ALL ABOUT DRY MIXES Using Vasari dry mix is fast, easy and economical. Dry mix is less expensive than our wet ready to apply products, cheaper to ship, lighter to deal with per bucket, keeps forever and can't freeze. When doing larger jobs, dry mix can be a huge cost saver, but if you only need a bucket or two and you don't have the proper mixing tools, it's not worth it.  Take a look at our price list to see the difference. Also, when ordering more than 10 buckets of dry mix (or wet), it is helpful if we can ship to you on a pallet. When using our dry mix, you'll have to tint your own plaster. You can purchase tints from us or you can buy them from your local paint store. They can formulate your custom color, or you can purchase unmixed tints and do your own mixing. Check out our Colorants section for more information on coloring your own plasters. Each bucket shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes to mix and tint. The sand in our Marmorino makes it particularly easy to mix, as it helps pulverize any little bits of plaster. If the Marmorino still has any chunks you can pour it through a fiberglass window screen. Veneziano needs to be very smooth and creamy when you apply it. Make sure your mix is as smooth as possible. When you mix the plaster, it should be thin enough to pass through a filter. A regular paint strainer for a five gallon bucket works to get small lumps out if necessary but this is rarely necessary. HOW TO MIX IT SAFETY FIRST: ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION , GLOVES AND A RESPIRATOR / DUST MASK WHEN WORKING WITH DRY MIXES. Dry mixes come in a 5 gallon container. You can mix the whole bucket or just take as much as you need. If you wish to mix smaller batches, mix up the dry power ensuring that it's homogenous, then divide the water / powder mix accordingly. During shipping, lime tends to float to the top of the bucket, so if you skim off the top for small batches, make sure to mix the powder completely first. Use a 1200 rpm mixer with a 30" mixing paddle. This is necessary. Plaster doesn't dissolve as easily as cement or drywall. A typical 1200 rpm mixer is a Milwaukee Hole Saw. It’s a high quality mixer.