An old finisher named Ray taught me to pull the bull float back, not push it
Back in 2009 I was working a driveway pour in Garland, Texas, and this older finisher named Ray watched me push my bull float across a fresh slab for about 10 minutes before he walked over and grabbed the handle. He showed me that pulling the float back toward yourself keeps the head flatter and moves less paste around, and he made me do it 20 times in a row until it felt natural. Ray passed a few years back, but I still hear his voice every time I catch myself pushing instead of pulling. Any of you got an old timer who broke a bad habit for you on the job?
Oh man, I love this. I had a guy named Vernon who did the same thing to me on a garage slab back in the day. He stood there and made me pull that float until my shoulders burned, saying pushing just drags the cream all over the place. Took me forever to break the habit, and even now if I catch myself pushing I hear him hollering at me. Funny how those old guys never really leave the job. Ray sounds like he was a real one.