Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 12:57am | #1

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   John,

   You would do far better to post any questions you have on plaster at Brian Ewing's site. He has many years of experience and would be more then willing to help with any problems you might have. He also is a nice guy.

   Joseph Fusco

   View Image

   "The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." -- Plato

1. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 03:21am | #2

   *I'm glad to see this topic coming up more and more often. I think plaster is a great alternative to drywall. Similar to your experience, I went nuts trying to figure out which products I needed and how to use them, even after consulting the USG and Gold Bond mfr sites. You have the problem I did when starting out from scratch -- it's not just one or two questions but dozens.I had the luck to meet a real live plasterer at the drywall supplier I use yesterday. Learned more in 15 minutes than hours wandering the Web or asking questions at lumberyards (even places that sold the products!). Most of his "real" plaster work was commercial, though skimcoating over "blueboard is getting more popular here in VA. In New England it is apparently very common.Like taping, plaster is very much a "feel" thing. I'm pretty marginal with the trowel but I have at least lined up most of the technical knowledge to get started. What sort of plastering do you have in mind (skimcoat, metal lath, gypsum lath, etc.)? I'd be glad to help, in fact I'm thinking of setting up a plaster FAQ from the bits and pieces others have sent my way on my own Web space to make this info more accessible (and less often repeated here!), and perhaps attract some more from the pro's. Also search this site's archives for info. Not all the plasterers are gone....

1. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 03:30am | #3

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   Yes, and hopefully people with "YEARS" of experience at it will give good sound advice and those with only "MINUTES" of experience will shut up.

   Joseph FuscoView Image"Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblance's to that truth." Socrates

1. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 03:34am | #4

   *Thing is, Joe ... you never shut up. :) Toooooooooooooooo easy.

1. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 03:40am | #5

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   Thing is, I have "YEARS" of experience, you were just a bad lawyer. Way easier.

   Joseph FuscoView Image"Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblance's to that truth." Socrates

2. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 04:10am | #6

   *Years of experience doesn't mean you got it right ... apparently. And years in quotes, that means your making it up, right?

3. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 04:17am | #7

   *Barrister,

   Straws. . . I told you, you we're bad. Try and stay focused.

   Joseph FuscoView Image"Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblance's to that truth." Socrates

4. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 04:35am | #8

   *At the risk of offending Joe, How does HOURS of experience count. Never one to back away from a challenge and figuring that one trowel trade is just like another, I decided to plaster. Bought a bag of Imperial white , some blue board, some expanded metal lath and some brown coat.Bot a new steel 12" finish trowel set it between 2 blocks and bent it by stepping on it. Then I ground the corners off and I had my self a "pool finishers" trowel. Hung my blue board in the basement room which was to be my victim, made 6' radius corners with 3/4" ply. plates and 2x3 studs, radiused the wall /ceiling junction to am 18" radius with plywood templates, and tacked the expanded metal lath to the curved corners and the curved wall/ceiling line. Mixed up about 1/3 bag with a 1/2" drill & plaster paddle in a plastic garbage can, & went at it. About a week later I was done. My train room with no corners and a great plaster finish. Painted it blue and my sky runs right up the ceiling.If you're a drywall taper, you should have no problem learning the plaster trade. Most of the plasterer's in R.I.were either raised in the trade or they used to be tapers. Everything here was drywall until about 1985.If you like drywall taping , you're gonna love skim-coat.I learned just enough so I really enjoy working with my plaster subs. And we still do drywall, Durabond, and our own plaster on the real small jobs.

5. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 04:50am | #9

   *Sounds terrific! I recommend the mixing paddle too, the white stuff sets fast enough as it is -- I thought I was doing something terribly wrong. I used Champion gauging over two coats of wood-fiber plaster & metal lath for a kitchen wall replacement.Any pictures? Does the sky have clouds?(Sorry all for the diversion above, I'm plastered myself and felt like playing 'kick the can' for a while. Bored with that now.)

6. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 06:21am | #10

   *no pictures. The backdrop sky has New England mountains. And I haven't touched it since I discovered golf 5 years ago!

7. 
   Guest_ | Nov 03, 1999 06:31am | #12

   * Mike,

   Don't sweat the pic. You can use one of mine.

   Maybe the plastered barrister can lend you one too.

   Joseph Fusco View Image

2. 
   John_Donnelly | Nov 03, 1999 06:31am | #11

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   I am looking for information,a book or something, on plastering techniques. I am competent with drywall but have come across a few jobs lately that would have worked better with the original plaster. I am having a terrible time finding information. The mixes and product uses in particular have me confused. Thanks