Had a bull float handle snap clean off on a garage slab pour.

Happened Tuesday morning in the middle of a finishing pass. Old steel handle, probably from the 90s. Just gave out with a loud pop. Had to grab a spare magnesium float from the truck to finish. Anyone else have old tools fail on them like that recently?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_shane3mo ago

My uncle's old aluminum screed from the 80s just folded in half last month. It had a hairline crack we all missed, right where the mud was caked on thickest. That pop you heard is the worst sound, like money leaving your pocket. Makes you wonder if the old steel just gets brittle sitting in the sun all those years, like it forgets how to bend.

taraj1129d ago

Wait, how long did it sit with that mud caked on before you guys noticed the crack? I've seen guys leave their screeds dirty for weeks on end, and you gotta wonder if the dried mud holds moisture against the metal, speeding up that corrosion or stress fracture. Makes me think about how often you really gotta clean them, not just after the pour but maybe during the job too if you're working hot mud. Some of those old aluminum screeds were built different too, like they had a thinner wall than the ones we get now.

jadep413mo ago

That pop is the worst, but you can stop hairline cracks early by cleaning off all that mud after every use.