Tools of the Trade

Marshalltown 6" Margin Trowel with DuraSoft Handle

This tool is helpful to get material into hard to reach places where full size trowels can't reach, such as behind pipes.

Bon 8" Carbon Steel Midget Trowel

This trowel is best to apply larger amounts of material in small spaces such as staircases, fireplaces, or other tight areas.

Bon 7" Econo Pointing Trowel

The pointer trowel is helpful for corners or crevices where a square-edge trowel can't easily fit.

A hard rubber float is used to compress or compact your material prior to applying your finish.

Bon 12" Fine Green Foam Float 83-104

Sponge floats are used to bring the sand out in your finish, as well as blending your transitions.

OX Tools 12" Scarifier w/ OX Grip Handle

Scarifiers, aka "scratchers", put lines into one coat so it dries ready to give the best mechanical bond for the next coat.

Bon 1" to 4" Artifact Chip Brushes, Set of 5

These brushes are a professional's best friend. Useful for corners, edges, radials and more - they are a necessary finishing tool.

Marshalltown Stucco Dash Brush 6556

The dash brush is used to achieve a variety of "thrown-on", heavy textured stucco finishes.

Wooster Brush 9" Roller Frame

Rollers are used to apply bonding agents or primers.

Arrow Fastener HT50 Heavy Duty Hammer Tacker

This tool is used to temporarily attach your lath, before mounting it permanently with a staple gun.

Crescent Wiss 9-3/4" MetalMaster Compound Action Snips (Straight, Left & Right Cut)

Snips are useful for cutting lath, or other small metal.

HDX 3-Position Retractable Utility Knife (Single Knife, 4 Reversible Blades Included)

Everyone needs a handy dandy retractable utility blade, necessary for lath and useful for everything.

Estwing Ultra Series Hammer - 15 oz Rip Claw Framer w/ Milled Face & Shock Reduction Grip

We prefer the lighter weight straight claw hammers for lathing, they weigh you down less when using them all day.

Estwing Pro Claw Nail Puller - 9" Pry Bar, Forged Steel Construction & No-Slip Cushion Grip

This "cats paw" is useful for pulling all sorts of nails, staples, and other things that decide to get in your way.

Dixon Industrial Lumber Marking Crayons, 4.5" x 1/2" Hex, 12-Pack

Useful chalk crayons for marking studs while fastening your lath.

DEWALT Air Compressor for Trim, 200-PSI Max, Quiet Operation

A quiet compressor useful for tight spaces or busy areas.

Makita MAC700 Electric Air Compressor, 2 HP, 115V

A perfect homeowner compressor as its slim design make it easy to move around.

Good Year 50-foot Rubber Air Hose - NPT Fittings, 250 PSI

A quality air hose is necessary for delivering power to your tools.

Hybrid 25-ft Air Compressor Hose - MNPT Fittings, 300 PSI, Lightweight Soft Polymer

A quality air hose is necessary for delivering power to your tools.

Senco Pneumatic 16 Gauge Wide Crown Heavy Wire Stapler

This staple gun is perfect for anchoring your lath into the studs of your walls.

Marshalltown Drywall & Plastering Hopper gun | 45 Degree Angle Adapter

Some finishes require a Hopper gun to spray them on. These use an air compressor to shoot the material.

Milwaukee 18-V Compact Drill & Impact Driver Combo Kit (Battery Included)

Everybody needs drills! There's always something to unscrew on jobsites, and these drills are high quality.

Milwaukee 1" SDS Plus D-Handle Rotary Hammer (M18 Battery not included)

This rotary hammer is our go-to for stucco breakout: portable, powerful and effective.

Bosch SDS Plus Viper Long Life Chisel HS1470

This is a tip you'll need for stucco breakout, using the Rotary Hammer.

Milwaukee 18V Lithium Ion Cordless Orbiting Multi Tool with Woodcutting Blades & Sanding Pad - Sheets Included 2626-20 (M18 Battery not included)

This is a great tool for any trade, easily able to cut anything in hard to reach spaces.

Milwaukee 18V Dual Chemistry Jobsite Radio - Shock Absorbing, USB Smartphone Charging, & Aux Jack (M18 Battery not included)

This is the radio we use, and having the ability to use our tool batteries for it to play music from our phones is awesome.

Milwaukee LITHIUM XC 5.0 Ah Batteries (2) PLUS M12 and M18 Multi-Voltage Charger Kit

These M18 batteries will power any of the Mikwaukee tools in this section.

We prefer these because they offer superior protection from dust and other debris. I often cut the top pad off to increase breathability.

Sometimes you need fully sealed eye protection, in those instances we prefer these safety goggles over glasses.

We all need a little support sometimes. Help your back help you while working hard.

These gloves offer the best protection without sacrificing mobility or breathability. We've been using them for decades.

For contractors who need these time & time again, buying gloves by the 12-pack makes the most sense.

While some folks might laugh at these being umpire shin guards, they offer amazing knee comfort for all day use in tight spaces.

Bon Mortar Board Stand w/ Double Chain

These are used to support a mud board, which you'll need to cut yourself out of plywood or whatever you have handy.

Bon Steel Bucket Scoop 83-270

These scoops are perfectly shaped to get material out of 5 gallon buckets.

Truper 48" Tru Pro Steel Scoop Shovel, Long Handle

A sand shovel has a larger scoop then your average shovel. Many material bags base their listed ratios off this type of shovel.

The Ames Companies Wheelbarrow, 6-Cubic Foot

It's important to have a wheelbarrow built to support 200 or more pounds.

Bon 14"x24"x16" Aluminum Hod

Why do they call it hod? Because it's "HOD" work! These are used to carry material up stairs and ladders where wheelbarrows can't

2' A-Frame Folding Trestle Scaffolding with 2' Extensions CBM1290

This portable set of scaffold and extensions can open up a lot of options for your work. Much safer than ladders!

Kraft Tool 11-Pocket Double Pouch Tool Apron

This belt will serve you well for years to come. Tools won't fall out of the squared pockets, and the leather straps will hold your hammer and stapler solidly through hours of moving around jobsites.

This belt is an inexpensive compromise: you get what you pay for with tools, but if you're only going to use it a few times this belt will work!

Graintex 8-Pocket Pink Tool Belt in Suede Leather

For plasterers who like a bit of flare, this belt has similar features to the more expensive belt and will make you a hit around the house or jobsite!

Marshalltown 12"x12" Aluminum Hawk w/ DuraSoft Handle

This smaller hawk is easier to handle for a DIYer who has a small stucco project.

Marshalltown 12"x5" Stainless Steel PermaShape Broken-In Trowel w/ DuraSoft Handle

This smaller trowel is easier for a first-timer to maneuver.

Bon 12" Fine Green Foam Float 83-104

Sponge floats are used to bring the sand out in your finish, as well as blending your transitions.

Bon Steel Bucket Scoop 83-270

This scoop is perfectly shaped to get material out of 5 gallon buckets.

Crescent Wiss 9-3/4" MetalMaster Compound Action Snips

Snips are useful for cutting lath, or other small metal.

HDX 3-Position Retractable Utility Knife (Single Knife, 4 Reversible Blades Included)

A retractable utility blade is necessary for lath and useful for everything.

MCR Safety Predalite Nitrile Rubber Palm Coated Gloves with Knitted Wrist (1 Pair)

These gloves offer the best protection without sacrificing mobility or breathability.

Bon 1" to 4" Artifact Chip Brushes (Set of 5)

These brushes are a finishing tool useful for corners, edges, and more.

Canon EOS Rebel 800D (T7i) DSLR Camera w/ 18-55mm Lens & Essential Accessory Bundle

This bundle has everything the aspiring YouTuber or videographer needs. Complete with Jay's preferred camera, memory cards, lens filters, & all the accessories you'll need to get started.

Azden WLX-PRO Lavalier System

These transmitters are absolutely necessary for the highest audio quality. It took us a while to learn how to best capture what Kirk is saying, and these transmitters combined with a headset microphone is the best we have found!

Pyle Double Over-Ear Hands-Free Omnidirectional Wired Audio Boom Condenser Microphone Headset

These microphones are the best value for capturing audio while on the job. They stay put, and combined with a transmitter allows us to deliver the best audio quality.

Manfrotto Aluminum 3-Section Tripod Kit with Fluid Video Head

While the camera bundle has a tripod in it, you'll see far better results with upgraded stability and a fluid head for recording videos.

Apple MacBook Pro 15" Core i7 - 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)

We have been using a MacBook pro for video editing for years, and this budget friendly model will be capable of editing video for you as well.

Apple MacBook Pro 16" Intel Core i9 - 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage (New)

For those who want the best of the best, this laptop will meet your needs for years to come. Capable of editing 4k and other high definition projects, you won't regret having a machine like this.

Apple iPod touch (32GB)

Don't want to use your phone to stream music? This iPod is bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, and can be loaded with all your favorite music to play on the job.

Milwaukee 18V Dual Chemistry Jobsite Radio - Shock Absorbing, USB Smartphone Charging, & Aux Jack (M18 Battery not included)

This is the radio we use, and having the ability to use our tool batteries for it to play music from our phone or iPod is awesome.