“Take two trowels onto the job? Not me.” and with the Faithfull Tools Flexifit system you won’t have to either.
“I can certainly see the benefits of having one master trowel that you can fit a number of different blades onto – and will work with different applications, and materials” enthuses experienced spreader, Terry Fincham. “It means you wouldn’t have to take a lot of tools on site – or buy them in the first place. At 12in. in length this size is right for me, but having a range of options is also useful. The stainless-steel blade is so thin it doesn’t look like it needs very much wearing in either and already feels pretty sharp.”
The range of blades is, in fact, extensive, with 14 in all – 10 in plastic, and four in steel. The plastic options range from 12in. – 28in. in length, whilst the steel are 12in. – 18in, with the bigger sizes ideal for finishing larger areas. All but three of the blades in the Faithfull Tools Flexifit system feature a patented 10mm water resistant closed cell foam backing that provides extra flexibility, making it suitable for flat and curved surfaces. In addition, a rigid centre and flexible edges draws water to the surface of the plaster making it ready to decorate earlier.
Versatile system
The three 2mm plastic Flexi Trowel Blades in 12in., 14in., and 16in. sizes are the only ones that do not include that foam backing. Whether plastic or steel, the blades are light in weight and designed with squared and rounded corners on opposite edges for added versatility in use.
The kit we took on site included a 1mm plastic blade with foam backing, a 2mm plastic blade without foam backing, and an ultra-thin 0.3mm high grade stainless-steel blade with the 10mm foam backing. All the interchangeable blades were 12in. in length and supplied in a handy, Faithfull Flexi Trowel Range Tool Roll. This foldable canvas carry case is equipped with a separate compartment on the outside to hold the Master Trowel, with the blades inside, and can be rolled up to fit inside a bucket.
The Harlow-based plasterer, has run his own company TF Plastering Ltd for some 25 years and has served more than three decades behind a hawk and trowel. On the Bishop’s Stortford job we visited him on, Terry was patching up areas of three rooms of a property with a British Gypsum Thistle BondingCoat where surface mounted pipework for radiators had been removed and was being concealed – as well as around door liners. There’s also a media wall, that will eventually feature a flat screen TV, intricately constructed with boardwork, that required a couple of coats of Thistle MultiFinish.
User friendly
The plastic blade guard not only protects the steel itself when not in use but is essential for safety purposes when inserting or removing the stainless-steel blade from the master trowel. As Terry discovered, the ease with which it slides in belies the secure fit when fully installed. It’s certainly not going anywhere and is as sturdy as any fixed blade alternative.
The stainless-steel blade was utilised for the BondingCoat and first coat of MultiFinish, whilst Terry made use of the 2mm plastic blade for the final trowel to a matt finish. A plastic blade has the advantage of being able to trowel up the material sooner than you would with a steel. “The handle’s nice and comfortable and it feels like it’s a quality tool”, Terry remarks as he adds the first coat of MultiFinish to what would you describe as a rather fiddly area of drylining, with multiple recesses built in. The ergonomic design of the camel back high lift handle is easy on the hands with good clearance for the knuckles.
“It’s certainly something I could see myself using, especially on jobs like this where I’m using undercoat and finishing plasters on different substrates,” concludes Terry. Indeed, with so many options, you can add to your stock of Flexifit blades depending on the work you’re undertaking.
For further information on the Faithfull Tools Flexifit system visit FlexiFit Trowels | FaithfullTools.com.
