The day my trowel handle snapped mid-wall and I almost lost it

Last Tuesday was going smooth on a retaining wall job in Austin until my W.R. Rose trowel handle just snapped clean off about halfway through a course. I had 300 blocks left to lay and no backup trowel in the truck since I usually just carry one. Had to drive 45 minutes to the nearest supply house and lost half the day's wages on that wall. The worst part was the mortar started setting up in my mudboard while I was gone. Anybody else ever have a tool fail on them at the absolute worst time?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant.jason11d ago

...and that's exactly why I started keeping a cheap backup trowel in my truck, just a basic Marshalltown, nothing fancy. The Texas heat is brutal on handles like king.kevin said, but it's also brutal on the mortar if you leave it sitting. What I do now is take my mudboard inside the cab with me if I gotta run for a tool, just throw a wet towel over it and park in the shade. Also, you might want to check if the tang on your Rose is loose before every job, I've seen a few of those snap where the handle meets the metal if it's been baking in a hot truck bed all summer. Sucks losing half a day though, I feel your pain on that one.

hayden58711d ago

And it's wild how that same principle applies everywhere, not just tools. I've noticed my phone charger cord gets all cracked and stiff if I leave it in the car on a hot day, same with those cheap plastic sunscreen bottles that buckle and leak. Feels like the Texas sun is just testing the limits of everything we own, from trowels to Tupperware. I bet a lot of folks have a similar story about something that just gave out when they needed it most, just because of the heat.

king.kevin11d ago

Man that sucks, I've been there with a hammer head flying off on a framing job once. Something folks don't think about is how much the heat in Texas can mess with epoxy handles over time, especially if you leave your trowel in the truck bed between jobs. Maybe check if your tool bag has a little shade spot for your backup next time, idk.