Magic Trowel

When using Smoother/Squeegee, it is best to wet the blade with water often. Before skim coating a wall or ceiling, be sure to scrape off any hight places, lose paint or debris using a putty knife or a taping knife. Next, prime the surface with semi-glass paint, as this will give you more working time with the compounds and create a better bond to surface. Fill in any deep holes or crevasses with a one-day compound. Apply the one-day compound by using a regular 1/2” paint roller and roll onto surface in a “paint” like fashion. Remember to wet your Smoother/Squeegee before using and wipe the compound smooth going in the same direction as the roller. After the one-day compound has dried, apply an all-purpose premix drywall compound to the surface. Just add 8 oz. of water to 5 gallons of compound and mix until creamy. Apply the compound to the surface by simply dipping the paint roller into the bucket of compound, wipe off any excess compound on the bottom of the roller back into the bucket and roll on the compound in a “paint” like fashion. Next, wet your Smoother/Squeegee, wipe the compound smooth in the same direction as the roller. Note: Using a pre-mix compound for your second coat will make it a lot easier to sand. Now that the surface has dried, sand, prime and spot any imperfections there may be and allow to dry again. Finally sand and prime the spots and paint. Tips for best results • Always wet the blade before using. • Always wipe the compound smooth, going the same direction as your paint roller. • Add water to all-purpose joint compound and mix before using. • Apply fiber tape to all cracks and joints. Knocking down textures Smoother/Squeegee works great for knocking down all nonaggregate textures (without sand pearl light extra). Always be sure to wet the Smoother/Squeegee before using. It is best to knock down the texture going the same direction in which it was rolled on. Also note that to achieve a uniform knock down finish, always go across the framework (studs and ceiling rafters) behind the drywall surface. Skim coating old damaged walls from wallpaper removal Scrape off any lose debris, prime with semi-glass paint and then add 8 ox. of water to all-purpose joint compound mix until creamy. Now use a 1/2” paint roller and dip into the bucket of compound wiping off any excess on the bottom of the roller into the bucket, then roll the compound like painting. Wet your Smoother/Squeegee blade and then wipe the compound smooth, going in the same direction as you roll the compound on. Allow the compound to dry then sand, prime spot any imperfections, sand the spots then paint. How to finish drywall: If using fiber tape, first fill in any holes in the drywall seams or the butt joints with joint compound. Let dry. If using fiber tape, just apply fiber tape to butt joint and seams. Now add 1/3 gallon of water to the joint compound and roll it on with a 4” paint roller on the seams and butt joints like painting, and wipe smooth with Smoother/Squeegee. For your last coat simply do the same thing, but use topping compound for easier sanding. (NOTE: Use a 9” roller for your last coat.) For butt joints, roll on both sides of tape to help feather it out, making the butt joints twice as wide as the seams. Let dry and sand. Skim coating deep depressions in walls, block walls, and old deep textured surfaces Items Needed: 1. Smoother/Squeegee 2. All-purpose premix drywall compound 3. One-day compound such as Durabond®, ShureBond® or GoldBond® 4. Semi-gloss paint Note: One-day compounds usually come in a 25-lb. bag of powder which water is added and mixed until creamy. One-day compound has several advantages over premixes: does not shrink, stronger and sets instead of drying. One-day compounds have set-up times that vary from 20 min., 45 min., 90 min., 210 min., which allows a couple coats to be applied in one day. Be sure to choose the setting time that suits your needs Concrete Restoration Work Though originally designed for drywall, this tool works well to smooth concrete surfaces without leaving any grout lines. Use the Smoother/Squeegee to smooth the surface of overlay cementitious products. It can be used for concrete surfaces, micro-topping finishing, polymer-modified overlay surfaces, acid staining and epoxy coating. The flexible soft blade pushes down into imperfections in the concrete.