How did it go Roady? Interested in your pallet idea. I have ideas with pallets too. Thing is, the wood used in them isn't that sturdy, so you'd need to work around that.
There was two pages of DIY threads when I went on a search, and there needs to be an official one perhaps.
But I'm here today to teach anyone
HOW TO PLASTER A WALL IN FINISHING PLASTER. Proper pink finishing plaster and not the muck you can get from DIY shops. Plastering a wall is a piece of piss, clouded in mystery. There are a number of things you need to know before I start, and I'm going to assume you know some of the basics, like PVA'ing the wall, and mixing dry powder TO water, and not adding water TO the dry plaster. You can search this stuff. I'm going to get to the turning point in my life as an amateur.
The first time I plastered a wall, I had to get a belt sander out. The second time I plastered a wall I had to get a mouse sander out. The third time I plastered a wall, (and we're not talking big walls here), I had to get a mouse sander out again. Everytime I did it, it required some polyfilla in many many areas, and more sanding. The fourth time I did it, I polished the thing with the trowel so hard it was like a mirror... shit hard, with duff patches, and impossible to paint on. In my preparations I'd roll 7 cigarettes just to help me get thru the panic and the fact that I'd have plaster all over my hands. Panic panic panic everytime.
Not anymore. Yesterday, three months after successfully plastering a wall with my new bit of info for the very first time (no rough patches, smooth as you like all over), I plastered another wall, and I genuinely think I have it licked. Not
licked licked, but we're hoping to build an extension on our house someday, and I'm happy to plaster it now. And, looking forward to it. Before, I was filled with dread, now, I'm excited.
I know plasterers and builders, and have watched them and asked questions, and there was always a feeling that I wasn't going to be told anything that would help ME, do what they do. I was asking for advice, but nothing came back.
And the turning point was doing two coats. Before, I was laying the plaster on, and then trying to smooth it. So I'd lay it all over and then go back to start smoothing it, then trying to smooth it a bit more... then more again. I studied sculpture so I know intrinsically that over working plaster isn't recommended, but I couldn't fucking do this shit.
What you do is, you mix your plaster up (research this bit), and lay it on with casual abandon. Don't worry about bubbles and lines etc... just get it on. Try and get it flattish of course, but don't worry. A 4 x2.5m wall should take about 20 minutes to cover. 30 maybe (for the amateur -me). The way proper plasterers scoop up a load onto the trowel is something I can;t quite do yet
When it's on the wall, make a cup of tea. Just let it sit there for a while. In the meantime, clean all tools (proper bucket, hose etc). This first coat should be around 2mm thick. The next coat is thinner - about 1mm. Mix the new batch accordingly. You can let that 2nd batch sit for a while if you want. I drove to the shops to get some beers. Then you put on the 2nd coat, while the first coat was still wet, but just beginning to get 'tacky'. What the first coat is doing is all the sucking in of water. While it's busy sucking it in, you lay the 2nd on to smooth it over. And it's a piece of piss. Just trowel it over, pause a little, do another trowel, pause again, do another.
Another tip - do it in the daytime. Don't do it with one lightbulb in the room. You need daylight. Thanks for watching.
Edit:... and another tip... you'll still need to give the whole thing a light sand when it's been dry for a day or two before you paint, to give it a tooth. A 50/50 wash with emulsion and water as the first coat.
