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A general toolkit a plasterer needs

Obviously a plasterer needs a toolkit, but what tools do they need?

Obviously other tools can be sought depending on the type of job, for instance you may need an external angle trowel because the client does not want any beads placed etc

Suffice it to say that the list above will give anyone an excellent start into the world of plastering, there are lots of different manufacturers all of which offer some sort of quality but it is vital that you are comfortable with what you buy!

Right, let's go down the list;

Plastering Trowel

A *good* plastering trowel is paramount, don't just go and buy an el cheapo from a market stall it will not be balanced properly nor will it have the feel of a professional trowel.

A well balanced trowel is not only a joy to use but will provide consistant results time after time.

Most major DIY stores stock them, if you can, go for one with a wooden handle the picture shown is a Tyzack 11 inch plastering trowel and is ideal for beginners..

A Plasterers Hawk

A hawk is needed in order to transport the plaster onto the trowel, using a hawk properly will make plastering easier, for one you will make less trips back to the bucket, this conversely will also speed up the rate at which you work.

A typical hawk is shown below;


Always go for a good make, not only is it guaranteed to last but ensure that you get the most from your plastering practise.


The internal angle trowel

There has been (and still is) confusion as to whether one should be used or not. At first the internal angle trowel is hard to get to grips with but once mastered will speed up your game no end, spending time cutting into angles and trowelling them out can be a contrived affair, especially for the newcomers. If you spend time getting to know the angle trowel I'm sure you will soon realise that it is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal.

A typical internal angle trowel is shown below;


Again, I cannot emphasis it enough, go for a good make the one in this picture is a Marshaltown™.

The Devil float

A devil float is aptly named due to the nails/screws that stick out from the back of it, originally there were 2 nails driven through the end of the float thus resulting in the devils horns, hence the name.

Today the devil float is used with more screws through it so it lost its name and became a scratch float, these polyurethene floats are light and used primarily for keying the surface of backing coat plasters, a figure eight motion is used and with the screws protruding through the surface of the float around 1-2mm they provide a key by scratching the surface leaving figure of eight grooves behind.

Here is a typical scratch float;

Floats are cheap and can be purchased from market stalls, diy superstores etc.


A set of brushes

In keeping with the quality side of things, brushes are no exception! There is no substitute for a good set of brushes, ranging from 5 inch down to 1/2 inch.

Brushes are an essential tool in the plasterers toolbox, they are used in conjuction with skimming, patching and cleaning, I cannot speak highly enough of having a good set of brushes, go for the cheap ones and you will find it hard going.

A typical set of quality brushes;

A good set will not be cheap but will last a great deal longer than cheaper ones, you can get them from either a good DIY superstore or any leading decorating supplier outlet.


The bucket trowel

Until a few years ago bucket trowels were pretty sparce, you had to cut the end of a bricklayers trowel off to leave a flat, this was used as a bucket trowel then manufacturers saw a market and now they adorn the majority of DIY stores throughout the world! They can be picked up fairly cheaply and provided they are kept clean will last indefinately.
A bucket trowel is simply a flat bladed trowel in which plaster is scooped from the bucket with it, there is no other use for this type of trowel other than a scoop.

A typical bucket trowel;

Regarding quality, this type of trowel is not used for anything else other than scooping so just go for a cheap one if you can.


The gauging trowel

A gauging trowel was once used to gauge the powder to water ratio but has finally been taken over with the bucket trowel, a gauging trowel is also handy for spreading coving adhesive onto coving prior to fixing and can come in handy when getting into awkward places so they still have a use.

A typical gauging trowel;

If you can go for a quality tool as opposed to the cheaper brands, one thing you will need from a "gauger" is flexibility and the cheaper brands offer very little.


Margin trowel/s

Margin trowels are growing more and more popular with plasterers of today in the fact that they can get between tight door frames or any small space and still leave an acceptable finish, easy to use and very versatile, a must have for any budding plasterer.

A typical set of margin trowels;

Make sure that you get a good set, flexibility is the key and this always comes at a price.


A small tool

Small tools come in various shapes and are in essence mini trowels, they are used for a variety of things from making up the internal/external angles of cornice/coving to getting into those awkward little spaces i.e. behind heating pipes!

A typical small tool;

There are a few diiferent types available but the one above is the most common one used, remember, go for a good make.

5 Metre measuring tape and utility knife

What can I say here? A good make of both will give longevity and will also be more comfortable under prolonged use.

A typical tape and utility knife;


As always, buy good quality tools!

The Chalk line

There is always room for a good chalk line in anyone's toolkit! If you need a straight line to follow i.e. Overboarding a ceiling or just marking out the floor/wall lines for a partition wall, a chalk line in indispensible, quick easy and relatively cheap, need I say more?

Here is a picture of a typical chalk line;

Again, it does not really matter regarding quality but a good product will feed out from the body easier.

Spirit levels

I must emphasis strongly that a bad spirit level will *definately* ruin your day! Spirit levels are without a doubt one of THE most important tools a plasterer should have, not any old level though a really good one! You will need 3 levels in all, 1.8 metre, 1.2 metre and a 600mm one plus a midget level these are only around 200/250mm but are ideal for levelling awkward areas where the other levels cannot get in. A bad level will run out of plumb from the outset and if unchecked will make a great deal of work look bad, that is why it is imperative you buy good makes.

A typical level set;

There are a few good makes on the market, Stabila being the best.

The Darby and Featheredge

For as long as plastering has been alive some sort of straight edge has been used in order to *rule* the surface of the *floating coat*, they started out as lengths of timber (hardwood) and as plastering systems progressed the need for aluminium edges grew. Today all plasterers use auminium feather edges and Darby's, they are lightweight and do not soak up moisture unlike the old hardwood ones. A Darby has two handles that help the user glide the Darby over the surface, they tend to be used where a smoother finish is required on a backing coat (called "Tightening in") they excel at flattening out "one-coat" plasters. Featheredge's are used as *the* primary tool when ruling off any floating coats, once flat they can then be tightened in (if necessary) using the Darby, some plasterers have gotten used to using the Darby in so much as they use it as their primary rule.

A typical Darby and Featheredge;


 

 

Powered mixers and Paddles

Years ago there was no such thing as a "Powered mixer" it was all done by hand; For mixing the backing coat a shovel and a tool known as a "drag" was used the drag was similar to a garden rake only with longer fatter fingers on the end of it! For mixing finish plaster a "Podger or ponch or plunger" was used, this was nothing elaborate by any means as it was a bicycle cog wheel (the largest one where the pedals were fixed) that was welded to a piece of steel tube. Both methods were hard and extremely tiring mainly because it involved a great deal of muscle power, this built stamina but after a time both body and mind needed a rest! Today its a different story; Enter the powered age! Whisks now mix the plaster in far less time than it took to mix using the old methods and also less tiring too! However, manufacturers soon jumped onto the band wagon and now there are lots of different makes surfacing all over the place, so which one should you choose?

Personally there is no need to go and buy a top mixer at over £300! Would you get your money's worth out of it as a beginner or intermediate plasterer? The best thing is to go for a paddle instead, these are relatively cheap (around £10-£15) and fit into a standard 13mm chuck, most DIYer's have a 240 volt drill so this option would be ideal for starters, then in time if you found that your work output had increased to a point that a powered whisk would be a better option you have not lost any money.

Here is an image of a typical powered whisk and paddle;



Plasterers buckets

Of course no plasterer would be able to do any plastering work unless he had some buckets!

There are plastering buckets available at around £15 each, made from polypropylene they are very strong and will take some stick! Not that I am infurring you should leave the plaster to set in them and then give them a good old whack with a hammer to clean them out, quite the contrary but if plaster does set in them they can be cleaned by tapping the outside with a hammer to loosen the set plaster. Always keep your buckets clean, there is NO excuse for dirty buckets!! Only sheer idleness allows buckets to become full of dead plaster etc

Apart from the plasterers mixing bucket a few black builders buckets (14 litre ones) are ideal for transporting water to the main mixing bucket and for cleaning off tools, whisks etc.

A typical plasterers bucket and builders bucket;


A medium pile roller and tray, pump action sprayer and overalls

A roller and tray are ideal for using bonding agents such as; Bond-it™, Wickes plaster bonding agent™.

These compounds are used to create an excellent key and provide a neutral ground so you can plaster without worrying about certain reactions, a great deal of plasterers are using these compounds more so than ever before mainly because they offer peace of mind. Simply roll on and leave overnight, plaster the next day knowing that *everything* will go as planned!

The pump action sprayer (the ones used for spraying garden fences etc) is ideal for covering large areas with PVA, an adhesive used to effectively seal the background thus controlling suction, however upon saying that you may find that once you start plastering some reaction may occur, maybe not straight away (it seldom does) but just as you are finishing the wall/ceiling as is usual! This topic is discussed in the preparation section.

Coveralls or overalls are used by the older generation of plasterers but not by the younger generation these days, it still pays to use a good set of cotton bib and brace overalls, for one, you can take them off at the end of the day and drive home in *clean* clothes!