hello can any one tell me how long to wait between coats and trowelling . do you use water when trowelling . also how do you flatten in a wall because i have tried to flattem in and leaving trowel marks
skimming perfection
- Thread starter jakeyseven
- Start date
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Wet the wall prior to the second coat/application of finish, at the polishing off stage.
Wet the wall prior to the second coat/application of finish, at the polishing off stage.
no easy answer to this i'm afraid, it's something you develop a feel for over time, indeed my feel is still improving!
when i was taught the rules were this:
15 mins to lay on first coat of 2-3mm
15 mins to top it with 1mm
15 mins to trowel flat and fill misses
15 mins for final flattening
15 mins for wet trowelling
15 mins for dry trowel.
=90 mins setting time.
all done with 1 mix.
i now have to confess that i no longer do my skimming with one mix, i find i can get bigger sets on by 2 mixing.
when i was taught the rules were this:
15 mins to lay on first coat of 2-3mm
15 mins to top it with 1mm
15 mins to trowel flat and fill misses
15 mins for final flattening
15 mins for wet trowelling
15 mins for dry trowel.
=90 mins setting time.
all done with 1 mix.
i now have to confess that i no longer do my skimming with one mix, i find i can get bigger sets on by 2 mixing.
See PBD has already linked you back. Speed is of the essence but to ensure you have the advantage use only fresh, well in date plaster that’s been dry stored (not in a BM’s damp tin shed). Keep your tools & bucket meticulously clean, mix a little wet initially & don’t over power paddle it. I would advise using additional water with extreme caution; only when you have to, usually for final trowel off & polishing (but don’t overdo that either) the & then as little as possible, too much at the wrong time & you’ll completely bugger it! I’ve never used a brush & bucket, only an old 1 litre kitchen spray bottle; I will do a complete room on 1 refill & tip then some away. 
Don’t get too hung up on the 2 finish coats thing either; the whole point is to keep the surface workable & give you more time to get that perfect finish but if it’s a good, uniform background & you’re troweling technique is good why use two coats if you can do it in one . On small walls I often double up with the other side but if that’s not possible, I know I’ll be twiddling my thumbs waiting so why bother if you can finish off with a singe coat off with equally good results.
I think you may have some way to go on your troweling technique & only practice will perfect it.
Don’t get too hung up on the 2 finish coats thing either; the whole point is to keep the surface workable & give you more time to get that perfect finish but if it’s a good, uniform background & you’re troweling technique is good why use two coats if you can do it in one
. On small walls I often double up with the other side but if that’s not possible, I know I’ll be twiddling my thumbs waiting so why bother if you can finish off with a singe coat off with equally good results. I think you may have some way to go on your troweling technique & only practice will perfect it.
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Interesting analogy TM; I’ve nearly always worked on my own, mainly due to the type of work I do but also because I’m an old, unfit git; I don’t do bad but keeping up with bucket loads of mud arriving one after another would bloody well kill me. After being “educated”, I went through the usual time critical dilemma of one mix/two mix but after mastering one mix, stuck with it. But I then started to question why I was using 2 cots in some instances so I now only do it on large walls or difficult backgrounds; which links back to my previous post!
I didn’t have the benefit of any formal training & after initially buggering up a few attempts, I then “bought in” a spread as part of a training deal & immediately realised precisely where I was going wrong; didn’t have the benefit of this great forum then!
'tis a great forum mate! can't imagine where i'd be without it!
i still use 1 mix on smaller 'hits' to be honest, but i find i can mix a bag and a half now on my own, lay it on and then get another 2/3rds ish to top it on after cleaning out.
i used some advice Micilin gave a while ago which has stood me in good stead, tip the muck on the board, couple of inches of water in the mixing bucket and a quick clean out before laying on, this way if i'm up against it by the time i've laid it all on i can get straight onto my second mix.
thsi all assumes the suctions have been sorted and i'm not working round awkward bits, managed a 24sq. metre ceiling on my own 2 weeks ago, but did have to roll my gauges, 3 and a half bags all in i think.
if i was using 1 mix i think i'd be doing more 'sets' and mixes but each would be shorter i suppose.
i generally now do 2 sets of 2and a half to 3 hours a piece, each of 2 mixes.
kinda where i've arrived at though mate, still a newbie don't forget and learning ALL the time thanks to you chaps!
i still use 1 mix on smaller 'hits' to be honest, but i find i can mix a bag and a half now on my own, lay it on and then get another 2/3rds ish to top it on after cleaning out.
i used some advice Micilin gave a while ago which has stood me in good stead, tip the muck on the board, couple of inches of water in the mixing bucket and a quick clean out before laying on, this way if i'm up against it by the time i've laid it all on i can get straight onto my second mix.
thsi all assumes the suctions have been sorted and i'm not working round awkward bits, managed a 24sq. metre ceiling on my own 2 weeks ago, but did have to roll my gauges, 3 and a half bags all in i think.
if i was using 1 mix i think i'd be doing more 'sets' and mixes but each would be shorter i suppose.
i generally now do 2 sets of 2and a half to 3 hours a piece, each of 2 mixes.
kinda where i've arrived at though mate, still a newbie don't forget and learning ALL the time thanks to you chaps!
Im afraid i was always taught to do 2 mixes and that 1 coat was done by amateurs so that is how i have always worked .
I look at it like this : on a large wall it will take longer to go over the first coat filling in etc than it does to mix another guage and lay it on and the finish will be better and the top coat is not going off at the same rate as the bottom coat meaning you dont have to bust your balls and it can be mixed slightly wetter and more creamier making it easier to work with .
I have never timed myself but i work like this
mix first guage and load spot
then apply the first coat to the walls
wash tools and have a fag
pull the lines and then mix second coat
apply second coat
wash tools and get clean water bucket
have another fag
then when its time start to trowel up and usually do the second trowel then put the first coat on the next set of walls and start the routine again until its time to go home
I look at it like this : on a large wall it will take longer to go over the first coat filling in etc than it does to mix another guage and lay it on and the finish will be better and the top coat is not going off at the same rate as the bottom coat meaning you dont have to bust your balls and it can be mixed slightly wetter and more creamier making it easier to work with .
I have never timed myself but i work like this
mix first guage and load spot
then apply the first coat to the walls
wash tools and have a fag
pull the lines and then mix second coat
apply second coat
wash tools and get clean water bucket
have another fag
then when its time start to trowel up and usually do the second trowel then put the first coat on the next set of walls and start the routine again until its time to go home
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