Replies

1. 
   BillBrennen | Sep 10, 2005 07:39pm | #1

   Y,

   The diamond blade in your Fein tool will not come close to the speed of a diamond wheel in a grinder. What I do is hook up my grinder to a vac with a Dust Muzzle (Google it for the site that sells 'em) and only use the Fein in the corners. This is fast and clean, suitable for finished interiors of occupied homes.

   Hope this helps,
   Bill

1. 
   ycsifmh | Sep 11, 2005 07:57pm | #3

   Thanks Bill, I do like the Dust Muzzle. I had one which I accidentally ground through (don't think I fit it very well. Visibility through the scratched up plastic (not to mention my aging eyes) and restrictions on quickly changing your angle of attack had me hoping for an easier solution. All in all, I think your combination is the best answer.

1. 
   BIGJIM05 | Sep 13, 2005 04:56am | #4

   I have a 6" angle grinder

   what do you recommend for cutting the doorways and corners to fit the ceramic tiles in place when doing a kitchen?

1. 
   ycsifmh | Sep 14, 2005 02:00am | #5

   I'm not sure what "corners" you're asking about, but for cutting the casing around doorways so your tile will slide under the best answer, if you also happen to have one, is the Fein Multimaster with the widest woodcutting blade.

   In the dark days b.m. (before multimaster), my method was to use a cheap Japanese-style flushcut saw.  Stanley and Irwin both make them and Lowes and Depot carry them.

   With either tool getting the height right is harder the more out-of-whack the subfloor is, and the less forgiving the material your setting is. Its probably related to some childhood trauma, but a big caulk-filled gap between tile floor and door trim bothers me a lot. A smaller format ceramic tile you might be able to build up a bit if you cut too high, 12x12 stone, no way.

   If the floor is pretty good, I cut all the casings before I start setting.  I take a piece of tile put it against the casing, rip a piece of cardboard off the box the tile came in and put it on top of the tile to protect it and to give me about the 1/8" I expect from the thinset, set the blade on that and saw away.

   If the subfloor is really crazy, I'll wait until I tile up to it, put a straight-edge on the existing tile, mark a point, and put whatever I can find on my tile scrap to give me the height I need.

   With either method a beat-up wood chisel, razor knife, screwdriver, whatever you can find, is good to knock out whatever is in your way.

   Another pet-peeve is when you cut the tile and the cut slips under the  casing,  but not all the way, so you get like a hole at the reveal where it meets the jamb.  I like to make sure thats tight.

   I did a large kitchen with nine doorways, some getting tile on both sides, and spent over an hour cutting the casing by hand.  Ordered my multimaster the same evening.

   If I'm tiling through a doorway, or installing a threshold, I'll either do the same for the stop-molding, or I'll peel it loose, secure the two opposite pieces together in the mliddle with tape and cut them later (if I can't get the carpenter to do it).

   Hope this helps.

    

1. 
   BIGJIM05 | Sep 14, 2005 05:24am | #6

   Do I get you right about the measuring height --if I use a piece of hardi-backer, a tile and  a piece of cardboard from the top of the box of tiles this would give me an approximate height to cut out for everything to fit under the mouldings?

   Your info is helpful on the blade and I also checked out the saw at Lowes tonight.

   Please let me know if I'm understanding you before I cut wrong.

   THANKS!!!

2. 
   ycsifmh | Sep 15, 2005 01:07am | #7

   Install the Hardibacker first. Then just put down a tile with the cardboard on top, and you're good.  That should certainly give you a good minimum.  If you tile up to it (check before you're right against it) and its not enough build your spacer up as needed; duct tape, more cardboard, folded paper, luan...whatevers handy.

   You don't have to worry about getting the Hardi under the molding, just throw in a good glob of thinset when you stick the piece.

    Chances are using backerboards you'll have noticable pitch and roll to your floor.  This may not be an issue depending on what type of material you are setting.  In other words, while I find that allowing about 1/8" for thinset is generally OK, if you're installing 12x12 limestone or similar, you may find you're bedding them a little heavier in places, like near doorways, to avoid lippage that would be less of an issue with other material. If thats the case, you're gonna go up anyway, not down, so be conservative at first.

   Best of luck.

    

2. 
   RW | Sep 10, 2005 11:50pm | #2

   but it is durn nice for chewing through thin grout lines. still awful dusty.

   "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain