My float handle snapped clean off on a 90-degree day in Phoenix

I was working a driveway pour, about halfway through the first pass with my magnesium float. The heat was brutal, maybe 105, and I was putting some real pressure on it. The wooden handle just gave way right at the ferrule, and I nearly ate the slab. I had to run to the truck and grab my backup, which threw my timing off for the rest of the set. Anyone have a brand of float that holds up better in extreme heat? I'm tired of this happening.

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanross18d ago

Yeah, that Phoenix heat is no joke on tools. I mean, maybe try a full magnesium float without a wood handle? I've had better luck with those one-piece designs when it's crazy hot, they don't have that weak spot where the wood meets the metal.

parker_price18d ago

Try soaking the handle in water first.

sarah_patel2518d ago

Soaking wood can actually make it swell and get stuck worse. Dry heat expands the metal, which is why it lets go. A little heat on the metal collar is the trick that usually works.