Just realized my old magnesium float was slowing me down on every pour in Phoenix last summer. | Concrete Finishers - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Just realized my old magnesium float was slowing me down on every pour in Phoenix last summer.
Switched to a 14 inch aluminum fresno last week and the finish time on a 20 yard slab dropped by a full hour, so what's your go-to finishing tool for hot weather concrete?
My uncle's crew in Tucson swears by aluminum tools after noon. They said magnesium just bakes in the sun and grabs the paste. I watched them use a wide aluminum fresno on a driveway last July, and they were done before the next truck even arrived. The metal stays cooler and doesn't stick as bad when the slab starts to flash. It's a simple switch but it makes a huge difference when you're racing the heat.
Ever try a magnesium float in that dry heat? It felt like dragging through wet sand for me too. My aluminum fresno just glides over the surface when things start to set up fast. I keep a spray bottle handy to mist my tools now, it stops the concrete from sticking. That combo shaved a ton of time off my last few pours.