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A talk with my uncle about bull floats changed how I see timing
He was helping me on a garage slab in Boise last month and said, 'You're waiting too long to hit it with the magnesium. The bleed water is your clock, not your watch.' I'd always gone by a set time, like 45 minutes after the pour. But watching the sheen disappear that day, I finally got it. How do you guys judge when it's ready for the first pass?
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evafoster1mo ago
Wait, what if your mix is off that day though? I've seen guys swear by the bleed water method, but it can fool you. A hot day with a dry wind and that sheen is gone in twenty minutes, but the slab underneath is still way too soft. I stick with the timed approach because it accounts for the batch itself, not just the weather. You can always spray a little water back on if you jump the gun, but tearing up a finish because you went too early is a real mess.
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the_thomas1mo ago
Yeah, that "sheen is gone in twenty minutes" thing has burned me before too, @evafoster. You're right, the timed approach just feels safer.
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johnkelly1mo ago
Read an article from an old concrete guy who said the real trick is to press your thumb into it. Not on the edge, but a few feet in. If your thumb leaves a clear print but no slurry comes up, that's your window. It's a feel thing you have to learn, but it beats watching puddles or a clock.
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