Lime Plastering Base Coat

[Ambergreen45]

I want to plaster with lime in and around my fireplace using Natural Hydraulic lime NHL 3.5 and have tested a small area first using a mix of sand/lime 2:1

I was informed that the Base coat needs to be THROWN onto the damp brickwork to expel any air in the mix, making the mortar more compact on the wall and ensuring it binds evenly avoiding high and low pressure points where it would otherwise eventually drop off.

My problem is that there are too many angles to be able to throw the plaster in a direct line. But where I can throw it directly, most of it bounces back and ends up on the floor and I've noticed that the ends of those portions that stayed on are not completely connected to the wall. So I decided to push the plaster in by using pressure with my hands, then using a trowel and finally putting a final pressure using a brush (am I being silly?). Quite a bit of work it seems, but I can't have 200 kg of lime plaster to eventually fall from the wall once it's all finish. Am I doing it the right way?

Would somebody be able to tell me if there is an alternative to throwing?

Many thanks!

 

[Graeme1983]

From my beginners experience with Lime it seems to me your doing fine. The only technique Ive heard about for throwing lime on is "casting" usually for external walls and used to create a rough authentic finish would be a bit of a ballache to do that around a fireplace, my place looks like parts of it were put on using this method, the sides of the house.

Ive not read about expelling air pockets, but only about making sure it is well mixed or "knocked up" so there is no unslaked Lime around. Pushing, trowelling and then using a brush to push it in are all in line with what Ive read on the subject.

Few more experts here might have more experience to add later but I think its alright.