why would you call taking it off the hawk from the front properly?
Because it is the right way to do it (tidier and more efficient). One of the first signs that you haven't been taught by a tradesman, is that and not taking it off the board cleanly. It's like choking a hammer if you are a chippy
does it matter if it comes from the front or back?
From the front/top it is less messy , you can get more on hawk, it is more efficient. The reason people do it from the back is that they could not do it from front when starting out (ie kept dropping stuff) and did not persevere with it because they thought it was easier. In the short term yes it's easier, but this is a trade ! You have to learn some things that are difficult at first until they become second nature. Whoever taught him should have insisted he did it right while he was starting to to learn.
i agree with you on his strokes they are fluent
why wouldent you go down on a knee?
Housemaids knee for one, cartilage, kneecaps , ligmaments. Kneeling on hard floor, often damp - again another sign the trade is not being taught properly . Another lazy habit that should be corrected when learning. It's easier in the short term than bending properly - but doing it right will save your body.This is a long term thing if you do it for a living. Also again, not as efficient if you keep working on your knee . Is it easier to get up and down from your knee, or while bending knees and hips?
now about flattening the 1st coat in we all know you are supposed to do it
but if its flat already "and still wet" theres little point as because its wet, its going to move with your trowel when you lay the 2nd coat on and become flatter anyway, i remember the first time i ever saw sombody not flatten the first coat it was on a 35-40m2 lid he got the 1st coat so flat there was no need to flatten it
It’s not two coats for the sake of it – there is a reason for it .The first coat should tighten a little, that's the point of it. If you are moving the first coat around with the second coat then it's not plastering properly , not understanding the process or material. It can set unevenly that's why you see so much fatty plastering with lines from the first coat showing, all different shades and colours. It's not two coats for the sake of it, it has a purpose. Of course you should put on the first coat flat - but running your trowel over it is the skimming equivalent of ruling off a base coat. And it can be more efficient in the long run
Flattening a wall is not trowelling it up - it only takes a minute or two . Another short term gain for long term problems. If you can't spare two minutes in a guage, then you need to think about what you are doing.
We've seen loads of pics on here of plastering that is simply not done properly, For diy that's fine, IMHO everyone should have a go if they can. But if you are doing it every day, after serving your time, and leaving it sub standard then it's down to technique /method.
The guy in the clip has left ridges where top and bottom sections meet, they could do with a flatten.
Now the above might seem like nit picking but getting faster and prolonging your working life is about the accumulation of small differences, small improvements. Hundreds of thousands of hawkfuls, so the more efficient you are, the less stress on the body, the easier you make the work .
My old man is 66 and when not golfing still can throw on his 100m2 a day of skimming at his ease with no labourer and few faults( no one is perfect!), or lay 20 tonne of screed .
Being organised, having everything in the optimum position, working to a system, mixing up just enough at the right time, keeping everything clean, filling holes ahead of you with the last guage, squaring up reveals if needed , efficient ways of scrimming and beading – simple things like carrying something up the stairs and something down the stairs when you can, so you never waste a trip - all of these things are habits that shave time off and make the work easier. And the time to bed them in is at the start. The way you handle your hawk is a fundamental factor in being clean and efficient . And that is what makes the difference between being a ‘Plasterer’ and ‘Someone who Plasters'
The guy in the clip looks decent, nice rhythm etc and I’m sure the work is good. I'd be happpy to work with him . But he could improve slightly.
I’m and old fogey moaning I know - but this is the result of people not finishing their time and then teaching someone else ,who goes on to teach someone else – each time little bits are lost.
Off my chest now !!
