Shoutout to the crew that showed me the right way to handle a bull float

I mean, I see a lot of guys just pushing it around like a broom, idk. But on a job in Tacoma last month, this old timer made me watch him keep the leading edge up just a bit. He said if you let it drop flat, you're just pulling water to the top and making a weak skin. After he showed me, I tried it on my next slab and the finish was way smoother with no bleed water issues. Has anyone else had a mentor point out a small move that made a big difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_smith593mo ago

That old timer in Tacoma had it right about the leading edge.

janac513mo ago

My buddy learned that lesson the hard way last year. He tried to get clever with a wing design, ignored the old school advice about the leading edge. Thing shook itself apart on the third test flight, looked like a metal snowstorm. Mark_smith59 is right, that Tacoma guy knew his stuff. Sometimes the simple way is the only way that works.

sageallen25d ago

Started losing pieces mid flight? That's rough. I've seen what happens when a wing lets go at speed, it's not like they show in the movies. Friend of mine worked at the crash site last summer, said the debris field looked like a bomb went off. Hearing it happened on the third test flight makes it worse, like he had two chances to catch it before it went bad. That Tacoma guy's advice might seem basic but basic keeps things in one piece. Hope your buddy walked away from that one, metal's cheap compared to hospital bills.