No money to finish the job - how can I smooth a wall?

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Good to hear that there are some people out there, that care about the costumers and the job being complete.
I to I'm a little bit soft when it comes down to someone falling on hard times and would not have left this job incomplete.
Hope you resolve your problems, Skimt. Listen to the advice given here, you wont go far wrong. Good folk trying to help.

 

[squarenut9]

Good to hear that there are some people out there, that care about the costumers and the job being complete.
I to I'm a little bit soft when it comes down to someone falling on hard times and would not have left this job incomplete.
Hope you resolve your problems, Skimt. Listen to the advice given here, you wont go far wrong. Good folk trying to help.

I have to say I would have done it for free even tho im not as good as a real spread who does it all day for a living.
Any real spreads amongst you folk out there that can give this guy some advice and confidence to give it a shot himself???
I was shown to put on 2 coats of plaster. Get your dust sheet down. Once your joints are taped trowel on the first coat starting from the bottom and always working upwards then leave it about 10mins while the next coat is mixed up and then trowel that on. The first coat will look like a child has done it, full of trowel marks. Dont worry, leave it, as long as the whole wall is fully coated and its reasonably even. The first coat will act as a good base coat for the second coat and it also stops the 2nd coat having all the moisture being sucked out of it too quickly while you apply it. Each coat will be about 2mm thick approx. Then when the wall is fully coated leave it, say 15mins (depending on room temperature). Then gently trowel it over but not too much just to reduce the trowel lines. After another 10-15mins, retrowel. Keep the trowel wet and clean at all times to prevent it getting stuck to the plaster and getting patches of plaster sucked of the wall. Thats why plasterers alway have about 20 buckets of water around them. Use a wallpaper brush to wash the trowel in a bucket of water. Its takes a while but you have to be patient, if you try to rush it you will ruin the job. Keep an eye on the tecture of the plaster. As it starts to dry out the texture will become more firmer and you can trowel it over to work the 'fat' out as they say. Then on the final few trowels use a moist/wet wallpaper brush to gently brush the new plaster down and retrowel it to remove the brush marks. Eventually you will end up with a smooth wall. You have to stay with it. I was also told dont be tempted to 'overwork it'. I think he meant dont keep trowelling over it constantly, it has to be done in stages or thats when it starts to go wrong. When you are happy with the finished wall leave it to dry naturally, not force dry it with a fan heater as it will probably shrink too fast and you will get shrink cracks. I know that because I did it once..dooooh!!!!
I have watched plasters at work on many site I have worked on, they are like artists and can do their job with their eyes shut. It makes you sick because when you try to do it yourself it seems bleedin impossible but remember they started out like you once. I am convinced that if you give this wall a go you may be pleasantly suprised. And like I said earlier, there is always filler to fall back on and when its painted nobody will ever know. Trust me, give it a try. Back me up fella's.