In article ,
"Ric" writes:
Hi there,

This weekend I will be embarking upon my first ever plastering related
project. I am going to skim a chimney breast!

That's not a good move -- I suggest you start by replastering the
inside of the cupboard under your stairs or a garage wall, not the
focal point in your living room. ;-)

I have a brand new hawk, a
float (not brand new but nice and clean looking),

I presume you mean a trowel (metal) and not a float (wood or plastic).
A new trowel is difficult to use -- a used one is much easier, but
make sure there are no nics in the long edges. If there are, you can
polish them out using house brick with a good flat surface -- use a
motion like trying to saw through the brick with the trowl, but hold
the trowl at a 45º angle. If the corners or edges are sharp (as
with a new trowel), polish the sharpness out on the brick too.
(This is one reason why a new trowel is bad news for a plasterer.)

a bucket, a bag of Wickes
Universal Finishing Plaster and last but by no means least a Wickes good
idea leaflet telling me how to do it. I aim to do the following and I
invite people to contradict me where experience dictates:

1) Preperation - this part is important I am told. The breast is currently
very uneven and patched but for the most part is covered in grey cement
plaster type stuff. I intend to brush this down with a stiff brush to
remove lose particles and prime this with a 5:1 PVA:Water mix and give this
plenty of time to dry.

2) Putting beading on the corners - the corners are presently badly defined
with wooded beading - I would like to use some angle beads to re-create the
corners - and this brings about my first question: Which angle beads do I
need? I have bought some but I am concerned that they are too deep for
skimming and are probably more suited to plastering from scratch. Is there
a special bead that should be used for skimming existing plaster or am I
worrying over nothing and should I just put the stuff I've got up and see
what happens?

You should use plasterboard beading, which is indended for taking
a skim coat. Plaster beading (as opposed to plasterboard beading)
is intended to go in the scratch (base) coat which you aren't
replacing, so they won't be useful.

Which leads me on to my second question - what should I use
to fix the beading to the walls?

Some people nail them (nails are supposed to be galvanised to stop
rust marks coming through the finished paintwork). I actually just
use the plaster itself -- a smear all down the groove, and then
push it into place. Make sure it's well seated on the corner and
not springing away.

3) I am then going to apply a 3:1 PVA:Water mix to the walls and allow it to
go tacky, during which time I will mix the finishing plaster as per
instructions in said leaflet. I will then attempt to skim the breast, again
as per said leaflet. Will one coat be enough or should I plan to do two?

Always plan for two. Sometimes having done one, I decide it's good
enough to polish up, but this requires that the wall behind is in
good condition (almost good enough that it barely needed replastering).

Any tips/help/advice muchly appreciated but I fear that in the end it will
come down to weather or not I am any good at it! We will find out in good
time I am sure!

I and others have posted loads of tips -- check back on google.

--
Andrew Gabriel