Black sheep - RAS 115

[AlexThePalex]

I'm quite impressed with my RAS115 for general hogging away wood to fine scribing work.  Best way to scribe ANY trim.  But loose the Festool Fastfix pad (defined as velcro that don't last!) and get the hard backup pad that allows you to use generic fiber grit discs.

No worries about burning up your velcro pad.

JT

The RAS has never been intended for scribing, originally it is meant for removing paint. That's what the standard velcro FastFix pad is for. Scribing is an American thing, it's not so much done in Europe. When you are going to remove wood instead of paint, then of course you gonna break the velcro pad. Wood is a much harder material. 

 

[ericbuggeln]

Alex, what do you do, if you dont scribe? Eric

 

[AlexThePalex]

We make sure we don't have to scribe to start with in the beginning. Walls are plastered level. Whenever small gaps exist, we don't scribe but we use caulk to fill them up. Or don't fill them up at all. On this board, I have seen Americans who scribe a piece of wood to every brick in a wall. We would never do that over here. In most cases we plaster the walls completely, having the bricks exposed inside is quite rare here.      

Crown moulding is also a rarity here so there's no reason to scribe that either.    

 

[Deansocial]

We make sure we don't have to scribe to start with in the beginning. Walls are plastered level. Whenever small gaps exist, we don't scribe but we use caulk to fill them up. Or don't fill them up at all. On this board, I have seen Americans who scribe a piece of wood to every brick in a wall. We would never do that over here. In most cases we plaster the walls completely, having the bricks exposed inside is quite rare here.      

Crown moulding is also a rarity here so there's no reason to scribe that either.    

If joinery/carpentry needs caulking here in the uk it's considered bad poor work.

   Funny this has come up because just yesterday on this job I had to fill a large gap from previous joiners.

The client is doing all the caulking and painting she kept saying why don't you get it all over your hands when you caulk up. So I decided to show her how I do it around this fire place which like I said previous joiners fitted.  I laughed when I saw the gap massive was a joke! Any anyway!

I have been working on the job for few months now but when I first started  I did couple weeks work.  The client came up to me saying why does your work not require any caulking like the work the other 3 joiners do.   I just smiled.

Well them 3 joiners do not work there any more.    Which put me in a bit of problem as I had work which was enough work for 3 joiners.   

She has found 2 more joiners and asked for my permision if they can do certain jobs to take the work load of me abit help me out.  I said its fine we will see if their work needs caulking to see if they can stay lol

Jmb

I disagree. Chaulking huge gaps is poor but chauking on paint grade stuff prevents hairline cracks between 2 differant materials like wood and plaster and some times it is unavoidable unless the plasterer comes back and sorts his shit out

 

[Laminator]

Caulk rule the roost in cheap apartment/ rental property around my area.  I've heard it called " Half inch molding" on more than one occasion.  Scribing is a word missing from their vocabulary but they are mainly pushing for speed and low price.  My RAS is my black sheep in shining armor for so many task, but I guess time is money and caulk is cheap! LOL.

Making a wall straight is something I believe passed away in a previous generation so scribing is a very common task for me.

 

[RONWEN]

Damn, damn, damn and double dog damn !!!

Walked into my dealer this morning to talk about compressors and walked out with a RAS 115 and boxes of P36 and P50 Saphir.

Of all the sanders I went for next, I thought fate would put the LS130 in my hands, but when you really look at the RAS115 you see it's virtues.

Nope - still no further down the track on a new compressor ...

Slopes don't have rest stops

Those are called moguls -- the speed down the (slippery) slope is increased because of the air borne free falls...  [scared]

 

[flair woodworks]

I would never caulk large gaps between wood.  However, I think it's a grand idea to fill large areas between caulk with wood.

 

[Deansocial]

You know full well what I meant.   Even tight joints should be "caulked"  for the very reason you said but that's not what I was on about any way if you want to b picky you shouldnt use caulk as its crap!  Should use something like fix all never use caulk.

I edited above post Deano

Jmb

So why is caulk crap

 

[paul_david_thomas]

caulk is right grand I think.

I'm just finishing off refurbishing a 1900's terrace house. We've left on all the old skirts & architraves, some places new plasterboard where lathe and plaster has fallen off.

You HAVE to caulk the gaps, because, well, that's just the way you do it !! I'm going to end up using 12-18 tubs of the stuff !! It's quite a big place. The larger gaps, shove a bit of paper behind them, so you don't fill the thing with your expensive (smirk) caulk. Let it go off for a day, then it will shrink into the gap, then come and put a little 'top-up' onto it.

 

[jmbfestool]

You know full well what I meant.   Even tight joints should be "caulked"  for the very reason you said but that's not what I was on about any way if you want to b picky you shouldnt use caulk as its crap!  Should use something like fix all never use caulk.

I edited above post Deano

Jmb

So why is caulk crap

Deleted my message cus going way off topic and Ill get a telling off.     Just going to say if you think Caulk is good then you carry on using it but I think its crap and wont touch the stuff as it doesn't stay flexible and it shrinks.     Fix all, all the way it stays flexible and increases your fixing strength it actually holds so well it can hold skirting back so it wont cup round at the top  caulk cant do that and will just crack requiring you to re caulk it again.  

JMB

Oh I know it costs alot more than caulk but its alot better so!  I gotta get another 12 tubes 2 moro for a client whos decided to use it for ''caulking'' up

 

[Deansocial]

Spoke to a decorator that i work for and he said if the caulk cracks then the item isnt fixed correctly and using fixall is pointless as the paint will still crack anyway. He also said buy decent caulk like paintersmate or fathog as the other shrink too much and it its more than 5mm then something better than caulk should be used like easyfilling the wall out to suit.

 

[jmbfestool]

Spoke to a decorator that i work for and he said if the caulk cracks then the item isnt fixed correctly and using fixall is pointless as the paint will still crack anyway. He also said buy decent caulk like paintersmate or fathog as the other shrink too much and it its more than 5mm then something better than caulk should be used like easyfilling the wall out to suit.

Dean your a joiner... Come on dude!      You know full well skirting can often cup at the top especially with skirting with moulds which get thinner near the top edge.  What you saying? I should screw the 4mm thick wood to the wall along the entire top edge of the skirting to stop this?     I do ALOT more than most joiners do to fix stuff like skirting!  You know that!   I asked you on my job to use PU construction on architrave mitres and fix all down the sides. Now you tell me how many joiners do that! All joiners use PVA which is useless in my opinion.   I always tell clients NOT to paint the wall before skirting goes on so the glue holds better.

Like I said before  fix all acts like another fixing even decent caulk does not bond like fix all does so  doing a bead of fixall is the only and best way to try and hold the top of the skirting from cupping which is the cause of the crack appearing.

Jmb

 

[Deansocial]

Oh dear ive upset him now [tongue]

Proper machined skirting cups towards the wall not away. But as normal careless machined products ae the norm. Or dual moulding skirting which i never really understood myself.

 

[meatman]

A couple of saw kerfs on the back of a skirting will stop any cupping
Meatman

 

[jmbfestool]

A couple of saw kerfs on the back of a skirting will stop any cupping
Meatman

I wish that was true