the Marshalltowns and there is no comparison - as a beginner, the Permashape gives you quite a bit of help IME - or rather it doesn't go out of its way to mess you up like a bad or very flat or unbroken in traditional trowel.

Watch the youtube videos of plastering too - quite a few good ones to give you a mental feel of what to expect.

[Andrew Gabriel]

For first time, I would assume the finish might not be good enough, and you'll want to fit a new sheet of plasterboard afterwards.

Indeed you might be better off finding something like the cupboard under the stairs, of a garage wall, to skim first.

No, "level" is the job of the plasterboard (or scratch coat if you aren't using plasterboard).

or free if you have one with a cleaning product in it and wash it out. And yes, easier than a brush. You may want a bucket of water and a brush to clean off the trowel in the latter stages.

[Phil L]

What do you mean by 'float'? - a float is made of semi-solid plastic, usually mustard coloured for some bizzare reason, and is used to flatten off lumps and bumps from partially seet backing plaster and render, they can also be made of wood. A trowel is metal, which I think is what you might be reffering to WRT the sharp edges and emery cloth, in whaich case, what do you tmean by trowel?

Float:

[Dave Liquorice]

In my book a float is rectangular and "floats" over the surface smoothing it. Float is a bit of misnomer, the final polish on setting plaster involves quite a bit of force... A float can be made of a variety of materials, plaster polishing is normally done with a thin springy metal one.

metal.

[Phil L]

It's probably geographical, I'd been plastering 20 years and never heard the word 'hawk' in relation to plastering, around here, everyone calls them 'handboards', it was only when Tommy Walsh et al appeared on TV that I heard him call it a hawk! - If I'd gone in the builder's merchant and asked for a hawk he'd have directed me to the nearest zoo.

Ah, you mean a pointing trowel or a brickie's trowel....there are also variants of this which are flat at the end and these are bucket trowels, used for getting mortar from the bottom of buckets, a PITA with a pointed trowel.

[Mark]

LOL try that with a flat metal float on wet gypsum plaster.

A Trowel can also be

"a small hand-held tool with a curved scoop for lifting plants or earth"

A Float can also be

a cork or buoy supporting the edge of a fishing net

but nothing will "Float" over wet gypsum plaster.

[Jim K]

pressurised?? what's in that then?? NB the trigger powered ones gave me blisters and I couldn't get enough out without swearing and wasting valuable setting time - hence the pump-up pressurised option.

aye

Jim K

[Andrew Gabriel]

This is simply a common misconception. Floats are wooden (or modern plastic equivalents). They are never used for polishing, but for flattening surfaces which you don't want polished. The business end is the flat face.

Conversely, with a trowel, you never use the flat face (well, only by accident, followed by trying to repair the resulting lump of plaster you just pulled out;-) The business end of a trowel are the long edges, which are used for smoothing and polishing.

That's a brick layer's trowel, but that is what leads to the confusion between a plaster's trowel and a plaster's float - a misconception that it's the shape that differentiates them.

[Rick Hughes]

A straight length of 3" skirting will do you .... I worked on many building sites and that is all I have ever seen plasterers use.

You only use them to get basic level, final finish is with trowel

[John Rumm]

> This is absolutely worth the money. I've used an old flat steel float and

Another vote for the Marshalltown permashape here - very light and easy to use - made my plastering significantly less bad!

[Mike Buckley]

Yesterday I watched our tame plasterer scrape off the artex and skim a

24' by 12' ceiling in our house. Plastering is not looming large on my DIY skills list. Even if I was tempted by evening classes (which I generally am, but generally also do nothing about) I doubt I'd trust myself to skim a ceiling.

[Fred]

People here have recommended classes but I've never found any listed at my local college. I agree with you, even if I did get good, I would only do walls, never ceilings!

[Fred]

Thanks for all the pointers. It seems I can save some money by not buying unnecessary darbys and feather edges. I was thinking of having a go at a small wall in our smallest bedroom and call a pro in if it went horribly wrong, but perhaps I might try a couple of practice sheets in the garage first. I guess plasterboard is cheap enough to do that. I think I have been reading your old posts for technique. Thanks again for those.

[Tim Watts]

Fred wibbled on Thursday 15 July 2010 20:18

Short courses for DIY hackers are often to be found at specialist training units - there's one at Waddon, South London, and another near Gatwick.

[Andrew Gabriel]

In Aldershot is the Building trades offshoot of Farnborough College. I did a bricklaying course there. I did my plastering course at Aldershot Building Centre which was in the army grounds and partly for retraining those due to be leaving the army, but it's gone now that the new premises has opened.

[John Rumm]

The first time I tried skim plastering it was on a ceiling ;-)

I worked on the principle that after that the rest should be easier. In reality, its not actually much different in terms of the finish you get

- although it is a bit harder on the arms etc.

Even a poor job can usually be rescued with a bit of fine surface filler and a sander if necessary!