breaking in a trowel

[plast010580]

Hello All,

I have been labouring for a plaster for the past 3years learning the trade! I have been using his second trowel a marshalltown 14".
Time has come for me to go out on my own but i have to give back the trowel i have been using!!

Does anyone have any tips how to break in a new trowel quickly!!! NEED HELP!!
I have brought a marshalltown permashape pre worn trowel but still no way near as good yet!!

Many thanks

 

[oasis]

just get useing it..

 

[Roofer2plasterer]

After three years of working for him on labouring rates can he not find it in his cold, cold heart to give you the trowel the tight git!

 

[Gary the Spread]

Use an oil stone or diamond stone to spped up the process but nothing beats using it for the final trowel up. Learn from this, when this 1 is broken in buy another to start breaking that in and when its broken in take it home and keep it there till the other one dies. Mind you dont do what I did and found a trowel that I had put away some 25 yrs back.

 

[ant]

ask him for his old one tight git

 

[napper83]

if u can give it to a floor screeder to use for a couple of days do that or a couple of full days using s&c brings them up to scratch

 

[Gibbo]

just use it the metal on metal action of the hawk and trowel soon wears it in

 

[warriorupnorth]

just use it the metal on metal action of the hawk and trowel soon wears it in

what if he's a machine spread , not use his HANDBOARD much then

 

[superskim]

Hello All,

I have been labouring for a plaster for the past 3years learning the trade! I have been using his second trowel a marshalltown 14".
Time has come for me to go out on my own but i have to give back the trowel i have been using!!

Does anyone have any tips how to break in a new trowel quickly!!! NEED HELP!!
I have brought a marshalltown permashape pre worn trowel but still no way near as good yet!!

Many thanks

a couple of rendering jobs will do the trick mate

 

[Gibbo]

then just sit at home wiping his trowel over the hawk

 

[spunkybum]

this is what i did mate its a bit crude ......put youre trowel in a vice and sand it down with an electric sander, youll need some really coarse sandpaper ...i ended up getting mine of ripbay.....the best sander would be a belt sander but normal sanders work fine .....expect to do about 3 hours on it atleast

 

[warriorupnorth]

this is what i did mate its a bit crude ......put youre trowel in a vice and sand it down with an electric sander, youll need some really coarse sandpaper ...i ended up getting mine of ripbay.....the best sander would be a belt sander but normal sanders work fine .....expect to do about 3 hours on it atleast

And what about his trowel ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :-*

 

[plast010580]

thanks for the advice boys!!!

spunkybum:
When using a belt sander on it would i have to do it at an angle and only on the edges or over the whole blade????

any more advice is always welcome!!!

 

[spunkybum]

i'd imagine with a belt sander you could just keep it still and slowly roll the edge over ........mine was a normal sander put youre trowel in the vice and keep going over the edge and in a bit .......go over the part of the trowel you know you trowel up with about the edge to inch and half in

 

[pftmonojetman]

What ever you do don,t use an angle grinder to wear it in the heat from it will buckle the blade, Trust me i tried it when i was an apprentice before you could get broken in trowels and ruined it

 

[Pug]

marshalltown preworn ain't too bad from new, bit of s+c render or screeding'll sort it tho, remember, if you sand it make sure you're holdin it at the same angle as you would if you were troweling up

 

[spunkybum]

if you get it down to a fine art sell them on rip bay ive never come across a decent skimming trowel for sale

 

[Pug]

i still want that pic of you naked with a cheese an jam sandwich spunky

 

[del]

pugs is right, break it in on s+c , screed, this way is the best, over time the blade finds its own angle, my scim trowel is 18 years old, its the dogs b*ll***s for walls, not to clever for heads, sills etc, the corners to curved

 

[ant]

just get a thermalite bock and rub the blade all over it

 

[Lambretta-Tom]

Swap it with him for your shiney new perma shape if he wont give you it the tight git

Failing that try all the above ;D

 

[skimmin2day]

Spend 20 mins on the oil stone as suggested earlier this is the best way same as when you dink it on a nail left in the wall .

 

[bigsegs]

i used to rub it on a kerbstone but i did my back in getting it in and out of the van :'(

 

[skimmin2day]

lol .......should have used your board lifter !!