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Masonry Camp, Lesson 2: Plaster Basics — Proper Use of a Hawk and Trowel Dean and Derek go back to school to get some stone masonry pointers from the pros. Check out more Rock Solid do-it-yourself hardscaping projects. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-411

Plaster specialist Mike Hooper offers tips on mastering the proper use of the hawk and trowel.

Stone masons Dean Marsico and and Derek Stearns visit the International Masonry Institute in Maryland to beef up their stonework techniques. While some of the techniques taught at the Masonry Camp are geared toward skilled tradesmen, there are some that the novice can master. Dean and Derek meet with plaster instructor Mike Hooper, who teaches the proper techniques for using two basic tools of plastering a wall: the hawk and the trowel.

Tools and materials:

hawk
trowel
plaster

Proper Use of a Hawk and Trowel

A hawk is a flat surface with a handle on the bottom, and is used hold your plaster as you work. Mastering the hawk and trowel will enable you to plaster a wall faster and more efficiently. It's basically a four-part technique.

• Step one is to scoop a generous amount of plaster to the hawk. Make sure the plaster is balanced on the center of the hawk. This will help lessen fatigue to your wrist as you work. Turning the hawk occasionally as you work will also help reduce fatigue over time.

• Step two is to take the trowel and scrape off any excess plaster around the mound in the center of your hawk. By slicing the plaster, you create a seal around its outside edges, thus holding the plaster into place. (One of the main objectives of these steps is to keep gravity from causing the plaster to fall off the hawk as you work.)

• Step three is to give the hawk a slight bounce as you hold it. That will lower the mound of plaster's center of gravity, and will again help hold the plaster in place.
  The hawk should now be facing toward your body.

• Step four is to hold the trowel horizontally, so that it's almost perpendicular to the hawk, then skim a layer of plaster off the hawk. Your trowel should now be in a position to go straight to the wall, and apply the plaster.

An experienced plasterer can do these steps in almost one fluid motion, saving energy and preventing arm fatigue over the course of a project.

GUESTS :

International Masonry Institute instructors:
Brick Instructor: Mitch Fost
Restoration Instructor: Keith Harris
Plaster Instructor: Mike Hooper
Terrazzo Instructor: Bob Mion
Stone Instructor: Matt Redabaugh
Masonry Camp Director: Maria Viteri, AIA
www.imiweb.org