Full Answer
How do you use a magic trowel?
Use your damp rag or spray bottle to wet the blade before use. Pull the Magic Trowel over the compound, smoothing it out. Squeegee the mud in the same direction that you applied it with the paint roller.
What is a masonry trowel used for?
Also known as a masonry trowel, this is meant to scoop up grout and cement and then spread it between bricks. The flatness of the trowel is used to tamp down the cement that holds the bricks together. The point at the top of the trowel can also be used to shape concrete and masonry. So, it’s an all-purpose trowel.
What is a margin trowel used for?
Large, boxy, with a handle sticking out of one end, margin trowels are pretty easy to spot. (It’s the one below the plastering trowel in the photo.) As the name suggests, margin trowels are good to scrape away the edges and corners of the masonry.
What is a Sherwin Williams trowel blade used for?
The flexible blade smooths and spreads compounds. Great for erasing trowel lines, finishing drywall, skimcoating walls, and knocking down all non-aggregate textures. All prices displayed are for U.S. Sherwin-Williams locations and are in U.S. Dollars.
How does the magic trowel work?
1:142:13TexMaster Trowels - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUse magic trowel to smooth out vinyl floor compounds with these magic trowel patented flexible bladeMoreUse magic trowel to smooth out vinyl floor compounds with these magic trowel patented flexible blade is the secret for smoothing out compounds. The blade smoothes the compound leaving no trout lines.
How do you skim coat with magic trowel?
4:5813:27HOW TO SKIM COAT TEXTURED WALLS USING THE MAGIC TROWELYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMoving on to a technique that worked better for me is a tool called the magic trowel. We just takeMoreMoving on to a technique that worked better for me is a tool called the magic trowel. We just take some joint compound. And actually water it down and let me show you how it. Looks.
Who makes magic trowel?
Magic Trowel® - 18 - Sherwin-Williams"
What is the best joint compound for skim coating?
0:000:59What's the Best Joint Compound for Skim Coating? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow if you're skim coating over raw drywall. I think it's fine to use the plus three with the blueMoreNow if you're skim coating over raw drywall. I think it's fine to use the plus three with the blue lid. But i would still personally use the all-purpose for the first coat.
What is the difference between plaster and skim coat?
They are both used to decorate structures and increase the durability of a wall, but skimming is done to update an old building whereas plastering is done to a new one. Another difference between skim and plaster is that plaster surface areas are constantly rough whereas a skimmed surface area is smooth.
How thick should skim coat be?
Apply the First Skim Coat Apply a thick coat of mud, holding the knife at about a 30° angle to lay it on 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cover the whole area to be skimmed and let the mud overlap onto the surrounding surface. Immediately go back and "skim" the excess mud from the surface.
What is a rubber squeegee trowel used for?
Trowel - Rubber squeegee This trowel is particularly useful to tilers. The pointed blade means the grouting can be forced into angles and around the edges of tiles.
How do you roll on a skim coat?
0:4812:59Using A Paint Roller Is The ABSOLUTE BEST WAY To Skim ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDirectly in the bucket. And then kind of shaking it off and then doing kind of a half lip to makeMoreDirectly in the bucket. And then kind of shaking it off and then doing kind of a half lip to make the joint compound stick more to the roller than a big chunk to fly.
How do you skim coat a large area?
2:1816:24The EASIEST WAY to SKIM COAT a wall!!! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo getting close to fully covered. Once it gets fully covered the first couple times then it works aMoreSo getting close to fully covered. Once it gets fully covered the first couple times then it works a lot better. Anyway.
How thin should mud be for skim coat?
STEP 2: // Mix Compound & Water Joint compound out of the tub will be the consistency of thick peanut butter. You will want to add small amount of water and mix using a drill and attachment until you reach the consistency of thick pancake batter… or whip cream.
Why is my skim coat bubbling?
Bubbling (or sometimes called “blistering”) happens when the paper layers in the drywall become separated. While it may not seem like it's loose, you may find out differently once you slap your first layer of joint compound on the wall. Bubbling still happened for me, even after checking the wall numerous times.
Is joint compound the same as skim coat?
A skim coat is a thin layer of drywall joint compound (also known as mud) that gives walls a glass-smooth finish. It's used to repair damaged walls and smooth down intentionally applied wall texture.
These flexible taping tools make simple work of smoothing out curved corners and uneven surfaces
The Magic Trowel looks a lot like a squeegee, but it acts more like the ultimate finishing knife. Because of the flexible rubber working edge, the trowel can skim-coat uneven surfaces, erase trowel lines, or create interesting textures and knockdown finishes for walls and ceilings. I can now easily match old textures and create new looks.
Tools and Materials
Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.
Some questions for Magic Trowel users
Hi everyone, On advice from BrooklynRowHouse and the Litchfield "Renovation" book, I have purchased a Magic Trowel squeegee-type skim-coating trowel, and I am going to attempt to skim joint compound in a couple of rooms to simulate a plaster surface. One room is new drywall and the other is old drywall with flat latex paint and a lot of repairs.
Re: Some questions for Magic Trowel users
andrewro wrote: 1. What type of compound did you use? The online tutorial appears to use diluted pre-mix but some have suggested a setting-type compound instead.
What is margin trowel?
(It’s the one below the plastering trowel in the photo.) As the name suggests, margin trowels are good to scrape away the edges and corners of the masonry. This evens out the margins.
What is a trowel for a garden?
Gardening Trowel. Gardening trowels look like small handheld shovels, and they are one of the only trowels meant for the garden. These trowels scoop up smaller plants and are meant to deposit them in other areas. If you have to move plants or just dig around in the garden a bit, choose this one.
What angle do you fold trowels at?
Outside corner trowels are folded at a 90-degree angle to ensure you get the even distribution you need for a perfect corner.
Why use pointer trowels?
Pointer trowels are meant to pack in stucco or help get difficult corners that otherwise would be unpatched. Most pros have more than one type of pointer trowel.
What is a float trowel made of?
A float has a thicker base than a trowel and isn’t made of metal. Rather, it’s made of rubber, plastic, or foam at the bottom. Trowels are used in all stages of masonry, while floats tend to be used as the finishing touch tool. With that said, most other aspects of trowels and floats look identical.
What is a large trowel used for?
Larger trowels are typically used for large-scale, fast-done projects. Smaller ones are meant for the final details or finishing touches. You often will need one of each, especially when it comes to multi-purpose trowels. It’s important to note that most major masonry projects are not a one-trowel deal.
What is a pool trowel?
Pool trowels have two ends that are circular, but have a long, rectangular body. This helps them apply smooth, even layers of masonry on rounded surfaces. While standard plastering trowels are still used from time to time, the truth is that pool trowels are still the best tool for the project. These are ideal for pool entryways, not to mention round jacuzzi-type pools.
What is a magic trowel?
The Magic Trowel is like a squeegee. It’s a rubber blade on a handle. It does come with a cover over the blade. Make sure to remove the blade cover!
Can you sand between coats of Magic Trowel?
You can lightly sand in between coats but it’s not necessary. Each consecutive coat with the Magic Trowel will make the wall more and more smooth. If anything, you may have lines created by the excess mud sliding off the edge of the trowel as you skimmed over the wall. These lines are very easy to get rid of with a quick sanding.
