Deltex

[Rob Z]

Tom at Tool-home.com convinced me  ;D that I couldn't live without the Deltex, so we recently bought one and just put it to work today.  

This probably wasn't what Festool had in mind for this tool....we are installing travertine in a bathroom, and have a lot of cuts around obstructions, inside corners, etc.  This travertine is very soft and fragile (heavily laden with veins) and breaks when using standard tools for cutting and shaping stone.  So we ended up cutting a lot of pieces close with the tile saw, then using the diamond bit on the Roto Zip, and then using the Deltex to bring the cut to  perfection and chamfering the cut edges to match the factory edge.

With what this stone cost per piece, and the number of pieces we were able to cut without breaking them...I feel like the tool is going to pay for itself on the first job.

Very smooth, low vibration, easy to handle and get into corners.

 

[Les]

Rob,

What type paper are you using?

 

[Rob Z]

Hi Les,

Let me check tomorrow and get back to you...Tom sent an assortment of paper, and Eddy (my employee and caretaker of the tools  ;D ) loaded the paper and I started using it without looking.

 

[GreenGA]

I too am interested in the paper...

We're getting ready to install onyx in a master bath on both the floor and walls of the shower.  We also like to get that "perfect fit" every time.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Buy a good wet saw.  Works every time.

 

[Rob Z]

Les, GreenGA....we used Brilliant on the Deltex to work the edges of the travertine.

 

[Rob Z]

Buy a good wet saw.  Works every time.

Uhhhh...actually, no they don't. : 

 

[score0matic]

Rob,

The last few times I have run into Punky Trav    Ive taken fiber mat (the stuff you use with trowellelable membranes) and epoxy resin (from my slab supplier) and fortified the bottoms of 3 or 4 tiles, then used them when I needed complex cuts. 

Craig  (who has Jury duty)

 

[Rob Z]

Hi Craig,

That's a good idea.  Here is what I have run into lately (last 2-3 years) with the stone with the reinforced mesh/epoxy undersides:  setting  materials don't seem to bond well to the epoxy, even the high stickum  stuff from Laticrete or Mapei. I don't know if something has changed in the composition of the epoxies that they use at the fab shops?  We often end up grinding all that stuff off so the mortar will stick, but that they defeats the purpose of the epoxy/mesh ;D .

On this current job, the trav is crap, and I had prepped the mud bed with Ditra and planned on using Lat 220 medium bed.  The customer only had two extra tiles and when the first one shattered on the saw :-[ I knew it was going to be a high pucker factor installation.

 

[GreenGA]

We already have an excellent MK101 wet saw.  It's those cuts that cannot be completed with a wet saw that I'm thinking about.

Buy a good wet saw.  Works every time.

 

[score0matic]

I have been using Tec 3n1 for high pucker sets.  Otherwise I use Custom's Custom Blend Dryset (I love the 3+hr pot life, lets me go to lunch ) with varying amounts of admix to fit the situation.  there have been a couple times i have had to fire up the Hilti  to the back of a tile.  Shot of the Hilti and its yellow neighbor in their Sys 2 home

 

[Rob Z]

Hey Craig,

We were using Lat 317/333 today...suction like Lewinski and no problems with the stone.

The Deltex update for the day:  we had to rip miters on some tile to wrap around an outside corner of the shower bench.  The glaze is very soft and even with a good blade and saw, there was more chipping than I would like on the edge of the cut.  The Deltex on a slow speed and with fine paper on it smoothed out the chips in the glaze and the results were excellent.

 

[bigbadpig]

Les, GreenGA....we used Brilliant on the Deltex to work the edges of the travertine.

I'm working on a travertine install now, perhaps my travertine is harder than what you are working with... but I found that Brilliant just doesn't abrade travertine very well (though it does a decent job of polishing). 

I'm also using a different application.  I am using my Rotex 150 to remove any signs of lippage between my tiles.  So it requires removing material off top surface of the tiles instead of the sides, and probably requires more aggressive paper.

I tried Rubin and it seemed to wear out quickly.  I finally tried the 50 to 80 grit of Saphir which is designed for metal and stone... and that works wonderfully.  you still have to go down to Brilliant to smooth out the scratches but Saphir really does the major work.