Power tools for tile

Hello people, from the great blue nowhere.

Now that we've gotten all that very important, yet extremely mundane safety stuff outta the way, we can move on to a much more exciting subject. One that is very near and dear to my heart. POWER TOOLS!!! More importantly, power tools used for TILE JOBS!!! Sorry, I just have a thing about, power tools.

We'll start with the obvious (to me at least), the wet saw. For those of you not familiar with this piece of machinery, let me describe it to you.

A wet saw is a tool that utilizes a diamond blade with water pumped over it, in order to cut the tile. The particular model shown in the illustration is one designed for professional use, and is a bit pricey for the average DIYer. On the other hand, if you plan on doing a lot of tile work on your home, it might be worth considering.

Wet saws come in a variety of sizes and styles. Blade sizes range from 4 inches, to 10 inches. Generally speaking, the larger the blade, the easier it will be to make your cuts.

There are inexpensive, "light duty" (cheap) saws to be had at the big box stores, and discount tool outlets. In my opinion, they aren't worth the trouble. You would be better served to go with a light duty wet saw, designed for professional use. Some very nice 7 and 8 inch models are out there to be had.

Of course, there is always the (ugh) rental option. I personally have never been a big fan of renting tools. To me, it just feels like throwing money away. However, if you are doing a small project, renting is certainly a viable option.

Another invaluable tool for tile is the angle grinder, or, more precisely, the 4 or 4 1/2 inch angle grinder. This tool can be fitted with a dry (or wet) cut diamond blade, and can be used for a wide range of tile cuts. In fact on some small tile jobs, I am able to complete the work without even setting up a wet saw, by just using a snap cutter and an angle grinder.
Shown, is my personal angle grinder, and a couple of different types of dry cut diamond blades.

If you are planning a small tile job, with no exposed cut tile edges, an angle grinder may be just the tool you need. They are relatively inexpensive, and can also be used for a variety of other tasks around the house. Sharpening lawn mower blades comes to mind.

Well that's all I have time for, for now. Until we meet again, be safe.

Safety

Hey there, hi there, ho there. I hope everyone is doin' finer than frog hair split about four ways.

I'd like to take a few moments to discuss safety issues. In my opening post I mentioned that home improvements could be dangerous both figuratively and literally. Well, by literally, I meant, you can get hurt. Physically. I know, I know, that's an awful lot of words ending in "ly", but try to stay with me. FOCUS PEOPLE! (sorry)

In the course of doing home improvements, namely tile (the focus of this blog, and I use the word focus, loosely), you will be required to perform certain tasks, and use certain tools, which can be potentially dangerous. Now, don't let this little warning scare ya away from doing your own tile project. Heck, we face far worse danger everyday when we hop into our cars and speed off to work. (I don't speed, but, well, you know who you are.)

First and foremost, protect your eyes. Get a quality pair of safety glasses, and keep 'em clean. I always keep a few packs of those disposable eyeglass wipes in my tool box. Make sure the glasses wrap around, or have some sort of side protection. A full face shield can also be handy for certain tasks. Eye protection is relatively inexpensive, and a great investment. Just do it!

Next, protect your ears. Earplugs are okay, but tend to be uncomfortable, and are a pain to use, in my opinion. A better choice would be a pair of noise reducing ear muffs. The higher the noise reduction rating (measured in decibels, or dB), the better. There are even some very cool models with built in radios, or input jacks for mp3 players.

Tile work involves the use of cementious products, which contain silica dust, and are potentially harmful to breathe. Also, tile work generates other airborne particles, and dusts, that pose a potential threat to your respiratory health. The use of a respirator is recommended. There are several varieties, a quick internet search should yield plenty of information. Please be advised, a simple "dust mask" is not sufficient. You should use a mask with a minimum N95 rating.

Always follow manufacturers instructions with regard to safe use of tools, both power and hand. And remember what your mom always told you: "Don't run with that, you could put an eye out".

Also remember, a clean work environment is a saf-ER work environment. Frequent tidying up of your job site will reduce potential safety hazards, and stress levels.

Many of the materials used for tile installation are H-E-A-V-Y, always practice good lifting technique. Lift with your legs, not your back, blah, blah, blah. The best way to avoid injury while lifting heavy objects is............................get someone else to do it.

If most of the above mentioned safety guidelines sound like common sense........AH HA! There's the magic word. Common sense. That is the one thing that will keep you from hurting yourself more than anything else. Think before you act, look before you leap, use your head, etc. etc. etc. Seriously folks, please be careful, if you get hurt, you'll never get your tile project done. And your significant other will be very unhappy, which can be a safety hazard in and of itself.

These are just a few basic guidelines outlining safe practices. To be sure, there are many, many more. Feel free to post any which I may have forgotten, and/or your own experiences with safety issues. Everybody loves a good horror story, well maybe not everybody. BUT I DO!

Well, thanks for listening, and see ya next time.

Merry Christmas

Hello everyone. My apologies to anyone following this blog. I have been busy with Christmas and work.

I will resume writing on a regular basis on December 26th.

Please feel free to post comments about any subject matter you wish me to cover. I will do my best to work it in.

Merry Christmas!!!

Good night, and God Bless.

Tools of the Trade: Hand tools

Today we'll cover some of the hand tools you may need to complete your tile project. Power tools will be covered in a future installment.

The first thing to consider is a "board", or, "snap cutter". This is a tool, into which you place the tile to be cut, run a small carbide scoring wheel across it, then snap or break the tile along that score line. These tools range in size from 12 inches, on up. For practical purposes, a 20 inch cutter (like the one shown) will work for most tile jobs. These cutters can only be used for straight cuts, and can only be used on ceramic tile. They will not work on natural stone. The cuts these cutters make may not be suitable for edges that will be visible.

You'll also need a small speed square, a large speed square, pencil, utility knife, tile nippers, tape measure, rubbing stone and chalk line. You may also consider 2 and 4 foot levels. These can be used for their intended purpose, checking for plumb and level, as well as a straight edge.
Well there you have it. This small set of hand tools will serve you well in your tile setting adventures.

I'd like to take a moment and get a little personal.
My beloved pet and dear companion, Murphy (a ten year old mastiff) has been ill, and is very near the end. I have an extremely difficult decision to have to make. One that I've never faced before. I have to decide whether or not euthanasia will be necessary. And yet, I don't know if it is morally ethical to put a dog down. I know the poor boy is suffering, or at the very least, extremely uncomfortable. If only he could communicate his wishes, I know that's silly, but it would make things so much easier. The last thing I want to do is make him suffer for my own inability to make the call, I only want what is best for this poor animal. Wish me luck.

Thanks for listening, see ya next time.