[ATM] Tile tool part 2

[<dhkblaszyk@zeelandnet.nl>]

Hi guys,

Well, the tool I have initially started to make finally did drive me mad! I very carefully did cast a cement tool, but applying the tiles was not a happy experience. First of all I couldn't get 1' ceramic tiles glued to a mat from the DIY. So I bought 10' tiles and cut them myself. This gave me more or less square tiles (not happy about the looks of that at all). I then applied a liberal amount of polyester resin to the tool and tiles and put them on. To this day it has not dried yet!! The instructions state that it should be dry after 20min. I guess the ambient temperature is a factor in this. It's around freezing point here in the nights and I store it outside in a shed because of the bad smell. Apart from this, I'm not confident that the tiles will stick till the end of the grinding.
All in all, I decided to leave this tool for what it is and try the method proposed to me by Richard Swartz. What a treat. I bought glass mozaic tiles put on a mat and 20pounds of plaster normally used to prep walls. I more or less followed the instructions and within a few hours I had a tool that not only looks proffesional, but I'm confident that no tiles will loosen during operation. The only uncertainty is the amount of wear of the tiles, but time will tell.
Tomorrow I will apply a layer of laquer used for wooden floors to prevent something coming off the tool when doing fine grinding and having to go back to coarser grit. The plaster has some sand in it unfourtunately.

I must say, I don't believe there is a quicker and better way of making tools than using the plaster method. I'm so damn proud of the result!!

Thanks a lot for this tip!

Kind regards, Darius Blaszijk

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