Gauging Trowels

Tyzack gauging trowel

In the plastering trade, gauging means mixing specific proportions of plaster or cement with water. It has also meant a particular mix of plaster, which might be called the gauge, and a gauge board would be used for mixing plaster.

The gauging trowel is a versatile tool used by plasterers for  mixing (gauging) small amounts of plaster, pulling plaster out of a bucket, and occasionally for applying small amounts of plaster to a wall or surface.

WHS gauging trowel

One of the best books on decorative plastering, Plastering, Plain and Decorative, by William Millar, 1905, refers to 2 sizes of gauging trowels. The smaller one was like a pointing trowel, 6 by 3 inches, with a point. The larger one was 7 to 9 inches long by 3 to 3½ inches, tapering to a round tip.

The modern gauging trowel is sized in between those, with a round end. Gauging trowels are manufactured on both sides of the Atlantic, but a comparison of UK eBay and US eBay shows that old gauging trowels are much more common in the United Kingdom. This is a result of plastering being more common in the UK than the US.

Plastering Plain & Decorative, William Millar 1905