Comment posted to Learning to Plaster by Plastering and Struggling with Drywall by jay.
i must say you quite brave taking a job thats considered skilled ive been platering for a few years now ,you didnt mention applying two coats of plaster wich is the norm ,i put the first coat on leave until it firms slightly and before the second coat is ready i smooth it over with the trowel no rush nice n easy i find by doing this the second coat goes on a lot smoother and you can see where your missing with the second coat .i leave the second coat firm up a lil then smooth it over filling in any holes and hollows ,i then leave it for a lil longer about 10-12 muinets before the final trowel applying a small ammount of water to the trowel
ive found it depends on the background ,high suction backgrounds need more care and set a lot quicker ,low suction sometimes takes for ever to get to the final trowel
theres a real skill to getting a smooth flat wall and im learning all the time ,good luck to you
jay
