dotting and dabbing will cost you money - TilersForums.com

[White Room]

Are you going to tell us:smilewinkgrin:

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

OK. Whitebeam, Its not that funny really, years ago I ran a team of tilers, specialising in power vibration fixing, as foreman it was part of my job to set the screed levels,( semi-dry) . We were doing Aldi, Liddel and Netto stores. Up and down the country,did work in Europe, and had 4 trips to USA, we had a good reputation. One day on a Aldi store I was setting levels for screed, using dumpy + 2 lasers. The tiler who was holding the staff,a good fixer, can't mention names, had a strop I asked him to lower the dot, ( level) by 5mm , he lowered it to much, so I said up 2mm he raised it but on the dumpy it was still slightly low.So I said up half a mill. He threw the staff to the floor, and stormed off the job. When I asked his mate what was wrong? he said half a mill was nothing. This was a german spec, and 0 tolerance. The clerk of works was an old bricky, (a stickler) he kindly granted us a tolerance of +/- 1mm over a 3m box streight edge. So my idea was give them nothing to find fault with. We had a good run on those stores. About 10 yrs, good money,hard graft. A few years later a freind of mine who has been living and working as a tiler in Oz . Came home to the uk. I got him fixed up with a contracs manager who is a freind of mine. He started on a job where some of my old team were working. On the first dinner break, he happend to mention he used to work for Phil Hobson. To which the whole of the team, almost in unison replied, ( oh yeah Half a mill Phil). I am proud of that title. Sorry for going on. I told you it was'nt very funny.

 

[curlycan]

Phil were you by chance in engineering at some time, I was in engineering from leaving school 1986-2002. My wife always moans that everything I do diy wise needs to be to the nearest mm even if it doesn't matter. I'm trying to do this as much as I can in my Tiling being as accurate as the materials will allow and hope this will put me in good stead for the future.

 

[doug boardley]

better than "doug the slug":lol:

 

[curlycan]

ok just read reply and realise u not in engineering. I agree about not giving people things to find fault then you can't be blamed for things going boobs up.

 

[White Room]

If going to do it, do it right the first time:lol::lol:

Thanks for that Phil

 

[DHTiling]

better than "doug the slug":lol:

OK...i am gunna ask...Why.?

 

[doug boardley]

lol, not been called it for years, but it was (I hope!) cos I used to take my time and try and get it right all the time:lol:

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

In reply to curlycan, I am time served tiler, man and boy, as they say. I once did a job for a guy who told me he was as precision engineer. He proudly told me that he worked to 1 1000th of an inch,(in old money), I told him, Very impressive, but I work till its right.

 

[curlycan]

In reply to curlycan, I am time served tiler, man and boy, as they say. I once did a job for a guy who told me he was as precision engineer. He proudly told me that he worked to 1 1000th of an inch,(in old money), I told him, Very impressive, but I work till its right.

I do have to say even though i've not been in engineering for over 7 years now old habits when measuring die hard and when boxes of tiles sometimes aren't all the same size this frustrates me:mad2: so I take a deep breath count to ten and soldier on untill it's right and looks good.