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The old ways in the
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Hi all. Just heard about an italian tiler in my town (Hull) thats very experienced and does things the old ways,such as:- spreading sawdust on the floor to soak up ... -
The old ways
Hi all. Just heard about an italian tiler in my town (Hull) thats very experienced and does things the old ways,such as:- spreading sawdust on the floor to soak up the moisture. Does anyone have a few old tricks up their sleeve to share with us? Sure would like to hear them.
You never get a Second chance to make a First impression.
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to charlie1 For This Useful Post:
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Re: The old ways
Ah the old days, happy days.
Most floor tiling back then was Quarry floors, Dennis Ruabon, Platts, Wooliscroft type stuff. Sawdust was used mixed with water to dampen it and then after we grouted with sand and cement, the sawdust spread over the floor to clean off. When the tiles were clean dry sawdust was spread over and that polished off. you had to do it right otherwise the sawdust would stick in the joints.
Tiles came with nibs on the edges called self spacers, then the changed to universal tiles with a bevelled edge to act as a self spacer, 2 edges would be glazed. This would do away with having to have Re`s ( round edge). There used to be Rex ( round edge external) for corners and lots of others.
When fixing skirting tiles you would have "sit ins" or Sit ons" and internal/external angles.
Tiles were cut with small hand scribers ( still available) and everyone would have a cutting board in the van. This was a board with an upstanding edge, like another strip of would screwed at the edge. This would enable you to cut all tiles to the correct size .
Quarry tiles were cut with small hammer and small cutting chisel, freehand!!! then the tile was tapped from the back to break down the line.....yeah missed plenty of times and hit my fingers
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Floor tiling was done by laying a sand and cement screed and a slurry of cement poured onto the floor and then tiles tapped into the bed. We could screed far better in those days than the screeds i see now
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Squeegees (grout tools) were hand made with old rubber tiles that you could find back then, or rubber strips sandwiched between 2 pieces of architrave. Sponges were salvaged from old 3 piece suites.
oh yeah and every apprentice knew every chip shop in every town
Last edited by Sir Ramic; 05-08-2008 at 05:32 AM.
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The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Sir Ramic For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), CLAYS TILES (05-08-2008), deanotile (05-08-2008), Keith (05-08-2008)
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Re: The old ways
I can tell form that you were there. One of the things my uncle taught me was in the sawdust instead of water if you put raw linseed oil when you spread the sawdust on the floor and rubbed it in to the tile it would levee them looking mint. This was on quarry tiles glazed tiles as you say just put water in the sawdust. Grouting was don using a wet slurry of sand and cement and brushing it in to the joints then get a semi dry mix and sprinkle it all over the floor when you rub it of the joints are full and the tile is totally clean.
Last edited by deanotile; 05-08-2008 at 03:39 PM.
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to deanotile For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), Keith (05-08-2008)
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Re: The old ways
Back in the day there was not any of this newfangled tile trim there were bull nose tiles glazed edge tiles or you had to mitre the edge of the tile using your tile nippers and a rubbing block oh how I miss them days. (Not)
Last edited by deanotile; 05-08-2008 at 07:22 AM.
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to deanotile For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), Keith (05-08-2008)
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Re: The old ways
I will bet a lot of you new tilers don’t know the origins of BAL but BAL was set up by H&R Johnson’s to develop new adhesives for the new backgrounds that were being used such as gypsum plaster and plasterboard. The trend was changing from tilers fixing straight in to sand and cement screed and render to fixing on to the sub-straight after it had cured. There are a few reasons for this one was dry lining and the over whelming demand for cheaper materials and fixing methods.
Last edited by deanotile; 05-08-2008 at 07:18 AM.
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to deanotile For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), CLAYS TILES (05-08-2008), Keith (05-08-2008)
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Re: The old ways
"Is the screed still too wet for tiling" was tested by laying a newspaper on the screed with a brick on it. After a waiting time of 1 night resp. 24 hours the newspaper was looked at if it is wet = screed contains still too much moisture.
You get what you pay for.
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Pawelzik For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), deanotile (05-08-2008), Keith (05-08-2008)
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Re: The old ways
Thanks for the replies tilers. Great to hear about the old ways. Just a thought? Were the horse and carts sign written?
You never get a Second chance to make a First impression.
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Re: The old ways
The carts were, but had trouble getting the paint to stick to the horse
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Dave For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), deanotile (05-08-2008), Keith (05-08-2008)
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pjtiler
Guest
Re: The old ways
when me and Michael Angelo tiled the Sistine chapel in Rome we had to make our own Mosaic from broken plates and Potts found in the local potters skip
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pjtiler
Guest
Re: The old ways
quarrys use to arrive on site loose on flat back trucks
which took all morning to unload and cut your hands to ribbons
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The Following User Says Thank You to pjtiler For This Useful Post:
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pjtiler
Guest
Re: The old ways
tilers don't know there born these days
when i started i had to get up 2 hours before i went to bed work a 29 hour day on my knees being whipped by the Foreman every 10 minutes
i,d stagger back to the cardboard box which was home to the 25 of us have a lick of my dads razor strop for my tea then sleep on the cold cobbles with a crisp bag as a blanket for 5 minute before another day work
and i had to pay the boss 1/6 a week for the privilege
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee but we were appy
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to pjtiler For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), Dave (05-08-2008)
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Sir Ramic For This Useful Post:
bj F (05-08-2008), Dave (05-08-2008)
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pjtiler
Guest
Re: The old ways
pancake Tuesday
the day all the apprentices were initiated (if they could find you )
i had my bolloxs blackened with plumbers black (its a kind of lead paint ) and hung upside down from the tower crane 60 ft up at duttons brewery blackburn
the up side was we could all go home at 12
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to pjtiler For This Useful Post:
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pjtiler
Guest
Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
Sir Ramic
Was it Hawkins Quarry tiles that were made as a pair? So when they arrived you had to split the apart with a big flat screwdriver...those were piggin sharp

The days when a mixer was either powered by diesel and used to mix sand and cement screed or a mixer was a piece of steel conduit used to mix CTF with .
The days when Hard hats were best used to carry nails across site.
The days when you had to go to the timber yard to get 20p bags of sawdust.
The days when all floors were level........cos you had to screed them.
The days when you piled into the back of a J4 Commer van and fought over a bucket to sit on for the journey home.
Yes happy days

conways had bedford vans with sliding doors if you had to brake hard they would take your arm off
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Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
pjtiler
tilers don't know there born these days
when i started i had to get up 2 hours before i went to bed work a 29 hour day on my knees being whipped by the Foreman every 10 minutes
i,d stagger back to the cardboard box which was home to the 25 of us have a lick of my dads razor strop for my tea then sleep on the cold cobbles with a crisp bag as a blanket for 5 minute before another day work
and i had to pay the boss 1/6 a week for the privilege
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee but we were appy
And you had it good.
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Re: The old ways
Did you boys ever use rope for spacing those fat old frost proof tiles for shop fronts and columns?
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pjtiler
Guest
Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
deanotile
Did you boys ever use rope for spacing those fat old frost proof tiles for shop fronts and columns?
shaws twin tiles ??
we used a semi dry mix and tapped them in
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Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
pjtiler
pancake Tuesday
the day all the apprentices were initiated (if they could find you )
i had my bolloxs blackened with plumbers black (its a kind of lead paint ) and hung upside down from the tower crane 60 ft up at duttons brewery blackburn
the up side was we could all go home at 12
This still goes on...........when applying for a business bank account when you first start up !!!!
Last edited by Taz8130; 06-08-2008 at 09:56 PM.
I called it love - the judge called it stalking !!!
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Re: The old ways
When I started work, To make a hole in a brickwall to fix somethink cannot remember what it was called, Had to hammer this "thing" turn it as you hammered to make a hole then wall plug. That was hard work, Next to no drills and certainly no cordless. That was back in 1971
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes"
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Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
whitebeam
When I started work, To make a hole in a brickwall to fix somethink cannot remember what it was called, Had to hammer this "thing" turn it as you hammered to make a hole then wall plug. That was hard work, Next to no drills and certainly no cordless. That was back in 1971
Plugging chisel by any chance.....?
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Re: The old ways
That is a Rawl Drill, still have one in my toolbox. It is never used for masonry drilling but has 1001 other uses.
No, not a plugging chisel. This thing has a point and 3 cutting edges (crap description)
Cannot find a picture of it, might have to get my camera out tomorrow.
Last edited by Spirit; 06-08-2008 at 10:10 PM.
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Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
whitebeam
When I started work, To make a hole in a brickwall to fix somethink cannot remember what it was called, Had to hammer this "thing" turn it as you hammered to make a hole then wall plug. That was hard work, Next to no drills and certainly no cordless. That was back in 1971
When I used to work with my Grand-Dad he used one as well, I think it was called a "Plugging Chisel"
I called it love - the judge called it stalking !!!
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The Following User Says Thank You to Taz8130 For This Useful Post:
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Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
Taz8130
When I used to work with my Grand-Dad he used one as well, I think it was called a "Plugging Chisel"
Thats it, Cheers
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes"
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Re: The old ways

Originally Posted by
Spirit
That is a Rawl Drill, still have one in my toolbox. It is never used for masonry drilling but has 1001 other uses.
No, not a plugging chisel. This thing has a point and 3 cutting edges (crap description)
Cannot find a picture of it, might have to get my camera out tomorrow.
that is a plugging chisel as well..lol lol lol....
Roughneck Plugging Chisel 10.5" - Screwfix.com, Where the Trade Buys
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Re: The old ways
Spirit got the description right, a point and three cutting edges, God that takes me back
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes"
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Re: The old ways
The plugging chisel predated the rawldrill.
The plugging chisel was used to make a larger hole that was plugged with a tapered piece of wood.
http://www.design-technology.info/re...f_rawlplug.pdf
The Rawldrill is pictured at the end of the article.
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