My Fiance’ talked me in using porcelain tile in one of our baths, which has been my full time job for the past month now (the entire bath, not the tile). Just stated cutting the tile today. I’m managing but… What do all of you who have worked with the stuff think of it? My brother just had his MBR bath done with it and his tile guy said he would never work with it again, first time I quess. (or maybe not for what he charged him). I do have a 10″ wet tile saw. That works well for straight cuts, but curves I have been doing with a 4.5″ dry blade with 90% success. I never actually have to cut all the way through the tile, they will just spontaneously crack as I score them. As for holes, cracked a few in the beginning (been using a drill press with tile clamped to the table and wet diamond hole saw. I’m just curious for comments. No going back, as I have 20 cases of the stuff. Oh, by the way, the HD Expo salesperson who sold me the stuff, I quote “the pro’s don’t like the stuff, but you know what pro’s can be like.” I think implying that they are lazy or something, got me. After the sale he let it slip out that he had never installed tile in his life!!! after dispensing much “advice” on tile installation.
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Edited 3/10/2003 10:27:38 PM ET by WorkshopJon
Edited 3/11/2003 9:54:03 AM ET by WorkshopJon
Replies
I've got 600 foot of the porcelain 12x12's under my foot and another 90 sq ft of 2x2 sheet porcelain (includes a shower base)
Frankly I like porcelain. For moisture it can't be beat. no freeze issues ever as the moisture content is one of the lowest (way below natural stone). It cuts pretty well with a wet saw although I've used the table saw with a grit blade for a few cuts just because it was more available.
Curves are a "least squares" job. remember in algebra where you had to make a series of boxes under the curve of a line then compute the volume of those boxes to aproximate the "area under the curve"? Cutting inside curves is like that. Just make 10 slices to aproximate the curve then take a set of end cutting pliers to break then nibble the curve to shape.
If you really need to make it smooth use a rotozip or a die grinder to carve the curve more accurately. The more I use the rotozip the more I like my sears die grinder. The DG is a 1/5th Hp motor with a 1/4 inch chuck like a router but no base. Hook up a grinding stone or a carbide burr and it will do as nice a job as your hands can control. (lots faster than the rotozip)
So ... Thinset mortar adhesive on cement board backing? Wall or flooring?
Lucky me. DW does stained glass. She gets to cut the curves with a diamond blade wet bandsaw, or if it is a tight radiuse she uses a ring saw. I just lay them out and get them back perfect most of the time. All miscuts are , of course, my fault.
Booch,
I know I'm getting completely off the thread I started here, But... Curves are a "least squares" job. remember in algebra where you had to make a series of boxes under the curve of a line then compute the volume of those boxes to aproximate the "area under the curve"? Isn't that calculus? or did you just have better math teacher than I did?
Jon
Edited 3/11/2003 9:49:38 AM ET by WorkshopJon
>> Isn't that calculus?
Nah. When you have a formula for an exact answer, that's calculus. An approximation is just algebra. I was using algebra to do numerical integration in software years before I ever took a calculus class.
I must have missed the word "approximation." It's been years since I've taken any of those classes. But I guess you remember the most recent best. Sorry Booch.
Jon
No problem. Frankly it is all just math.
It is surprising to me in all my years of engineering (10 out of the last 25 the rest as a salesman of industrial electricals ) I've had only 3 or 4 occasions that needed more than a square root to calculate.
Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
Booch,
Never did understand why in college they make you take so much math. In B school I think I had to take like 5 classes not including stat's. etc. Hardly remember any of the advanced stuff, and I graduated in the top 20% of my B school class. The amount of math required to be an engineer steered me away from that path. Don't no how you guys did it. O.K. maybe, that's why you never saw eng. majors out on State Street much.
Jon
Edited 3/11/2003 12:48:18 PM ET by WorkshopJon
Probably the same reason I never became a fishery & wildlife biologist. I couldn't pass the genetics class, one of the primary filters in their curriculum.Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
Booch,
This is wierd, but when I get any Taunton e-mail alerts of new postings from you, the name that comes up is the first 6 letters of my last name, which is a variant of your screen name. Mine is not a common last name. System bug?
Jon
Edited 3/11/2003 3:10:50 PM ET by WorkshopJon
Grandpa ? ;-)
Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
Edited 3/11/2003 3:39:19 PM ET by Booch