Help identifying a problem please

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Simon Bradley

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Hi

I learned the basics from a very good plasterer that did my living room. I only had one day with him so it was very basic.

I've done a lot of practice since then and my surface is pretty good now. Overall I'm starting to get that nice eggshell surface. However I do have a couple of questions as my surface is still dogged with small imperfections after quite a lot of practice!

The first problem is that i always seem to get one area where the surface is pockmarked. I have started to think this is caused by contamination of the plaster before i even start mixing. Or maybe not mixing it well enough?

The second is that I'm still getting the odd stringy bit in the surface. Sorry i cant explain it better than that. There very small and they look a little bit like the curly shavings that come out of a rasp! I think I've noticed a similar thing when I'm cleaning my tools but I'm not sure how they're appearing in my plastered surface.

I decided to post on here because I'm still guessing at why these two things are happening so hope someone can help.

There is another small issue I'd really like help with. I occasionally make the surface worse when i dry trowel the second coat. It looks like I've pulled out the top coat from an area the size of the palm of my hand. A bit like when an area of paint comes off a wall.

I'll explain how i do this currently and maybe someone can explain where I'm going wrong. When I dry trowel the second coat i only use down strokes as i seem to whip up the surface rather than smooth it otherwise. I use the trowel almost completely closed. I wet the trowel as it seems to help. I'm using a lot less pressure now than when i started. Hard to explain exactly how much. I do it very lightly is all i can say. I also leave less time between the second coat and the troweling now which also seems to help.

Any help with these things would be very much appreciated.

Cheers.
 
Open to closed trowel technique

First coat
Quick smooth

Wait

Second coat

Wait

Dry trowel

Wait

Wet trowel
Dry trowel

End


Surely it doesn’t take anyone longer than six hours to memorise a basic process. It’s the practice and learning to do it well that takes time yes?

Don’t know why I’m bothering to explain as you are clearly the forum pedant (Assuming there is only one). With that in mind your post should read, "Well done you learned the basics in one day; it took the rest of us a lot longer than that."
 
Thanks for the response johniosaif. That never occurred to me! It's a builders bucket but it is a cheap one off ebay.

Maybe i need a better one? Or is it just the way I'm using the whisk?

Cheers.
 
Order of work is ok.

New tools cuting the buckets? Sharp paddle? Sharp corners on your bucket trowel?

New tools taring your work up if its going grainy, trowels need breaking in!
Not a job to walk straight into and get a decent finish, it all takes ages to break in and wear in really.
As for pock marks you could be cooking the mixes - mixing for too long or on too high speed.

What drill or mixing method?
 
The bits are from the bucket as your whisk is digging them out of the bucket , best to work with a professional for a couple of years , you have so much to learn @Olican
simon, the replies from john and I were to be taken as sarcastic constructive helpful criticisim, and as john says you have a lot to learn, therefore do not be offended or for that matter be offended, I am not really bothered ,but when I need advice I would rather ask malc,rigsby,arti,bubbles,oilcan etc etc , than yourself, and this is despite you learning the basics in a day
 
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