Plaster flatness guides
 

Anyone know of a source for these? I found them to be a cheap and easy way of sorting wonky walls but Wickes seem to have stopped doing them.


Google only seems to turn up out-of date references to Wickes and a Lithuanian shopping site.

Plaster flatness guides
 

In article ,
mike writes:
Anyone know of a source for these? I found them to be a cheap and easy way of sorting wonky walls but Wickes seem to have stopped doing them.


Google only seems to turn up out-of date references to Wickes and a Lithuanian shopping site.

Do you mean a Derby?
I use any old straight edged piece of timber.
Note, you only use this on the scratch (under) coat, not on the finish coat.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Plaster flatness guides
 

On 14/09/2013 22:35, mike wrote:
Anyone know of a source for these? I found them to be a cheap and easy way of sorting wonky walls but Wickes seem to have stopped doing them.


Google only seems to turn up out-of date references to Wickes and a Lithuanian shopping site.


Piece of architrave was all I have ever seen Plasters use on site.
The thin edge makes it easy to use while thicker edge makes it easier to
hold.

Plaster flatness guides
 

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 9:30:46 AM UTC+1, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,

mike writes:

Anyone know of a source for these? I found them to be a cheap and easy way of sorting wonky walls but Wickes seem to have stopped doing them.





Google only seems to turn up out-of date references to Wickes and a Lithuanian shopping site.



Do you mean a Derby?


No, the second item on page 84 of this old Wickes catalogue:

http://content.yudu.com/A1r5ms/sprin...sources/84.htm

Also he

http://shininphuket.blog.com/files/2...Picture111.jpg

Plaster flatness guides
 

On Saturday, September 14, 2013 10:35:50 PM UTC+1, mike wrote:
Anyone know of a source for these? I found them to be a cheap and easy way of sorting wonky walls but Wickes seem to have stopped doing them.





Google only seems to turn up out-of date references to Wickes and a Lithuanian shopping site.

Looks like a depth gauge bead - Catnic make them, so should be obtainable from builders' merchants. These people list them, but only in 50s on the website:
http://www.wackwholesale.co.uk/index...mart&Itemid=53
A

Plaster flatness guides
 

On 15/09/2013 09:58, Rick Hughes wrote:

Google only seems to turn up out-of date references to Wickes and a
Lithuanian shopping site.

Try spelling it 'Darby' - that seems to have become the accepted
spelling to refer to the plastering tool rather than the city.

--
Andy

Plaster flatness guides
 

mike wrote:
I found them to be a cheap and easy way of sorting wonky walls

I'd like an easy way to fix wonky walls. I've stripped the
wallpaper from one wall to re-paper it and discovered all
the cable channels were plastered flush with the *paper*.
It's knackering sanding them all down, and I'm trying to
do it in short bursts to avoid sending the neighbours mad.

JGH

Plaster flatness guides
 

Andy Wade wrote:

'Darby' - that seems to have become the accepted
spelling to refer to the plastering tool rather than the city.

Yeah well, try searching for "plasterer's derby" when you want a tool,
not a tradesman ... that's where Google's verbatim option is handy

http://google.com/search?&tbs=li:1&q=plasterer's derby

Plaster flatness guides
 

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 9:41:16 PM UTC+1, andrew wrote:

Looks like a depth gauge bead - Catnic make them, so should be obtainable from builders' merchants. These people list them, but only in 50s on the website:


Thanks for that. I thought they might have another name but didn't know what it was. Will ask in Selco the next time I'm in there. I had a quick Google using the new name and found a few references on plasterers' forums. Most of them seemed to think they were the work of the devil and that you should make your own plaster screeds - although it seems they're commonly used in Germany.

One small advantage of the Wickes ones though (which I discovered from a helpful staff member were made by Knauf and dropped by Wickes through lack of sales) was that they were only 3mm which meant you could stick 'em on the high points and not lose another cm of room / use another bag of plaster.

Plaster flatness guides
 

In article ,
mike writes:
On Sunday, September 15, 2013 9:41:16 PM UTC+1, andrew wrote:
Looks like a depth gauge bead - Catnic make them, so should be obtainable from builders' merchants. These people list them, but only in 50s on the website:

Thanks for that. I thought they might have another name but didn't know what it was. Will ask in Selco the next time I'm in there. I had a quick Google using the new name and found a few references on plasterers' forums. Most of them seemed to think they were the work of the devil and that you should make your own plaster screeds - although it seems they're commonly used in Germany.
One small advantage of the Wickes ones though (which I discovered from a helpful staff member were made by Knauf and dropped by Wickes through lack of sales) was that they were only 3mm which meant you could stick 'em on the high points and not lose another cm of room / use another bag of plaster.

Proper plastering is about getting wall surface flat and vertical,
and not necessarily parallel to the underlaying brickwork.
I describe how to do this in the following old usenet article, but
basically, you make the depth bead out of plaster as you go...

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!ms...s/T42O-QU_HhsJ


--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Plaster flatness guides
 

On Monday, September 16, 2013 7:50:27 PM UTC+1, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,

mike writes:

On Sunday, September 15, 2013 9:41:16 PM UTC+1, andrew wrote:

Looks like a depth gauge bead - Catnic make them, so should be obtainable from builders' merchants. These people list them, but only in 50s on the website:



Thanks for that. I thought they might have another name but didn't know what it was. Will ask in Selco the next time I'm in there. I had a quick Google using the new name and found a few references on plasterers' forums. Most of them seemed to think they were the work of the devil and that you should make your own plaster screeds - although it seems they're commonly used in Germany.

One small advantage of the Wickes ones though (which I discovered from a helpful staff member were made by Knauf and dropped by Wickes through lack of sales) was that they were only 3mm which meant you could stick 'em on the high points and not lose another cm of room / use another bag of plaster.

Plaster flatness guides
 

On Monday, September 16, 2013 9:44:26 PM UTC+1, mike wrote:
On Monday, September 16, 2013 7:50:27 PM UTC+1, Andrew Gabriel wrote:

In article ,



mike writes:



On Sunday, September 15, 2013 9:41:16 PM UTC+1, andrew wrote:



Looks like a depth gauge bead - Catnic make them, so should be obtainable from builders' merchants. These people list them, but only in 50s on the website:







Thanks for that. I thought they might have another name but didn't know what it was. Will ask in Selco the next time I'm in there. I had a quick Google using the new name and found a few references on plasterers' forums. Most of them seemed to think they were the work of the devil and that you should make your own plaster screeds - although it seems they're commonly used in Germany.



One small advantage of the Wickes ones though (which I discovered from a helpful staff member were made by Knauf and dropped by Wickes through lack of sales) was that they were only 3mm which meant you could stick 'em on the high points and not lose another cm of room / use another bag of plaster.







Proper plastering is about getting wall surface flat and vertical,



and not necessarily parallel to the underlaying brickwork.



I describe how to do this in the following old usenet article, but



basically, you make the depth bead out of plaster as you go...







https://groups.google.com/forum/#!ms...s/T42O-QU_HhsJ







I think we might be talking at cross purposes. The flatness guides take the place of the screeds you describe. If the flatness guide touches the high points, you'd pack it out at the low points to be vertical.



The Wickes How To leaflet is he



http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz...ges/gil/20.pdf



It describes using their one coat plaster but you can equally use it for browning/bonding.



For the minor cost involved, I found them to be better than making your own plaster screeds.



I appreciate a professional would likely follow the plaster screed method but if you only plaster occasionally - like most DIYers - I think they're a useful tool.

I've got a job like this to do soon. Large areas of plaster to be filled in around good areas I have stablised with PVA. Seems to me the plaster screed method should be easy enough - slap on a ridge of plaster and flatten it with a spirit level and allow to dry. The fill in later. This is only for the undercoat though. I cannot and never will be able to skim to any standard.
I still have to sand a "pro" plasterer's job in places anyway.

Every time I wonder about dry lining and filling like they do in the US and Down Under, etc. Just seen a large community centre hall done like that - skimming would have been prohibitively expensive. It looks pretty good from a distance - not looked up close at corners, window reveals etc., and none of the slightly wibbly walls that all skimming has to some extent.

Simon.

Plaster flatness guides
 

They are still available through good builders merchants but you have to explain to them in simple language and where they can source them for you i.e. Catnic. I have just ordered a box of fifty pieces for a job I'm doing.

Ezra