⚠️NEW TROWEL! PROBLEMS 

The problem any DIYer has is not realising that as well as a lack of skill, they can run into problems caused by the equipment, but not recognise it as such. Your videos help so much in avoiding that. It's hard enough to get the mud on the wall and develop a smoothing technique, but if you don't realise your trowel is causing you problems you'd think you just couldn't plaster

I love when tradesman bring their young ones to work... Teaching them a bit of life. Amazing stuff.

Mate, I can not lie. I was hoping you would have a total nightmare lol as I know how hard it is, but you made it look too easy. This just shows how good you actually are, and your experience showed big time fantastic job

Perfect demonstration of a new trowel and the problems it can cause, especially pulling out the plaster

Two minutes into the job and the top three foot of that wall already looks pretty much good enough to sign off. I've got some practising to do! (DIY plasterer here, really only doing it because on principle I reckon I ought to at least have a go at anything legal in my home.)

watched loads of plasterers channels yours is by far the best and most relatable,feels like im watching myself as every movement u do is so familiar from how u coat outside to skimming i do exact the same movements pressure and speed,ive always said we will never be millionares cos nobody wants to watch us work but the way u explain things that some folk think are boring i still find it intersting even though i know it all and do it every day,your enthusiasm makes me want to go to work lol

Hi Kirk. I’m pretty new to your channel I only subscribed about 1 month ago. I can see your an old tradesman and not one of the new tradesmen just out of college. You explain things very well and I’m sure lots of people will learn very much from watching you. I am a building inspector for my local authority and I see many trades works and yours is up there with the best I see. Keep up the good work and training the newbies the proper way to do a job. 👍👍✊✊😎

I’m just starting to learn, diy level, appreciate your skills for sure, my efforts are far from perfect but they’re a huge improvement over what was there. Thanks for the tips, great work too 👍🏼

Great job mate. Love marshalltown trowels, but also have a big soft spot for the tyzack trowels. My finishing trowel is marshalltown 👌

Great video, good for beginners to show that they aren’t necessarily doing it wrong it could be due just to using new tools and to persevere

Here's a nice little comedy moment for everyone reading the comments. I've just watched this entire video and had the intention of putting in to try and win this trowel. The chances are slim but as good odds as anyone else right? A couple of minutes from the end he says it'll be available to bid on in March 2023 😅😅. Typical me, always late to the party 🤣🤣. As always though Kirk, great video mate. Always informative, always patient, always you. Any apprentice lucky enough to get on with you would turn out an absolute master craftsman I'm sure.

Ive been off the tools for about 3 years now, but your videos really make me miss the trowel 😂

we used to tap the handle stem with a lat hammer made the corners bend up slightly

I always used a sharpening stone on new trowels but rounded the toes off slightly and use the heel for square corners. To make live sockets safe I just covered them with small freezer bags or the like, only takes seconds to cover sockets with the bag keeps it safe and clean.

Iv started using carbon as stainless is very hard and will take ages to wear in better off with a permashape gold . Carbon has bit more flex than stainless took a month my carbon to be good enough for skim but love it now . Keep up the good work

I have that trowel, it has worn in lovely had it for 10 years

Nice to see you using board finish. That’s all I use. I love it

Nice detailed vid. I’ve only ever used stainless marshalltown trowels but I’ve recently bought and am currently wearing in an Ox 18inch stainless from screwfix, mainly just to see if it can hold its own compared to the marshalltowns. About 4 weeks in to wearing it in now and it’s just about starting to become less offensive. Was also only £33 compared to the £75-£80 for the marshalltown equivalent. Will be interesting to see how long it lasts and if I’m ever able to get it finishing as crisp as my marshalltown! Keep up the good work, love from a fellow born-on-the-trowel plasterer 👍🏻

great trowels marshalltown i allways buy the pre worn in trowels

very brave using new trowel straight out the box .Job well done thx for sharing

love watching plasterers work,i would let the first coat pick up more ,your a good spread mate.

Haha. I always hit a curb if i need Asap. Other than that i obviously use floating or Sand and Cement to brake it in. Or floor screeds ✌️🙏

As kids in America, we sometimes imagine the room getting smaller and smaller every time you paint it. 😂😂

Most of the plasterers in Ireland use them on sand and cement for a period of time before they skim with them

I've been a Plasterer of all types for 30 years, we haven't used hawks in 25 years. They simply slow down production. 6 inch Broad knife and a 20 x 5 trowels the only way to go for spreading

Another great video and professional job, thank you. Just hope I got the lucky ticket 🤞🏼

Amazingly helpful video, much appreciated.

Is it possible to take a file to the edge to sharpen it up?

Now then Kirk been a while mate hope ye well been chocka mate back on board watching and catching bck up with ye vids av a good1 muck 😉👍

Anyone else gutted that they are only just watching this video 😭

I spent months breaking in a Tyzack, Marshaltown, changed the game.

One way to drop the curb outside your house 😉

Thanks 4 the link ....BTW yes I own a tyzak it was on offer and I don't use them much . But the other issue I get is getting things flat I get good smoothness now but fiatjess needs work lol

Little tip never use a brush or sponge to wet the wall let it start to go off and use an old spray bottle with water give the trowel and wall a light mist of water to drag the fat out and polish up

That's why om not getting the finish o use to get because the trowel isn't broken on properly at college and there trowels what other people have used would that make a big difference using trowels what other people have used kirk 🤔 just a question

I new a plasterer who use to get his mate to hang out the passenger side with trowels to clean and break new ones in on the Rd while driving😂😂😂😂😂

Oh good idea, I also need to ask my 13yr old son for a help, probably he will learn all swear words in three different languages that I swearing in about half hour:)

nice job spread

Love the channel kirk, from Ireland keep it up mate,, proper plasterer

Kirk have you ever had a Mt trowel misshapen? I have one here thats like a ~ if you look along the edge of it. I could get a decent finish with it but bought a new one and was better from out the box.

I use a sharpening stone from the hardware store puts a nice edge on the trowel from new.

Inspiring to watch cheers

Give a light scrub with some emery paper 👌

Love a brand new marshaltown trowel prefer new to worn in better shape

Brilliand video Kirk - you can never hgave too much knowledge! Wondering, can you take down the blade edge with a whetstone?

Any plasterers file off the sharp edges?

when your fitting new plasterboard do you have to put scrim tape to existing ceilings and existing walls ? thankyou

I run a flap wheel up and down mine or use it for rendering jobs before I use it for plastering..

Made it look easy, damn.

Loving your work mate I noticed you used hook on beads. When they first came out I thought they were the mutts nuts. Saves stapling or sticking with adhesive ,messing around in general. However I've since decided that the extra gear I have to lay on around beads means it's 6mm thick . This is fine on corners as its easy enough to feather, but on window reveals with only 150 mm to play with if you feather it in it shows, meaning it's gotta be 6 mm up to frame side. Making it tricky to keep straight. I resorted to a reveal tool to get them spot on. A real shame that they can't produce a 3mm version . Any thoughts.?

I have a Marshaltown perma flex gold cost me a few quid and it does feel nice but I feel the carbon steel trowel gives me more control just feels that way. I can see from this video how you had to work harder with this trowel than you normally would. I also had a Nela plastic flex trowel which was effortless and I loved it but like you mentioned mine went out of shape also. We all need tools that just work without having to add the extra effort or thought, they are the keepers like your trusty old worn in trowel 😁😁😁!

Is it just better (for an amateur) to buy a pre-worn trowel?

What an absolute cowboy

Another great video

Yes I can

Easier to use a random orbit sander with a fine grit on

Don't use so much water cos you'll get water staining when it's dry you'll see water staining in the plaster

Hey how come you use board finish instead of multifinish

If I'm due a new trowel, I'll use it for sand/cement rendering for a good while before showing it any pink. New trowels are too much effort, especially stainless

More great tips, cheers Kirk. I use a marshalltown qlt ( from toolstation) 14 x 4. Are these trowels not proper marshalltown?.....they don't have the Mt engraving on the back of the blade. Hopefully I win yours 🤣. Cheers mate

The ordinary tin trowel will wear in faster than a stainless steel one.

New trowel problem a bad works man blames his tools 😂

Hello 👋

Asian plasterers are the best i have ever seen . I worked for Chinese plasterers in North West Australia they were small but extremly strong and gifted with very good coordination. They would do in a morning what it would take the best Italian or British plasterers would take 2 days. Then the finish was always better same. With tiling. A Malaysian Chinese tiler i worked with never used a level or tape measures straight edges .But his workmanship was the best i have ever seen then the speed incredible. Shower trays that were perfect no standing water beatiful floriets around the drains instead of square or round holes in a tile. Massive walls of tiles nothing out of of place. Then me being the tough rugby player i though given my size and build i would keep up even lifting boxes of tiles and buckets of tiles glue would easily out lift 5'1 5'2 Chinese tradies no they out lifted me by a wide margin. Then you want another level of gibstopping/ plastering. The Japanese plasterers are on another level. With one medium trowel he can plaster anything but you don't need to sand if you did you would be lucky to have a 1/2 a cup of dust in a 12' by12' by 12' high room and he left a tiny bead where there were pelmets right in the middle no measurement come back the next day rub that bead off with his small trowel no further work required much quicket than any European tradie.

Where's the link to enter Kirk?

Hello Maisie!😂 top job of the chimney breast

💯👌🏽

WTF is he doing with that trowel.

Although you took the hard edges off the trowel by rubbing them away on a kerb on the road.... You wore the edges in the wrong direction... You rubbed very fine grooves in to your trowel edge at 90 degrees to how you would apply your plaster.... This is why your trowel dragged your plaster. You should have rubbed the trowel edges along the kerb in the same direction as you would to apply plaster..... By doing this... The fine grooves in your trowel will be in the same direction as your trowel stroke, reducing that drag and speeding up the trowel's wearing in time. Always move in the same direction as you apply plaster.

It's a difficult enough job as it is, turns out having new gear makes it that much worse. It's tough out there for DIY'ers :)

I hope you're paying you daughter for two jobs one being a camera woman and two for being a labourer 🤣

I just thought I was a terrible plasterer now I know it was just the new trowel hehe. Great vid thanks mate.

I generally use it on sand and cement to wear it in.. sometimes I give it a rub of a sharpening stone to wear it in especially a stainless steel one

Doing a great job kirk, the videos you're putting up helping people are ace. We'll in mate.

Got one myself & I love it. Where's our Keiran at like? Also good yer kids helping out, loving the chanel Kirk, top job 👍🏻

I prefer the Ox trowel handle; Its rubber all the way round the corner so You dont rub the metal / start of the grip with your index finger all day and rub muck in the gap.. I find that annoying. Also the handle is short and and fat on the Marshaltown. I crunch my knuckles when I start down low and pull up a wall. Dont say Im holding it wrong because thats how I feel best in that situation my knuckles are catching the rivet section. The Ox handle seems a little longer so I can grip it with all fingers properly and not as fat so I dont catch my knuckles. I have both. The Marshaltown has a far superior blade and comes more curved out the box ( always get the permashape gold version! pre worn and better quality steel.) I You think the standard version is nice then its nothing on the legit permashape!) The Ox has a superior handle and is nicer to hold! I use both depending.

You make it look so easy, I've had a go when I had a plasterer at my house, I couldn't even get it off the mortar board without it being on the floor 😂 I'm sending this video to my plasterer as the clean up and no plaster in the back of the sockets really add to the finished job. Just hope I don't offend him 😂😂😂

Whenever I get a new trowel I just hook that little triangle sanding piece to my oscillating multitool with some 120 grit sandpaper and sand the corners and edges and surface. In a matter of seconds the corners arent pointy and sharp, theyre more round and safe to the touch. Dont know about everybody but it works for me when I dont have time to break the trowel in.

I'm learning and improving as I go, been using that trowel for a while now (diyer, occasional jobs like a room here or a wall there but about to do a whole house we're renovating) and have to say I'm very attached to that bit of kit for throwing on. Tempted to try a speedskim for flattening though. Just wanted to say thanks for the content, picked up a few tips from you. Helpful stuff.

It seems all plasterers advise sanding down the edge of new trowels. So why do manufacturers not supply them ready sanded?

It seems you have a great bond with your daughter(s) Kirk. It's nice to see a dad who actually acts like a dad. Keep it up buddy

Also what a great girl you’ve got there good steady camera work 10/10 🎉

Just a note I thought you would bring up mate plaster/dirty water on that oak fireplace will stain it black! A nightmare to remove! 👍

Why is it that you've always got tuns of sockets to go round 🤣 Great camera work too 👍🏻 (you don't see many 14 year old's labouring for there dad 👍🏻)

Hello Maisie! Kirk, I'm looking to buy another Marshaltown, already have a permashape and a 16×4. What are the main differences between a permashape and an Xlite, apart from more expensive and a different coloured metal?

Use a orbital sander and work it up to a 1000grit. Unreal finish

I was given a Marshall Town Gold from a shop that was closing down it takes some breaking in especially when I don’t plaster every day 👍thank you

I prime the board with a little bit of gear before putting a big blob on.

Another great video mate, love watching your content 👏🏻 did you use stop beads on the angles?

when i was first starting out by labouring the old boy who taught me said to buy my no1 and use it for render and screeding for as long as i can to get the edge perfect i just use different grit of wet and dry now on a sheet of ply hasn't let me down 👍🏼

Wow, your work area is lovely and clean. Such a neat job... Lines / edges are great!

Just had our ceiling done in the bedroom the guys done a brilliant job considering they under quoted it as it was quoted by photos to begin with so we paid them the extra even tho they didn’t want any extra 😂

Stainless all the way for me, I had a carbon steel trowel years ago, had it like a razor blade, one of the rivets popped and it went out of shape, stainless takes longer to wear in properly but they’re great for finishing, you can get pressure behind them without have to worry about popping rivet. I like the speed skim blades for flattening off, the plastic spatulas some use for finishing, I don’t like, doesn’t keep the wall flat.

I have a 14" Marshalltown carbon cement trowel that I used to use as a "skimmer", as it's as straight as a die. I generally use an MT permashape now but breaking in another MT carbon finishing trowel. I always run over the edges of a new trowel with my carborundum stone. I love using my 18" MT carbon but it's always an issue for my elbow now 😢

The black banded trowels are not pre worn . Thats why the gold banded permashape sells better. They all need wearing overtime though dont they ? In my opinion

I'll be honest when I was a plasterer my towels I had a selection of but most of them from new I'd file the edges down then run them on a wetstone on the face that touches the plaster I'd sharpen it at a 15 to 20 degree angle till it would be as sharp as a knife same at the toe but the corners would need to be blended so there wouldn't be a ridge where the angles meet from the length of the trowel merging to the width I had a fee towels sharpened similar but would sharpen the edge with a curve to follow the natural motion of the growling on a wall yet the edges would still be razor sharp but those two methods of breaking a trowel in without having to use them for years before they form an edge those two methods would actually give the best results and finishes on plaster however if you sharpen your trowel to a 20degree angle and use it primarily for sand and lime backing plaster or floor screening with sand the edges will round off on the face and stay flat at the back but will still be sharp enough to cut your hand on this is actually in my opinion the best edge to have on a trowel for plastering as the sharp edge stops you getting snorts ripples and drags but the curve of that edge will pass nice and smooth over the plaster iv always used marshal town the only time I've used tyzak is for doing a marble finish with dyes added in a ripple in the mix to lay it on but always used my marshal to polish it or I'd use a tyzak with a marble based wall plaster made grime fine crushed marble the chrome type polished surface of tyzak trial would just help the mix slip off the surface but for the shape of it's toe they're just not practically in tight runs or between fixtures and fittings

Let it go off a bit on that first coat before a flatten in playing with it to much is always a c@star # 😂 ive learnt so many lessons over 17 years and still I’m learning.

Wooden handles on both MT and Tyzak are my preference as well as they are slightly thicker

Hi Kirk you have some beautiful looking kids (they obviously must take after mum)😂😂

Thought u could buy pre rounded ?