My New Toy
My new toy...
no, it's not a Wii... (people tell me I should want one, but I don't think so)
no, it's not a new iPod... (I'm very happy with my "ancient" gum stick iPod)
no, it's not an iPad... (though THAT is on my Big Wish List - the one that I'll get if I win the Lottery)
no, it's not a Dobsonian telescope (also on my Lottery Wish List)
no, it's not a new dog kennel, agility equipment, ducks or goats
no, it's not clothing or shoes... (ewwwww, anyway - except for sweatshirts and hiking boots!)
What is it, you ask?
I'm sure it's on every woman's wish list...
I'm the proud owner of a new (used) tile saw!
Tile saw.
A saw you cut bathroom tile with?
Yeah.
One of those.
I'm thrilled.
Not only can I supposedly now tile my bathroom, I can also cut my fossils into manageable pieces... their sandstone matrix is softer than tile... and I can also cut deer antlers into buttons or handles.
Cool.
This afternoon I was set up and ready to go. There was a stiff breeze though, and I had to weight my table down with 4 gallons of paint!
I played with my fossils first and I had a great time!
Remember my idea for my fossils?
Time to trim them down!
A few seconds later...
The fossil is now the center of attention, you don't have to search for it!
I had much success with this and was very gung-ho about the whole process.
Unfortunately, I then moved on to tiling my bathroom.
Oh, my.
Failure.
No.
FAILURE.
I think my thin set was too thin. The tiles kept sliding even though I had them taped in place and the suction was GOOD! I had placed seven and had to take them down. Then I had to scrape the wall. Scrape the tiles. Wash the tiles. Decide what to do with my thin set because by then it was starting to dry. I had mixed too much with too much water. It was TOTAL FAILURE. I couldn't bear to waste the mix, so I hauled it out to my Studio and applied it to the rough shelf on the top of the nestboxes... It may prevent me from getting a few splinters in the future. Or it may need to be scraped off and discarded, but I feel I at least tried to use it productively! Then I spent what felt like a loooong time cleaning up the trowels and buckets and my new saw.
<BIG HUMONGOUS GIGANTIC SIGH>
I shall have to try again.
Unless...
Unless...
There's a volunteer out there somewhere!
I'll cut the tile with my new toy... you stick 'em to the wall!
*********************************************************************************
September 9, 2009 Wordless Wednesday - Mother Nature's Encore
September 9, 2008 Oh, Daddy
(links are NOT working... I hope to fix this soon...)
Way cool, Carol! What kind of fossil is in the pictures? I'm sorry your thin set didn't work for you. I hate having to backtrack on projects. It just takes the wind out of your sails.
Reply to this
Kris, they are either knightia or diplomystus. Hard to tell since they aren't cleaned up!
Reply to this
That is way to cool. My husband has tiled. I will search his brain and be right there. Oh how I wish. It will all work out. Sometimes we fail so we can learn what doesn't work. Then once we master it we know what short cuts not to take.
Reply to this
Very interesting! I can see how you'd have fun with this! Cool fossil.
Reply to this
Love your blog! I have tiled multiple surfaces in my house and have found pre-mixed thinset is soooo much easier to work with. Also on shower, or other walls, if you are using spacers they will help keep the tiles in place when you start from the bottom row. Hope this helps, good luck!
Reply to this
Way cool, fossil!! you go girl!
Reply to this