Where to cut tile when it's too cold outside: Tile Setter tips

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JohnfrWhipple

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Yesterday I set up the "Colosseum" - my custom made tile saw tent. The tent stand has a waterproof tray and large sides for plastic walls. This contains the overspray and allows us to safely work inside the master bedroom on top of the brand new hardwood floors.

The photo below shows the prep work yesterday.

Cutting%2BTile%2BInside%2Ba%2BFinished%2BRoom.jpg

Materials Used:
  • 3/4" Plywood - scrap from outside
  • 2"x4" - 4' piece x 1 3.5' piece x 1 - scrap from outside
  • 2"x6" - 3.5' piece x 2 - scrap from outside these could have been longer
  • 1"x2" Spruce Strapping - 8 8' pieces
  • Ram Board
  • Drywall Screws
  • Tuck Tape
  • SK 25 Mesh
  • Hydro Ban
  • Medium Weight Poly
Yesterday morning I made the base, designed the toe kick and gave the tray two coats of Hydro Ban. One at the start of the day and one at the end. Today the saw moves in and the poly goes up. The other tile installer came up with the Tile Saw tent's nick name. "The Colosseum" - I love it.
 

ShowerDude

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Oh Man,

The Colosseum may be a stretch whipple. Im liking the "Sanford and Son" !!!

This never works for me, I spend half the day soaking up the water and maintaining the "Colosseum" ! and half the night worrying about the new wood floors beneath it.
 

Jadnashua

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Cold water from the wetsaw when it is cold outside is really uncomfortable, and if your tile and the water aren't the same, or nearly the same, temperature, I can tell you from personal experience that you can shatter one during cuts! THen, while the tile will warm up (obviously) when you bring it inside, depending on the temperature differences, you then try to set it, and it can end up with thermal shock and crack then, too. Running up and down stairs (not as common where HJ works - SOG, single story houses are much more common in AZ and the southwest than elsewhere) wastes time, offers the opportunity to track crap, and can wear you out.
 

Vegas_sparky

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Another redneck deathtrap! LOL

My saw is in a 38°F garage, while it's in the single digits outside. I fill my pump bucket with hot water. No problems yet. I'll deal with the stairs, or a slight chance of a cracked tile before setting up over new carpet. I warm the tile before setting by wiping off the excess water on my furry butt.
 

JohnfrWhipple

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36 stairs from the garage to the master bathroom. Garage floor polished concrete. Back of the house. Two stories down. Ahhhh NOPE.

Me and the other tile setter both used the saw all day. The Colosseum worked perfectly.

Colosseum%2BTile%2BTent%2Band%2BTray.jpg

I put a few layers of ram board down in front, some cardboard and a tarp. Plastic every else. Designed it so the over spray slides back to the tile saw's tray. Even worked in a handy Coat Hook Feature..... lol


Colosseum%2BWater%2BContainment%2BOver%2BSpray%2Bfrom%2Btile%2Bsaw.jpg


The%2BColosseum%2BTile%2Bsaw%2Btent.jpg

Removed the tarp and set up my Hepa Filter (round white thing in the photo above) to dry out the drops on the tray. Maybe 5 oz of water. It will be gone by morning. The hepa filter blows in air from the top and sucks it in from the sides. The three off cuts of tile help direct the air back down and improve the air flow at the wettest location in the tray.

Total I only made 6 trips to the saw. But with those 6 trips I save 408 steps plus the travel time. If your saw is going to be a long way away - are you going to go back for a tiny sliver cut, say half blade? Or are you going to say - that's good enough.

"When it's perfect. It's good enough." - JW
 
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Jadnashua

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The cutting water and the tile need to be at about the same temperature or it gets risky...hot water on a cold tile or vice-versa can spell disaster.
 

ShowerDude

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I do like the dewalt...I always laughed at those crazy giant trays/extensions, but in this case dare i call it a functional design!!
 

JohnfrWhipple

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RSCB. It is called "The Colosseum" lol

Most likely the other tile guy named it this because of the engineering marvel that it is....

Tweaked it a bit today. Worked even better.
 

ShowerDude

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Yesterday I set up the "Colosseum" - my custom made tile saw tent. The tent stand has a waterproof tray and large sides for plastic walls. This contains the overspray and allows us to safely work inside the master bedroom on top of the brand new hardwood floors.

The photo below shows the prep work yesterday.

Cutting%2BTile%2BInside%2Ba%2BFinished%2BRoom.jpg

Materials Used:
  • 3/4" Plywood - scrap from outside
  • 2"x4" - 4' piece x 1 3.5' piece x 1 - scrap from outside
  • 2"x6" - 3.5' piece x 2 - scrap from outside these could have been longer
  • 1"x2" Spruce Strapping - 8 8' pieces
  • Ram Board
  • Drywall Screws
  • Tuck Tape
  • SK 25 Mesh
  • Hydro Ban
  • Medium Weight Poly
Yesterday morning I made the base, designed the toe kick and gave the tray two coats of Hydro Ban. One at the start of the day and one at the end. Today the saw moves in and the poly goes up. The other tile installer came up with the Tile Saw tent's nick name. "The Colosseum" - I love it.


The colosseum has a challenger......... I like to call it Fort Knox.

a few more details to address. but its solid!!!

image.jpg


at its core is a Otter magnum ice sled..... and A 3/4 pvc water retention cage.......

gomna add A second submergable pump ......


colder than S&$@ here on the tundra
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Not sure you can call that a challenger.

I see no carpet protection.

No toe kick feature.

And where is the hell is the coat rack? LOL

The Collesium is taking a beating. We are closing in on failure. I might have to re plastic it. I do love the rigid base. That is something I will need to look closer at.

Right now I have my garage set up with my saw and a grinder station and at work I still have the Collesium with the other guys saw! It's dream. Now if I want to push ahead at night I can go out, talk dirty to my drains! (lol that was a joke) and cut a few more tiles.
 

Vegas_sparky

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Ice sled? Brilliant!

Tile in the tundra. You got nuts, man. Cleaning things off outside has to suck. :(

Do you guys ever have problems working around bathroom windows in the cold? I noticed a lot of condensation on the glass, and a little ice right around my daughters bathroom slider window. I'm not really used to the cold, growing up in the desert SW.
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Ice sled? Brilliant!

Tile in the tundra. You got nuts, man. Cleaning things off outside has to suck. :(

Do you guys ever have problems working around bathroom windows in the cold? I noticed a lot of condensation on the glass, and a little ice right around my daughters bathroom slider window. I'm not really used to the cold, growing up in the desert SW.

The sled is a huge call. I wish I could take credit for it. I like the breakdown option as well. Just don't tell Erik. I won't be happy until I see some kind of toe kick and somewhere for the jacket. I'll snap a few pictures tomorrow of my rig.

I used the glass blade to make some fine cuts and it cuts so slow. So I scored the top of the tie and then went back to finish the cut... Whoops! Send a spray about 4'. Left side was OK but the right side sprayed out. Had to fix the poly and use my hand as a shield. I think Erik's design would have worked better. Just don't tell him.


++++++++++++++

Our windows are designed for the cold. I have never had an issue.
 

ShowerDude

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in regards to Fort Knox i can tear down / set up in 10 mins flat!!

the sled has a huge 11" toe kick /tripping hazard nd i can slide the saw back or deep into the 65" long sled.

the carpet to be torn out..... but some poly underneath is in order!!! gonna fine tune it today. LOL


warm water buckets or not its around 2 degrees here lately cant cut outside and the garage heat is not an option.

fort knox is set up 5 ft from my work area, a real time saver LOL if it works
 

ShowerDude

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Ice sled? Brilliant!

Tile in the tundra. You got nuts, man. Cleaning things off outside has to suck. :(

Do you guys ever have problems working around bathroom windows in the cold? I noticed a lot of condensation on the glass, and a little ice right around my daughters bathroom slider window. I'm not really used to the cold, growing up in the desert SW.



Hopefully your glass is tempered...... and wont shatter on your family.....

maybe a flashing/insulation issue.? is the glass double wall w/argon ? is the frame vinyl or aluminum? it can happen .
image.jpg

my vintage 1920,s double hung with replacemt glass and shot glazing makes custom ice cubes. i just scrape
them out every day or so!!!!!

adds a lead based paint flavor to my cocktails though!!!
 

Reach4

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Oh drain. You're so filthy. I fill you up, and you never say no. You just keep taking it. LMAO

You could maybe put your lyrics to this tune:

 
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ShowerDude

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Fort Knox is working quite well! id get a bigger sled for the 10" saw.. and make some tweaks to refine but hey......

Yes Vegas it sucks. i have no slop sink to work with and of course no outdoor hose! today was great 35 degree weather though

wasting buckets on this one.

still not as bad as working in hi rises downtown

image.jpg
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Is your pump so special it can not use the dirty water in the saw's tray? If you harvest the overspray it will reseed the tray. Or maybe place the water and pump bucket inside the sled and the plastic inside that....
 
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