TIL it took me 4 years to figure out the problem with my trowel marks

I kept getting weird horizontal lines in my plasterwork and just blamed the mix or my technique. Turns out I was using a worn-out trowel with a bent edge that I'd had since my first job back in 2018. A guy on site last month pointed it out, and I replaced it for $12. Has anyone else had a simple tool issue mess with their results for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

henderson.oscar7d ago

I had a similar thing with a chisel once, spent two years wondering why it wouldn't hold an edge before I noticed a hairline crack in the steel near the handle.

blair5977d agoMost Upvoted

Two years is a long time to blame a tool before checking for a crack. Most times the issue is just technique or sharpening, not a hidden defect in the steel.