Steel Trowels

thanks , i am going to be replacing my mainstay of trowels soon since they are old and deteriorated (they're from the 70s doing tract work) and replace them i use a 14x3 but i think im going to try the 12x3 and see if that works better but i will check out the 10x3 too > i am going to this badass place called roseburrough where they make bitchin trowels and have a store that is like disneyland for finishers

socalmason said:

i want to try one of those stainless steel trowels everytime it seems that i let someone use my trowel it comes back with rust on it

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Firstly, don't let other people use your trowels, tell them to get their own.

I had to buy stainless trowels for doing EIFS and the quartz in the finish coat sharpened them up to a razor edge. One day I tried one for catching edges on a floor and it was great, so I have been using them ever since.

I think they are also easier to clean and it is nice that you can put them in the bucket wet and not worry about them until the next time you need to use it.

They do take some work to break in though, I did a ton of EIFS with my trowels to break in the corners and get a razor edge on them.

When I was building skateparks we had to finish everything by hand and I found the little 8" (I think it was 8") by 3" (I think it was 3") my favourite for getting the most pressure but if I just have to burn a 3" strip or something along the edge for a basement or something then I usually tip the back of the trowel up and put my left hand on the front and give her ****. Thats only if the front is rounded though.

I use 12 x 2.5. Old school union finishers started me on them. Once you get used to anything it will work. They always said it was easier to use 2.5" as opposed to 4" wide.
I have a few trowels that work, but are not that great. Whenever friends want to use my tools, I give those out.
For the most part, I never loan out tools. Why give somebody the tools to take work away from you.

Its very cool to see everybody's preferences which is why I love working with other finishers I got all my trowels set up Here is a Pic after I got socked up at Roseburrough , I have since cut the float to 14 in. And acquired a sqaure 14 x 4 (awesome but some say its to small for slab work ) and I added in my favorite trowel (8x3)

CarsonMoffat said:

When I was building skateparks we had to finish everything by hand and I found the little 8" (I think it was 8") by 3" (I think it was 3") my favourite for getting the most pressure but if I just have to burn a 3" strip or something along the edge for a basement or something then I usually tip the back of the trowel up and put my left hand on the front and give her ****. Thats only if the front is rounded though.

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when I was pumping with ca skateparks i always was learning stuff from you skatepark finishers aka my favorite trowel (8x3)

builditguy said:

I use 12 x 2.5. Old school union finishers started me on them. Once you get used to anything it will work. They always said it was easier to use 2.5" as opposed to 4" wide. I have a few trowels that work, but are not that great. Whenever friends want to use my tools, I give those out. For the most part, I never loan out tools. Why give somebody the tools to take work away from you.

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I have a 12x3 thats the burn trowel just about everybody uses