First thing I do with a new trow, is scrape the edges/corners on the pavement in the street, then It's broken in and ready for use inside 5 minutes, my dad showed me this, he was a plasterer all his working life.
Would love a video showing how you maintain , store and transport your tools, I’m a DIY guy and mine seem fine but I do worry am I keeping them good for the future
What usally happens these days when you leave a great finish, the painter then comes in and uses's a long hair roller to cover it all up. Probably best to get your work nice and flat, and not polish it, just leave the plaster with slight key for the paint to stick better.
Exactly. I did a job last summer, 15 grand finished bathroom and he wanted the walls skimming around the units etc. spent half a day taping and sheeting up, ridiculously awkward to plaster but it came out brilliant. The owner decided to paint it himself. Neat paint, no mist coat and he painted it with a brush. Looked awful. Ruins good work
Hi - I was a plasterer for a profession around 10 years ago, I have 3 trowels(don't remember the lengths, but my Stainless steel Marshall town is I believe a 12/13inch, then I have 2 Carbon's - 16/18/20 inch I dont remember)...The reason I have 2 "longer ones" is that the first got a slight dent. The point of this background is, I have RARELY oiled or cared for my carbon trowels, and the first(dented) trowel wasn't used for around 7 years other than the odd private job every couple of years. The 2nd one I bought as I got a private job back in the first lockdown, 2020, haven't touched it since. Probably didn't oil it when I put it away. IF you'd be interested in seeing the condition of these trowels let me know I can send you some pictures.(I.e, what a carbon steel trowel that has been in use for around 15 years but barely been used/cared for for the last 10 years, and one that was used for 1 job then not cared for for 3 years look like after all that time/neglect).
Spent my 1st ten years with carbon steel Marshall town trowels with wooden handles as these was all there was and then came the stainless revolution with the durosoft handles 23 years of this and I would never go back to carbon. I always found the carbon trowels were cleaner as like you say had a bit of grip . Glad to see a lot of the younger lads are trying carbon though😁👍
Evapo-rust is the business for rust removal, expensive but goes long way and makes managing wet carbon steel tools lot less hassle. Hammerite Kurust good value rust convertor, gives nice blue hue to the steel.
For rust prevention I've switched from WD40 to Fluid Film, it's better. I wish I did it earlier, one difference is that is last much longer. I use it for all my tools. I have a CS margin trowel I hardly use for mortar, used it, cleaned it, dried it and put Fluid Film on it, years later it is all fine.
Thanks for the information. I’m a knife nut so like looking after carbon steel :-) my diy Marshalltown carbon steel gets sharpened and treated regularly 😂
i love my nela carbon, i have nearly 40 trowels i have only used my nela carbon for over a year now, and its great not to over complicate things with multiple trowels trying to find “the perfect finish”
I’m the same, breaking in a 14 inch nela carbon so lay on both coats with it, flatten with my 18 inch carbon, and do both wet towels with my broken in 13 inch marshaltown carbon. Then a lick over with a plastic. Could quite easily just use my 13 inch all the way through though
Trowels, is this going full circle. Used marshalltown carbons 25+ years ago. Used 11" x 4" size back then. Just got another carbon and finish is loads better. Old school rules
Great video mate . Remember using carbon at college and got Great results. Would you recommend 14 inch carbon permashape ? I don’t think MT do a 13 in permashape . Thanks
@@desdoyle9176 pretty much what was covered by Alex. Just slightly more flexible and get a better finish. I can comfortably use all way through set with out using a flexi trowel.
You literally don't need a pre worn one, they get a bend in them so fast, got a bend in mine with about a month's worth of use, not even everyday, if I was to skim, I'd only lay on with it.
Hi Alex, great work with the channel, taught me a lot. I'm so grateful thank you. Using a cheap Wickes trowel, ox speedskim and refina superflex2 I did a decent job of my son's bedroom 11 months ago. The Wickes trowel is clearly carbon as it's got rust but its still held up good without use. I'm now moving onto rest of my house. I'm wanting the best finish possible so I'm going to try sponge floating, especially as some of the work will include bonding. What would you recommend for the best finish and speed of application, 1 stick with the Wickes trowel as it's been broken in a little, 2, Get a Marshalltown carbon as it's a better trowel and breaks in quick? Or how does the Marshalltown stainless steel compare to the carbon in applying the plaster? If it's just as easy as the carbon would my superflex, deal with the stainless steel drawbacks? Reason for the last question is im not sure how much I'll plaster after doing my house, so maybe stainless steels better. but I'm more interested in making my plastering easier with a better finish and I'm happy to deal with maintaining the carbon.
Hi Thanks for the message. Personally in your position I would get a 13” MT Ultralite SS. Flatten with that speedskim and finish with the flexible. Sponging is definitely much easier for a novice. It gets it much flatter with alot less effort.
@@AlexMorleyPlastering Hi Alex, thank you so much for your quick response, so grateful, I had the MT CS in my Amazon basket ready to buy but I will definitely take your advice. Thanks again, kindest regards Suzi. X
@@AlexMorleyPlastering I'm a qualified engineer not a plasterer but I enjoy & learn from videos like yours along with other highly skilled trades. Speaking from my background we can't confuse WD40 which is a penetrant with an oil as they're 2 very different things. A penetrant will work well at dispersing water & loosening rust but it will evaporate, it should not be used as a general-purpose lubricant or a corrosion stopper. If you're storing your trowel away for a period of time use an oil or grease, something that doesn't evaporate.
You don’t need a flexible trowel with Stainless or Carbon. It just makes it easier as they are sharper and more forgiving. But as carbons get so much sharper you don’t need that ease of use you get with a flexible trowel.
With the carbon steel it doesn’t have to b a rust bucket when u come back to it after a year it just depends on where and how u store it granted if it’s in ur shed for a year ur right it’ll b pitted bad but if u store it in ur house in a cupboard slightly oiled it’ll b fine for a year there won’t b the condensation problem going on
I keep it trowels in the van, often leave them weeks without use, and have never had orange rust build up. After use I either oil it or just dry it. I think you have to leave them wet and in damp areas to get the real issues
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First thing I do with a new trow, is scrape the edges/corners on the pavement in the street, then It's broken in and ready for use inside 5 minutes, my dad showed me this, he was a plasterer all his working life.
Would love a video showing how you maintain , store and transport your tools, I’m a DIY guy and mine seem fine but I do worry am I keeping them good for the future
What usally happens these days when you leave a great finish, the painter then comes in and uses's a long hair roller to cover it all up. Probably best to get your work nice and flat, and not polish it, just leave the plaster with slight key for the paint to stick better.
Exactly. I did a job last summer, 15 grand finished bathroom and he wanted the walls skimming around the units etc. spent half a day taping and sheeting up, ridiculously awkward to plaster but it came out brilliant. The owner decided to paint it himself. Neat paint, no mist coat and he painted it with a brush. Looked awful. Ruins good work
Hi - I was a plasterer for a profession around 10 years ago, I have 3 trowels(don't remember the lengths, but my Stainless steel Marshall town is I believe a 12/13inch, then I have 2 Carbon's - 16/18/20 inch I dont remember)...The reason I have 2 "longer ones" is that the first got a slight dent. The point of this background is, I have RARELY oiled or cared for my carbon trowels, and the first(dented) trowel wasn't used for around 7 years other than the odd private job every couple of years. The 2nd one I bought as I got a private job back in the first lockdown, 2020, haven't touched it since. Probably didn't oil it when I put it away. IF you'd be interested in seeing the condition of these trowels let me know I can send you some pictures.(I.e, what a carbon steel trowel that has been in use for around 15 years but barely been used/cared for for the last 10 years, and one that was used for 1 job then not cared for for 3 years look like after all that time/neglect).
I started out with a tyzack carbon steel trowel, great trowel.49 years ago and steel going,me not the trowel😅
Great Tyzack trowel with a red handle and the bar on the underside 👍
A while ago I went back to just a 13 mt,18 mt carbon steel and a plastic speedskim.Tool bag weighs bugger all now and the finish is mustard.
Spent my 1st ten years with carbon steel Marshall town trowels with wooden handles as these was all there was and then came the stainless revolution with the durosoft handles 23 years of this and I would never go back to carbon. I always found the carbon trowels were cleaner as like you say had a bit of grip . Glad to see a lot of the younger lads are trying carbon though😁👍
Evapo-rust is the business for rust removal, expensive but goes long way and makes managing wet carbon steel tools lot less hassle. Hammerite Kurust good value rust convertor, gives nice blue hue to the steel.
For rust prevention I've switched from WD40 to Fluid Film, it's better. I wish I did it earlier, one difference is that is last much longer. I use it for all my tools. I have a CS margin trowel I hardly use for mortar, used it, cleaned it, dried it and put Fluid Film on it, years later it is all fine.
Thanks for the information. I’m a knife nut so like looking after carbon steel :-) my diy Marshalltown carbon steel gets sharpened and treated regularly 😂
i love my nela carbon, i have nearly 40 trowels i have only used my nela carbon for over a year now, and its great not to over complicate things with multiple trowels trying to find “the perfect finish”
40 trowels 😂😂😂
I’m the same, breaking in a 14 inch nela carbon so lay on both coats with it, flatten with my 18 inch carbon, and do both wet towels with my broken in 13 inch marshaltown carbon. Then a lick over with a plastic. Could quite easily just use my 13 inch all the way through though
Just brought an old wooden handle tysak carbon steel 14 inch trowel back to life with vinegar and it’s the nuts
So is that the 13” Xtra Lite?
Love my carbon permashape all day long 👍
Trowels, is this going full circle. Used marshalltown carbons 25+ years ago. Used 11" x 4" size back then. Just got another carbon and finish is loads better. Old school rules
Mines pretty new. It's leaving a lot of lines still. Until firming up.
They are lush better than any flexi
Great video mate . Remember using carbon at college and got Great results. Would you recommend 14 inch carbon permashape ? I don’t think MT do a 13 in permashape . Thanks
Marshalltown 14 all day
Smashing video pal. How you finding the finatex ?
Does anyone have a link for 14" C Nela that is in stock? Gold dust 👀
Impossible too get at the mo.
I got 1 from p1 plasterers store
I’ve got an array of carbons now, thanks too this guy😂..
in my opinion they are 100 times better than stainless.
Wat do u find is the difference mate
Iv only ever used stainless
@@desdoyle9176 pretty much what was covered by Alex. Just slightly more flexible and get a better finish. I can comfortably use all way through set with out using a flexi trowel.
Which vinegar do you use mate?
@@bobbymawson871 haven’t needed too yet, I just spray with wd40 end off most days.
Hi Alex, do they not make a pre-worn carbon steel? Thanks.
You literally don't need a pre worn one, they get a bend in them so fast, got a bend in mine with about a month's worth of use, not even everyday, if I was to skim, I'd only lay on with it.
Hi Alex, great work with the channel, taught me a lot. I'm so grateful thank you.
Using a cheap Wickes trowel, ox speedskim and refina superflex2 I did a decent job of my son's bedroom 11 months ago. The Wickes trowel is clearly carbon as it's got rust but its still held up good without use.
I'm now moving onto rest of my house. I'm wanting the best finish possible so I'm going to try sponge floating, especially as some of the work will include bonding. What would you recommend for the best finish and speed of application, 1 stick with the Wickes trowel as it's been broken in a little, 2, Get a Marshalltown carbon as it's a better trowel and breaks in quick? Or how does the Marshalltown stainless steel compare to the carbon in applying the plaster? If it's just as easy as the carbon would my superflex, deal with the stainless steel drawbacks? Reason for the last question is im not sure how much I'll plaster after doing my house, so maybe stainless steels better. but I'm more interested in making my plastering easier with a better finish and I'm happy to deal with maintaining the carbon.
Hi
Thanks for the message. Personally in your position I would get a 13” MT Ultralite SS. Flatten with that speedskim and finish with the flexible.
Sponging is definitely much easier for a novice. It gets it much flatter with alot less effort.
@@AlexMorleyPlastering Hi Alex, thank you so much for your quick response, so grateful, I had the MT CS in my Amazon basket ready to buy but I will definitely take your advice. Thanks again, kindest regards Suzi. X
Ive flitted between carbon and stainless steel over the years but i agree carbon is the better.
WD40 ain't oil
I believe that’s what you call semantics my friend. 👍
@@AlexMorleyPlastering I'm a qualified engineer not a plasterer but I enjoy & learn from videos like yours along with other highly skilled trades. Speaking from my background we can't confuse WD40 which is a penetrant with an oil as they're 2 very different things.
A penetrant will work well at dispersing water & loosening rust but it will evaporate, it should not be used as a general-purpose lubricant or a corrosion stopper. If you're storing your trowel away for a period of time use an oil or grease, something that doesn't evaporate.
Great Video! Does this mean that using a carbon steel trowel will eliminate the need for a Flexi trowel?
You don’t need a flexible trowel with Stainless or Carbon. It just makes it easier as they are sharper and more forgiving. But as carbons get so much sharper you don’t need that ease of use you get with a flexible trowel.
With the carbon steel it doesn’t have to b a rust bucket when u come back to it after a year it just depends on where and how u store it granted if it’s in ur shed for a year ur right it’ll b pitted bad but if u store it in ur house in a cupboard slightly oiled it’ll b fine for a year there won’t b the condensation problem going on
Spot on 👍
Personally I often put my in garage..leave it in oiled rag and it keeps for months
I keep it trowels in the van, often leave them weeks without use, and have never had orange rust build up. After use I either oil it or just dry it. I think you have to leave them wet and in damp areas to get the real issues
Good man
can you do a video on the 18inch carbon steel mate
I’ve got well broken in carbons and stainless but only have my stainless got coloured render and backups carbon is superior
Someone need to go ahead to ahead with the stainless lol
Normally only this early with the misses
Baby oil in garden spray bottle. It's just mineral oil . WD 40 is toxic and not nice... Interesting video
Never tried carbon
flexing on a 14" lol