Editing Trowel

{{Short description|Hand tool}}
{{About|the hand tool|the archaeology journal|Trowel (journal)}}
{{Distinguish|Trowell}}

{{Multiple issues|
{{refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{One source|date=November 2023}}
}}
[[File:Masons trowel.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|[[Masonry trowel]]]]
A '''trowel''' is a small [[hand tool]] used for digging, applying, smoothing, or moving small amounts of viscous or particulate material.  Common varieties include the [[masonry trowel]], garden trowel, and float trowel.

A [[power trowel]] is a much larger gasoline or electrically powered walk-behind device with rotating paddles used to finish concrete floors.

==Hand trowel==
[[File:Trowel.JPG|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Garden trowel]]
[[File:Foundation trowel.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Ceremonial bricklayer's trowel used in laying one of the foundation stones of the commencement column of the Federal Capital city of [[Canberra]] in 1913]]
[[File:TrowelPS.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Pointing trowel used in an archaeological excavation]]

Numerous forms of trowel are used in [[masonry]], [[concrete]], and [[drywall]] construction, as well as applying adhesives such as those used in tiling and laying synthetic flooring.  [[Masonry trowel]]s are traditionally made of [[forged]] [[carbon steel]], but some newer versions are made of cast [[stainless steel]], which has longer wear and is rust-free. These include:

*'''Bricklayer's trowel''' has an elongated triangular-shaped flat metal blade, used by [[stonemason|masons]] for leveling, spreading, and shaping [[cement]], [[plaster]], and [[mortar (masonry)|mortar]].
*'''Pointing trowel''', a scaled-down version of a bricklayer's trowel, for small jobs and repair work.
*'''Tuck pointing trowel''' is long and thin, designed for packing mortar between bricks.  
*'''Float trowel''' or '''finishing trowel''' is usually rectangular, used to smooth, level, or texture the top layer of hardening concrete.   A '''flooring trowel''' has one rectangular end and one pointed end, made to fit corners. A '''grout float''' is used for applying and working [[grout]] into gaps in floor and wall tile.
*'''Gauging trowel''' has a rounded tip, used to mix measured proportions of the different ingredients for quick set [[plaster]].
*'''Pool trowel''' is a flat-bladed tool with rounded ends used to apply coatings to concrete, especially on [[swimming pool]] decks.
*'''Margin trowel''' is a small rectangular bladed tool used to move, apply, and smooth small amounts of masonry or adhesive material.

[[File:Lincoln Park Affordable Housing Phase 2 (53567717014).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Construction worker using a float trowel to smooth freshly poured concrete]]
*'''Notched trowel''' is a rectangular shaped tool with regularly spaced notches along one or more sides  used to apply adhesive when adhering tile, or laying synthetic floor surfaces.

Other forms of trowel include:
*'''[[gardening|Garden]] trowel''', a hand tool with a pointed, scoop-shaped metal [[blade]] and wooden, metal, or plastic handle. It is comparable to a [[spade]] or [[shovel]], but is generally much smaller, being designed for use with one hand. It is used for breaking up earth, digging small holes, especially for [[planting]] and [[weeding]], mixing in [[fertilizer]] or other additives, and transferring plants to [[container gardening|pots]].
*'''[[Cathole|Camping]] trowel,''' a hand tool used in the outdoors to securely stake and prop up a tent, channel a small stream of water, level a sleeping surface, dig a cathole for no traces of waste and do many more outdoor survival chores.  Camping trowels can sometimes be made of lighter weight materials than gardening trowels to make them easier to carry in a backpack or they can be made of heavier materials for chopping kindling or shoveling soil without having to awkwardly reach or bend over.  Camping trowels may incorporate a secondary side ruler to measure ground surface depth; however, the ruler might prematurely become defaced from course soil particulates.  Camping trowels sometimes have a front tip and side features, such as a pointed tip and a serrated side edge to easily cut through tree roots or frozen soil.  These serrated camping trowels may include a cover guard to protect the user from cut wounds as well as save backpacks from puncture holes and tears.  They may also fold-up for added protection and easy storage.  Few others allow for items such as toilet paper to be stored upon or inside the handle.<ref name="Straight Up On The Rocks">{{cite web|title=Camping Trowels - Equipment Spotlight &#124; Straight up on the Rocks|url=http://straightupontherocks.co.uk/posts/174/camping-trowels-equipment-spotlight|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808042848/http://straightupontherocks.co.uk/posts/174/camping-trowels-equipment-spotlight|archive-date=2014-08-08|access-date=2014-07-31}} Camping Trowels - Equipment Spotlight. 2. Amazing Outdoor Adventurers Article. Retrieved 2020-05-08. Best Camping Trowels Reviewed.</ref>[2]
*In '''[[archaeology]]''' brick or pointing trowels (usually 4" or 5" steel trowels) are used to scratch the strata in an  [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavation]] and allow the colors of the soil to be clear, so that the different strata can be identified, processed and excavated.  In the [[United States]], there are several preferred brands of pointing trowels, including the [[Marshalltown trowel]]; while in the [[British Isles]] the [[William Hunt and Sons|WHS 4" pointing trowel]] is the traditional tool.

==See also==
* {{commonscat-inline}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline|trowel}}
* [[Taping knife]], a drywall tool with a wide blade for spreading joint compound
* [[Putty knife]], a generally smaller and variously shaped tool used in a variety of applications
* [[Palette knife]], a smaller but similarly shaped tool used in oil painting
* [[Power trowel]]
* ''[[Kunai]]''
* ''[[Hori hori]]''

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Garden tools}}
{{Masonry tools}}

[[Category:Mechanical hand tools]]
[[Category:Gardening tools]]
[[Category:Plastering]]

[[de:Kelle]] <!-- Do not delete, cannot be connected through wikidata. -->