Death of a Tool

Rarely have I had tool failures, but this week has been an exception. Monday night I had a Dremel rotary tool die an ignoble death. Monday afternoon I went by Lowe’s to pick up some cut off wheels and saw the new quick change kits and picked one up for a little more than $20.  Monday night I chucked in my new cut off wheel system and started cutting an aluminum rail from a storm door. The tool didn’t like it one bit, as it began to bog down, I would back off the pressure.  The tool kept catching in the previously cut space and after about three times there was a puff of smoke and the Dirge played for the tool.  Tuesday I went back to Lowe’s and picked up some new motor brushes from Lowe’s for  around $3.

Last night was my big night for laying tile. I was in the portion of the sun room where most of the tiles installed would be field tiles(tiles that don’t require cutting before installation).  I was using Mapei Ultraflex2 and was mixing a 50 pound bag and my Metabo/Porsche Design Drill smoked on me also.  Bad news, Lowe’s does not carry brushes for these and very few of this model are found in the States. I should have opted for one of my larger Milwaukee High Torque Drills.   Live and learn, but why are some lessons so expensive?

Tonight I will mix my thinset  Mapei with a Cretesheet and I guess I will go back to a hacksaw for cutting the aluminum rail.  I really did like the new cut off system Dremel came out with. The wheels last longer and when you do need to change, there is no need to scramble around to find your Dremel screw driver/wrench combo.

I am off to Lowe’s for more Hardiebacker Underlayment board, two more boxes of tile and a bag of grout mix.  This install has to be finished before Saturday as mom’s 80th birthday party is being held at her house Saturday afternoon. Amazingly, six months after our bathroom contractor started, the bathroom is still not finished. The square footage of that project was 42 feet in the bath and add new cabinets in the powder room. The Sun Room is 230 square feet, I started four days ago and it will be finished in two more days. I am one person and I do this after work. Cost to date for the bathroom, 35,000. Cost to date for the Sun Room, $1100. If you need a motivator to learn how to do these projects, there it is.

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