To feather-edge....or not?

[NickB_99]

Hi guys.

I'm after opinions on the use of a feather-edge.

I was taught to polish my plaster using by three passes (but no more) with the trowel and plenty of water.

A colleague at work was taught to use a feather-edge.

Is a feather-edge an essential bit of kit?

All views welcome!

 

[neds]

I thought is mainly used for flattening off and straightening Render coats? Not sure about polishing, I'm only going by experiences from watching some folks do it at college mind... I suppose it could be used for polishing wouldn't say essential really though.

 

[roughcaster]

I would finish/polish plaster the way you said, a clean trowel and a water brush... A feather edge is a handy piece of kit, but you could get by without one.... It would be used after straightening a floated or rendered wall with a straight edge. To use a feather edge, you would lightly flick a "little"water with your brush onto the wall as you go, to lubricate the f/edge, to help it close up any surface blemishes, or to fill in any small hollows with the cream..Use it at an angle, with the feather side "nearly" flat onto the plaster/render,and pass it gently across the surface to close up and smooth over a wall ready for the float.... You wouldn't use it to polish/trowel up a finished wall. ...You would not use a feather edge at all in skim coating.... A darby is a good piece of kit to have,,, again,,, when using thicker float coats/render ..... Maybe your friend was just taught to use a feather edge, and that's what he meant.

Roughcaster.

 

[NickB_99]

Maybe your friend was just taught to use a feather edge, and that's what he meant.

I suspect you are right and I had got the wrong edge of the stick (or feather-edge! )
Thanks for the info guys.