Pointing Trowel Question

roo

Hi I am not a bricky by trade and need to buy a pointing trowel. I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my tools. what is the best size trowel to buy for pointing, 5 inch or 6 inch and why.

6stringmason

Why do you need one if youre not a mason?

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roo

i'm about to start a course next month 'trowel occupations'.

Dik Redi

LOL good ? 6string,,first off a pointing trowel shouldnt be 5 to 6 "s my pointers (slickers) run from 1/4"3/8"5/8"and 3/4", after that its used for stucco Trowel then you get to a brick trowel , block trowel, stone trowel, and cement floor finishing trowels and so on,, u got alot of home work to do lol ( roo that is not u 6string)

Tscarborough

I would get a 5-1/2, like a Kraft tool GG422. Dik Redi, A pointing trowel looks like a small brick trowel. What you use to do (tuck) pointing is called a caulking trowel.

I am surprised they would have you buy a pointing trowel for a class, though. Are you sure they didn't say margin trowel?

Dik Redi

i dont use caulking Tscar i point my stone work with them and use them to rake out joints no caulking involved,, are u in the field hands on or just in the books?? lol busten ( i use my brick or stone trowel to hold the mortar/cement so i guess i missed the ? the margin trowel which theres many styles ,, i use to get into tuff corners during stucco)

Dik Redi

I perfer W.ROSE trowels leather handles for block, brick and stone trowels any smaller the wooden handle marshall trowels wrk fine.

Tscarborough

Does it matter if you are in the field or in the books? Using jargon means you can talk to your friends, using the technical term means you can discuss the issue with anyone, anywhere.

My hands are plenty calloused, let's leave it at that.

stacker

game,set and match!!

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Tscarborough

He was just kidding.

We call them tuckpointers around here, and since I use them on adhered veneer, I usually have a couple in my hawk hand. The ones I have that aren't rusty are 3/16, 3/8, 3/4 and 1".

The reason they are called caulking trowels, BTW is because that is what the tool was designed to do initially: Push in the okum backer then tuck the tar caulking on ship planking.

jvcstone

I've got a couple of caulking chisels too--used for the same purpose.

When I was working on the wall, I always kept a little pointing trowel (not tuck pointer) in my back pocket. My favorite was about 3.5 inches, and was not real pointed. Probably a rose, but I've slept alot since then, and those years are rather foggy now. The other masons would ridicule my "itti-bitti" trowel, but it sure did come in handy a lot of times.

JVC

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roo

Tscar thankyou for your reply, all the jargon starts to wind me up too. I think some people think that using lots of jargon or slang makes you look more experienced, i've met plenty of people who can talk the talk and not produce good work. As for 'having a lot of learning to do' (of which I find patronising, you have no idea of what i know and what i don't) yes i do...and i hope i keep on learning.