Re skim over day old plaster?

[burts]

Couple of tips if it helps, when you lay it on, aim to get it on at a rate of say 1sqm per minute, not hard to do if you get into the zone. You’ll then cover the whole wall with loads of time to spare. Lay it on in fairly straight long strokes up/down, rather than going all over the place with random directions. Try to keep it relatively tidy as you lay on - smaller lines are fine, massive thick bead lines not so good - smooth ‘em off as you go.
As Soon as first coat on, wash tools, relax, and flatten it in straightish strokes which should be very quick to do. Quick run round with Water brush around the edges to stop them getting crusty and keep them clean.
Whole thing should then feel fairly “under control”, and personally I’d then hold fire until it feels like it’s really firming up before repeating the whole thing with a second coat. More likely to lose things like visible board joints that way.

Speed skims/spats etc are good, and I love mine, but you shouldn’t really need one for areas that size and it’s much better to Iearn how to get it right using just the trowel first.

Edit: just noticed I’m 2 weeks too late. But I’ll leave this here incase it helps anyone else.

Evening, no all is appreciated still. I’ve not gone back over it yet.
I don’t think I did too bad but if I put a straight edge across it (all different ways)
Then is a bit wavy, as in not dead flat and rocking in the level
struggled to get consistent flatness

I can and was applying it at that rate, I reckon I might have had a dodgy bag that just went off mega quick as I wasn’t applying it slow

 

[23vc]

Skimming is only going to be as flat as what you’re going over, check the boards.

Don’t put it on too thin either - it should go on really nice and smooth, with no bare spots/misses.

If reskimming, give it coat after coat of PVA/water mix until it hangs around and slowly goes tacky, rather than instantly tacking up and drying. Less of an issue if using SBR.

 

[23vc]

as I wasn’t applying it slow

Very roughly, skim in this weather with windows closed, heating off, clean water for mix, background suction controlled if needed, applied nice and tidy, should give a good 25 mins laying on time which is way more than you’d need if doing a wall at a time

 

[burts]

Skimming is only going to be as flat as what you’re going over, check the boards.

Don’t put it on too thin either - it should go on really nice and smooth, with no bare spots/misses.

If reskimming, give it coat after coat of PVA/water mix until it hangs around and slowly goes tacky, rather than instantly tacking up and drying. Less of an issue if using SBR.

It was on to plasterboard so def think it could have just been a better job done by myself.
Surely if you put on thick enough though, you can small discrepancies flat

 

[23vc]

Only to a small degree, any real levelling/filling of the background would normally be done with a coat of bonding coat (or other backing plaster)

 

[burts]

Only to a small degree, any real levelling/filling of the background would normally be done with a coat of bonding coat (or other backing plaster)

Ok, it’s probably not as bad as I thought then as there are just as many discrepancies in the other walls which is just the state of our timber over here I guess. Nothing can be done about that

 

[burts]

I had to sand it down in the end before having another go. It came out worse than I thought
What are these patches when I’m sanding?
What did I do wrong