That old guy at the supply yard in Tucson changed how I think about bull floats

I was picking up some bags of mix about six years ago and this retired finisher, must have been 70, was just hanging around. He watched me load my brand new magnesium float and said, 'Kid, that thing's too light. You'll be fighting it all day on a big slab.' He walked me over to his truck and pulled out this beat up wood float he'd used for 30 years. He said, 'The weight does the work, not your arm.' I switched to a heavier wood float the next week and never went back. Anyone else have an old tool they were told to ditch but it actually works better?

3 comments

3 Comments

harpery472d agoRising Star

My grandpa swore by his old hand crank drill. Everyone told him to get a power drill but he said the slow speed gave him more control for delicate work. He could drill a perfect hole in a piece of antique furniture without any risk of splitting it. I still have that drill in my shop.

taylorellis1d ago

Man, that reminds me of my uncle who still uses a hand saw for finish cuts. Says the same thing about control.

jasonf171d ago

Wow, I totally get that now. I used to laugh at my neighbor for using an old eggbeater drill until I tried drilling into some thin vintage trim with my cordless. It jumped and cracked the wood instantly. He let me borrow his hand crank and I made a clean hole on the first try. Changed my whole view on speed versus control.

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