# Tile Talk: Mixing



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

angus242 said:


> I really like the idea of the stand. I'm tired of how the paddle length puts the right-angle handle on the drill at crotch height. :blink:


Yeah:laughing:

I didn't grab the stand. I did set it up and play with it. It is pretty big, you could probably mix up stuff in a 55 gallon drum.:laughing:

It was easy to set up, fairly light and you could carry the stand in one trip.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

ApgarNJ said:


> warner, can you still buy the festool mixer in the US? 110v? or did you buy yours in europe?


It was never available here.

I didn't technically buy it either.

They have so many different tools that they don't know which one's would be worth going through the effort of bringing them here.


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

Lmao


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

ApgarNJ said:


> Lmao



At the bag tag's?:laughing:

Or my, technically:whistling:laughing:


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> I think they make a 110v version of it for some country's.
> 
> They have to have 110 and 220 stuff in the UK for the different type of job sites. I am not sure why, I just know that they do.


All construction sites in the UK can't run anymore than 110v. It's ok to use normal 230v in customers homes for old work but not many construction workers have 230v tools. Used to piss me off because we used to have to carry around transformers when not working on new construction sites and they weight a ton.


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> At the bag tag's?:laughing:
> 
> Or my, technically:whistling:laughing:


LMAO at angus getting nut smacked.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Angus what you doing using it at head height:thumbsup:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Some jack-wagon thought it would be funny to make anyone 5'11" with a 34" inseam pay the price for not holding on.

I was whacked Wed and Thurs. Wed was because I wasn't paying attention. Thurs was because I was showing someone what I had done on Wed and actually did it again :blush:


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

angus242 said:


> Some jack-wagon thought it would be funny to make anyone 5'11" with a 34" inseam pay the price for not holding on.
> 
> I was whacked Wed and Thurs. Wed was because I wasn't paying attention. Thurs was because I was showing someone what I had done on Wed and actually did it again :blush:


haha. how much are you mixing? how is it kicking around on you and hitting you. i never get that when mixing, maybe i'm doing smaller batches? I never do a full bag all at once.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Depends on what's getting installed. When installing Ditra, I'll mix a lot at once. It takes almost twice as long to mix a new batch as it does to use it. When installing tile, I'll mix a bit less depending on the pattern and size. 

As for the kickback, it really has to do with the torque of the mixer being used. Last week was a pretty high powered Milwaukee drill. Just hit the trigger a bit too much and it kicks more than you're ready for.


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

do you just go by look and feel of the mix or do you measure out how much water and how much thinset/grout etc . i usually just throw in some water first, add the mix, then if i need to, add more water. that way the powder isn't sticking to the bottom if there is no water in the bucket.
never had one kick back and I use a milwaukee drill all the time.

the TEC sturdy-set non modified worked great with the kerdi. used Sturdy flex for the floor over hardie. it'll be fine for a beach house.

TEC is big in NJ, it's either laticrete from lowes or TEC just about everywhere else. it's a good quality, not cheap at all thinset.

I found a place right on the road going to the beach house that sells schluter products, but they don't stock everything


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## tile9 (Aug 23, 2010)

Have yet to get ball whacked, but once I was almost ball ripped. :thumbdown

Was using a hole hog on a full 50lb bag of thinset for a large floor (3 of us on the install). I got a little too close as I needed to really hang on to control all that torque needed for the full bag. I was wearing a pair of rather baggy shorts and a bit snagged right where the chuck was tightened onto the paddle mixer. I let go of the trigger but that damned thing spun my shorts about 8 times around before it finally stop, snug up on 'big jim and the twins'. Had to reverse it to break free. Worked the rest of the day with ripped shorts and a new lease on life. Didn't mix any more up the rest of the day.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

I use one of these:









Picked it up on the clearance table one day for $50. Figured if it lasted a few months it was worth it....that was three years ago. Go figure. Works great btw.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

ApgarNJ said:


> do you just go by look and feel of the mix or do you measure out how much water and how much thinset/grout etc


I don't need no stinkin water for my grout :laughing:









For thinset, it's totally by feel. But after you mix a hundred bags in a year, you get pretty good at "feel". Thing is I need different consistencies for different products. Trying to have a specific amount of water would be almost impossible unless I was measuring the amount of thinset used. just pouring out of the bag is no way to be exact. :laughing:

Feel is also why I tend to stick with a particular manufacturer of thinset. I've found that using say Laticrete over Mapei makes it a bit harder to get my consistencies perfect. It has nothing to do with Laticrete or any other brand, it just has to do with the amounts I'm used to. 

If it were readily available, I would most likely use Ditraset most often...at least as non-modified. It has the most amount of guaranteed portland in it. Mapei Kerabond or Laticrete 272 have a range of percentage. I know I'm splitting hairs but I think all the little details can add up eventually. 

I suppose it's the attention to _all _the details that gets you a great install over just a good one.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

PrecisionFloors said:


> I use one of these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Is that the Rubi mixer?


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

tile9 said:


> I let go of the trigger but that damned thing spun my shorts about 8 times around before it finally stop, snug up on 'big jim and the twins'. Had to reverse it to break free.


:w00t: OK you got me beat!


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Totally by feel for me as well. Same reason I use the same manufacturers over and over as well. You also want different consistencies for different times and uses (at least I do). I had one helper who was dead on - I could say "a little runny" or "a little stiff" and he'd give me what i wanted every time. Hell he was better at mixing it right the first than I was. Too damned bad that's all he was good at :laughing:


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

angus242 said:


> Is that the Rubi mixer?


Nope. Chinese knock off sold at Harbor Freight :whistling Shhhh don't tell no body :shifty:


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

tile9 said:


> Have yet to get ball whacked, but once I was almost ball ripped. :thumbdown
> 
> Was using a hole hog on a full 50lb bag of thinset for a large floor (3 of us on the install). I got a little too close as I needed to really hang on to control all that torque needed for the full bag. I was wearing a pair of rather baggy shorts and a bit snagged right where the chuck was tightened onto the paddle mixer. I let go of the trigger but that damned thing spun my shorts about 8 times around before it finally stop, snug up on 'big jim and the twins'. Had to reverse it to break free. Worked the rest of the day with ripped shorts and a new lease on life. Didn't mix any more up the rest of the day.


I woulda promptly fired that s.o.b. in the trash :laughing:


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## tile9 (Aug 23, 2010)

PrecisionFloors said:


> I woulda promptly fired that s.o.b. in the trash :laughing:


No need to trash a $300 hole hog just cause it got a little touchy feely with me. The shorts, however, finished out the day and only too meet the bottom of my fire pit.

But back on topic, I keep a bucket of water at my mixing station to spin my paddle in at full speed to knock off the thinset so I dont get a club instead of a paddle. 

Does anyone ever hand mix their grout anymore? besides for that small patch job where you missed a grout line behind the commode?


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