Slaking Quicklime To Make Putty

[aockenden]

Hey all,

In the next few days I will be slaking my first batch of quicklime (4 bags of calbux 90) and starting it aging for a big DIY replastering job on my house this summer.

I have a large galvanized steel garbage bin to store it in while it’s slaking and aging. I’ve got a handful of stirring implements. I’ve got a water hose nearby. I’ve got measuring buckets. I’ve got heavy duty rubber gloves, a respirator and sealed goggles.

What order of operations would you follow to successfully slake the 4 bags? What ratio of water to lime? How much stirring? What goes in first water or lime? Should I do 1 bag at a time? Half a bag at a time? Or just chuck it in all at once? How do I control the reaction so it doesn’t “burn” or “drown”?

Thanks for any tips you can give.

 

[Lacan07]

I could be wrong but I'm not sure you'll find many people on here with much practical experience of slaking lime. It's more the preserve of the heritage plasterers. I would seek out Jane Schofield's book, 'Lime in Building'. Also, there are quite a few Facebook groups that deal with the subject of lime plastering, etc. They're lively and well populated by professionals who can advise. I'll try and link when I get home tonight, or use the search facility.

 

[aockenden]

I could be wrong but I'm not sure you'll find many people on here with much practical experience of slaking lime. It's more the preserve of the heritage plasterers. I would seek out Jane Schofield's book, 'Lime in Building'. Also, there are quite a few Facebook groups that deal with the subject of lime plastering, etc. They're lively and well populated by professionals who can advise. I'll try and link when I get home tonight, or use the search facility.

The only existing lime-putty / slaking thread I could find on this site was about slaking blue-circle dry-hydrate which is going to be significantly different in it's behaviour / procedures / risks to slaking the much more reactive true quicklime. Maybe I missed something though, happy to read an older thread and delete this one, as long as it's about slaking actual quicklime.

I have it on good-authority that the old geezers in southern Europe used to slake and store their own putty for their own houses / smallholdings as a matter of course. How hard could it really be? I'm guessing people make it out to be a lot fussier than it actually is. Who knows though.

 

[Lacan07]

The only existing lime-putty / slaking thread I could find on this site was about slaking blue-circle dry-hydrate which is going to be significantly different in it's behaviour / procedures / risks to slaking the much more reactive true quicklime. Maybe I missed something though, happy to read an older thread and delete this one, as long as it's about slaking actual quicklime.

I have it on good-authority that the old geezers in southern Europe used to slake and store their own putty for their own houses / smallholdings as a matter of course. How hard could it really be? I'm guessing people make it out to be a lot fussier than it actually is. Who knows though.

I meant search for my post linking the FB sites. That'll be your best bet. My friend Dan is on there and I'm sure he's slaked his own lime.

I'm sure you'll be fine, I would do it myself if I had the time but for me putty based read mixed is good enough and I have a full renovation to contend with.

 

[aockenden]

I meant search for my post linking the FB sites. That'll be your best bet. My friend Dan is on there and I'm sure he's slaked his own lime.

I'm sure you'll be fine, I would do it myself if I had the time but for me putty based read mixed is good enough and I have a full renovation to contend with.

Oh gotcha, I'll have to decide if I want to cave-in and get a Facebook account after 4 years cold-turkey

 

[Lacan07]

Oh gotcha, I'll have to decide if I want to cave-in and get a Facebook account after 4 years cold-turkey

Yes, unfortunately plastering forums on the web aren't much cop either, they tend to be very cliquey and dismissive of amateurs. The lime specialists in particular can be very snobby. The good thing about the FB groups is they're extremely well populated and there's a few lime pro's (like Ben Kernow) who quite enjoy the following they get and they're always posting pics of their latest jobs. On the flip side of course you also have to be mindful of the folk that talk rubbish, there's a fair few of them too.