ive used a stick a fair few times, ok if you arent using a spotboard, i guess as your just getting the the mixed stuff out of the middle, but if scraping it out ontp a bapord i allways end up gettin dry barely mixed gunk off the side of the bucket even tho i scrape the sides of the bucket while mixing, sods law eh! "one last spread over here.....ah you b@astard!" dry bit stuck to you trowel and a huge line up the wall which is a bugger to get out