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Finally switched from a steel trowel to a magnesium one after 15 years
I always thought steel was the only way to go for a good finish. But last month on a job at that new strip mall off Route 9, I borrowed a buddy's magnesium trowel for a slab pour and it cut my work time by about 20%. The surface came out way smoother with less drag. Has anyone else made that switch and noticed a difference on warm days?
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olivias8827d agoTop Commenter
wait wait you used a magnesium trowel in direct August sun on a driveway? dude that's like the worst possible conditions for that tool. I mean I've had mag trowels grab and gum up on me before but never that bad, maybe you just got a bad one or something?
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oh man I gotta push back on this one hard. I've been using steel trowels for 22 years and I tried magnesium on a hot day last August on a residential driveway and it was a total mess. The magnesium trowel seemed to gum up faster with the concrete sticking to it like crazy in the sun, and I had to stop every 10 minutes to scrape it off. Steel just glides through the heat for me, and that extra weight actually helps me put more consistent pressure down for the final pass. Plus on those really hot days when you're trying to burnish the surface, a magnesium trowel just doesn't have the same bite to close up the pores. I'll take my old steel any day, especially when the temps hit 90.
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