(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best masonry tools

Don't count on paint to fill in anything.

And don't trust your eyes necessarily to notice what will or will not stand out.

Trust your fingers. If you can feel changes in topography as you drag your fingers across the wall, it will definitely show through your paint.

Intense option on skim-coating is to thin down some all purpose compound and apply it with a roller, then skim it off with a wide trowel.

These guys are kind of gimmicky but I can attest that for an amateur they really help. I found one locally at the Sherwin Williams store. Might have even been cheaper than Amazon.

I have a set of 3 brushes like this one except my bristles are steel. They come in 3 different grades of coarseness. Use fine for small details or you risk rounding the corners off. Sometimes the medium is needed for more stubborn finishes. The coarse brush is what I used to strip rust off of metal. Don't use that. You also need to be sure the bristles are moving parallel to the lines on the furniture. These brushes have a larger surface area than the wheels which I find too aggressive.

These are a tool that I bought for a single project and use pretty frequently. I just refinished a bench on the patio with them. That coarse brush is going to help me repair some rust on my barn.

Buy a cheap stamp mold for the top.

Here's an example. You might be able to rent one for less. Also a small chance you can call companies that do stamping in you area and ask to borrow one for the project.

BonWay 32-403 12-Inch by 12-Inch Seamless Concrete Texturing Skin, Italian Slate Pattern https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000L3LVT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_o7KEDb4AA9RJ9

Well if you want one this is just $4.55 on Amazon and you can attach it to your drill.

Bought a pre-made silicone mold off amazon. [Link] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FEQLAAE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ifdNzb49WR8D0)

I picked these up. I give it a little brush in between each bowl and I don't have a problem with caked on tobacco.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002X233/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_t1_vcizDbD0MGQVN


Don't add to much water to your mud to acheive the sharp peaks.

See if you can borrow a saw from someone or a splitter even.

http://www.amazon.com/Bon-11-590-Buster-10-Inch-Capacity/dp/B0002264M4

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MJUA2BQ/

Absolutely! You can get one here

I would skim over every area that's rough or cracked. You can go back and sand it if you can't get it even with the trowel. Use drywall mudd and thin it down with water to a consistency that works.

http://www.amazon.com/15-432-18-Inch-Trowel-Drywall-Smoother/dp/B008JBQCVS

Ooh, it was about 8 years and 3 moves ago. I'm remembering less than £200, which at that time was ~US$400. I had no plastering tools at all, so would have been starting from scratch -- Tool costs in the UK figure even £ for $, so a $25 hawk in the US would be a £25 hawk in England

Glaze on the shelf will liquify again and again. Covering little drops with kiln wash might overwhelm the glaze with its refractory properties, or some of the glaze might seep a little and attach to pots. You would need to grind the foot or sand the pot to get the glaze off. The bottom line is there is going to be some work either in preparation before the firing, or fixing some pots after the firing.

Buy something like this product (probably cheaper at your local hardware supply). Wear a respirator when you scrape your shelves.

https://www.amazon.com/MARSHALLTOWN-RB192-6-Inch-3-Inch-1-Inch/dp/B003A83G8M

Brass bristle brush. Don't use steel wire, it'll damage the knurling. Most nylon are too soft to really get in there.
I use this for all of my knurling needs.
Allway Tools Soft Grip Wide... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KKRG4I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Here you go (Everhard Fairmont Tongs & Wiss Tongs):

https://www.amazon.com/MT14000-Fairmont-Seamers-Straight-Handle/dp/B000PW5FLM?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_19330565011

https://www.amazon.com/MT14010-Fairmont-Seamers-Offset-Handle/dp/B000PW747A?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_19330565011

https://www.amazon.com/Wiss-WS3N-Straight-Handle-Seamer/dp/B0711SV5KP?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_3050571011

https://www.amazon.com/Wiss-WS4N-3-Offset-Handle/dp/B06XCD6HMC?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_3050571011

I do keep 2-3 sharpies in my box, and half a pack in my tool bag as well.

Regarding the center punch, I have one in my truck but I'm not doing a lot of fabrication so it only comes out 5% of the time if that (my box is damn heavy as it is).

This should be an easy pour for you. You call it a step, but we'd call it a pad.

We cantilever with steel brackets to the building foundations when we're dealing with relatively new excavations, because the ground hasn't had time to settle properly. It can take years, even if you're mechanically compacting it.

If you've had some base wash out, then your next step is to remove the old step and compact with crushed rock and sand. You can rent a plate tamper at some hardware stores. 4"- 6" should do, and wet it down when you tamp to help tighten it up.

If the sides of the step will be visible, then build your base up higher than the existing, and angle them on the sides so when you pour, you'll have a 'thickening' all the way around, and it'll help keep the pad from shifting.

Use expansion joint where the pad meets the existing foundation, and leave it 1/2" or so lower than the door sill. That way it won't mess anything up if it starts to heave in the winter (I guess that depends where you live, I'm in Canada)

One more thing. With what you're trying to do, you don't need to take the forms off, if you do the inside repair and the pad separately. The edges are done with one of these
, and as long as you kick or vibrate the sides, it'll release the bigger air bubbles and avoid 'honeycombing'. Hell, you can just tap it with a hammer.

Let me know if you have any other questions

I guess this could be a viable option, but it seems like a pain to try to find and mark all of your ceiling joists so you're getting screws into something solid. Let alone holding it flush against the ceiling while doing so (unless you also want to rent a drywall hanger).

I know I already mentioned it, but seriously consider skimming it. Worst case scenario, it's terrible and you can go back to your new 1/4 inch veneer plan. But I don't think it's really that hard.

You could even try one of these: https://www.amazon.com/15-432-18-Inch-Trowel-Drywall-Smoother/dp/B008JBQCVS