WBA and finishing trowels

[NickB_99]

Hello all

Have used Wickes Bonding Agent (WBA) for the first time in the process of skimming my kitchen. Have always used diluted PVA previously and wanted a better key on some large/smooth painted areas.
It seems excellent stuff at forming a good surface to skim and eliminates some of the timing issue with catching PVA when tacky.

It is however very rough and there's a lot of 'scraping noise' when the trowel runs out of plaster on it - I'm concerned about damaging the edges of my finishing trowel when laying the first coat. Is this a problem anyone has encountered??
After the first wall I used an old steel trowel to lay the first coat of multi on, and then only used the decent stainless one for the second coat and polishing. No damage been done, but wondering if I'm being over-cautious.

 

[stevethespreader]

hi newb the wba wont do your trowel any harm but having a laying on trowel is a good idea, I used to lay on with my finishing trowel but now use a laying on trowel espec on boards as the boarders would more often than not leave a few screws proud and would nick my finishing trowel which now has a really thin blade and damages really easy, I took a leaf out of micilins book who mentioned it on here some time back, but you should be safe with wba, if you are going to be plastering more in the future it would pay you to buy another 14in trowel to lay on with and add to your collection I have a few on the go at the moment

 

[NickB_99]

I took a leaf out of micilins book who mentioned it on here some time back, but you should be safe with wba, if you are going to be plastering more in the future it would pay you to buy another 14in trowel to lay on with and add to your collection I have a few on the go at the moment

Thanks Steve. That's a good idea.
I find my 14" finishing trowel so much quicker covering large areas - except I find laying plaster on ceilings easier with an 11" one. Stamina!
My scruffy trowel is only 11" so another 14" for the collection is a good suggestion.

 

[stevethespreader]

you may find having smaller trowels in your collection usefull as you will come across margins where your 14ins don't fit such as doorways ect, so you may want to get a good smaller one also, it may be a bit over kill having several trowels for someone who only plasters now and again, but not having the right size trowel for the smaller margins would mean the job wont be as good as it should be

 

[Micilin]

I'd go with all of what steve says, and of course if you are doing a fair bit of plastering no harm to be breaking in a trowel by using it to put on , then it will be okay for the first trowel , then after a while okay for finishing and you can put one away as spare

 

[NickB_99]

you may find having smaller trowels in your collection usefull as you will come across margins where your 14ins don't fit such as doorways ect

Completely agree. Have a mini trowel (8" I think) and a set of 3 margin trowels. All have been useful - even though I do only get to plaster occasionally!

 

[Micilin]

even though I do only get to plaster occasionally!

You say that now..........

 

[NickB_99]

even though I do only get to plaster occasionally!

You say that now..........

Well, as I don't do that much currently and it's good variety away from the day job, I do really enjoy it. I actually look forward to a weekend when I know I've got a good chunk to do.
Each time the job is always different - different backgrounds, challenges.

Though I suspect if I was doing it day in day out (like a lot of you guys), the novelty may wear off. Big areas are really tough, hats off to you pros.