The day I stopped using a wooden float for finish work

I used to swear by my magnesium float for everything, thought that's what the pros used. Then last summer on a driveway pour in Albany, the guy I was helping handed me his beat-up resin float and said 'try this on the final pass'. The cream came up way smoother and I hardly had to fight with the surface. Now I keep both in the truck but grab the resin one first for flatwork. Anybody else find a tool they overlooked for years that totally changed their finish?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen4102mo ago

Isn't a resin float basically the same as a magnesium one in function?

eva_thompson102mo ago

Yeah, I used to wonder the same thing @karen410. My friend Jake bought a resin float last summer thinking it would be just like his old magnesium one, but he said the resin one wobbled way more in choppy water and cracked after a few trips to the lake. Did you ever try out the resin one yourself?

aaron7082mo ago

That Jake story sounds about right... I've seen it play out with a few buddies too. The resin ones just don't hold up the same way, especially if you're hitting anything rougher than a calm pond. That wobble is a real pain, makes it hard to keep your cast steady when you're trying to work a lure along the edge. I'd steer clear if you're planning more than a couple trips a year, or just stick to a magnesium one and save yourself the hassle of watching it crack.