Lump lime slaked to a paste with a moderate volume of water, and afterwards diluted to the consistency of cream, and then to harden by evaporation to the required consistency for working.

In this state it is used for a slipped coat, and when mixed with sand or plaster of Paris, it is used tor the finishing coat.

Gauge Stuff, or Hard finish, is composed of from 3 to 4 volumes fine stuff and 1 volume plaster of Paris, in proportions regulated by the degree of rapidity required in hardening; for cornices, etc., the proportions are equal volumes of each, fine stuff and plaster.

Stucco is composed of from 8 to 4 volumes of white sand, to 1 volume of fine stuff, or lime putty.

Scratch Coat

The first of three coats when laid upon laths, and is from ¼ to 3/8 of an inch in thickness.

One-Coat Work

Plastering in one coat without finish, either on masonry or laths - that is, rendered or laid.

Two-Coat Work

Plastering in two coats is done either in a laying coat and set, or in a screed coat and set.

The Screed coat is also termed a Floated coat. Laying the first coat in two-coat work is resorted to in common work instead screed-ing, when the finished surface is not required to be exact to a straightedge. It is laid in a coat of about ½ an inch in thickness.

The laying coat, except for very common work, should be hand-floated.

The firmness and tenacity of plastering is very much increased by hand-floating.

Screeds are strips of mortar 6 to 8 inches in width, and of the required thickness of the first coat, applied to the angles of a room, or edge of a wall and parallelly, at intervals of 3 to 6 feet over the surface to be covered. When these have become sufficiently hard to withstand the pressure of a straight-edge, the inter-spaces between the screeds should be filled out flush with them, so as to produce a continuous and straight, even surface.

Slipped Coat is the smoothing off of a brown coat with a small quantity of lime putty, mixed with 8 per cent, of white sand, so as to make a comparatively even surface.

This finish answers when the surface is to be finished in distemper, or paper.

Hard Finish

Fine stuff applied with a trowel to the depth of about J of an inch.