Serrage (~poor/easy smoothing)

Description

• The serrage - or serré finish - gives a half-smoothed surface, optically as to the touch
• The serrage is done right after a coupage.
• It's done dry or with a very light spraying of clean water and consist in a compacting of the surface, without creating of crème
• According the moment, the serrage create a more or less complete smooth surface (but no clouds) : a real scale test/sample is thus to be made.

Tips

• The serrage is a kind of lissage but without creation of crème : it makes the complete filling of all the holes let by the coupage quitte difficult (by the way it's not necessarily the goal) but insure to avoid cloudy effects
• If crème is appearing (generally when too much water have been applied), let the plaster harden back for a while. A new coupage can then be useful.
• In a more rustic style, serré can be done directly without coupage

Needed tools

• Stainless smoother, beveled if possible, quite rigid for traditionnal smoothing (softer smoothers are used for rustic humpy serré)
• Spray