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GrandMaster tools has now invented the World's best diamond abrasive designs for use with his excellent surface preparation tool range
High Quality $3000
Frequently Asked Questions
This page contains answers to common trade discussions had by me with other building workers, along with some tips and tricks of the trade that you might find useful, and are presented here as questions.
Dear Grandmaster
Concrete Grinding and Surface Preparation
1) What is the best diamond cup wheel for the grinding of walls and ceilings?
The cyclone turbo [continuous rim] pattern is recommended and widely used by form workers etc, as it provides for smooth easy tool movement over concrete surfaces. Floor trades however tend to use more aggressive patterns such as the turbo pattern or double row pattern cup wheel is as it contains larger diamond segments and is better for removing glues and compounds.
[Handy Hint] I consider the GrandMaster 4 inch Pro double row pattern is ideal for wall and corner edge grinding and compound removal as it is aggressive, smooth riding and lasts a long time, as wear is often greatest on the outside area of the cup wheel.
2) What is the best cup wheel pattern for the removal of glues and water proof compound?
The GrandMaster RCD Product range is recommended or alternatively the Grandmaster Pro YT-TW05, 230mm 12 segment turbo pattern also provides aggressive compound removal and smooth grinding action at an affordable price.
[Handy Hint] Remove most of the weights off the GrandMaster floor grinder and operate at high speed
3) What is the best method of removing staples and nails from concrete ceilings?
I recommend the use of the GrandMaster ceiling grinder with an attached variable speed Metabo grinder, and 125mm cyclone turbo cup wheel, with the GrandMaster square nose dust shroud this ensures a dustless grind and makes sure that nails or staples will not protrude from the textured ceiling
[Handy Hint] treat the cut nails and staples with an epoxy resin.
4) What can I do to reduce eye injury when grinding concrete ceilings?
Painful eye injuries are a very common problem when grinding ceilings as sand, girt and hot pieces of wire travel at great speed and very abrasive to the eyes. To reduce the likely hood of eye injury use a GrandMaster ceiling grinder, safety glasses and a brimmed cap or hat.
[Handy Hint] To reduce fogging of glasses and assist good vision , use clean, unscratched safety glasses and bridge the rim of your safety glasses slightly on your nose.
5) What is the most suitable small vacuum for concrete grinding and drywall sanding when using the Norton Grandmaster product range?
I recommend and use the Nilfisk and I G Farben self cleaning [pulse filter] vacuum cleaners, as the best small dust extraction unit for all your sanding, grinding, cutting and cleaning needs. Sold under the Alto, Starmix, Hilti, Metabo, Bosch, and Eibenstock banner these are generally bag less vacuum cleaners, [no expensive bags to purchase] and represent the most advanced automated industrial vacuum cleaners in the market place.
[Handy Hint] To extend the life of your expensive vacuum cleaner use a dust separator for heavy dust extraction tasks.
Concrete Ceiling Preparation and Setting.
6) What Brand of Drywall Plastering Boxes are most suitable when used in conjunction with the Grand Master dust extraction box handle for the setting of concrete ceilings?
All known brands can be fitted, however the I prefer a "fat boy" box design as it reduces the frequency of reloading and allows for greater productivity.
[Handy Hint] The Muirhead GrandMaster compound pump also enables you to also use faring coat, high build and other quick setting mortars
[Handy Hint] To reduce cleaning time spray all tools with vegetable oil and quite literally pack the kitchen sink complete with high pressure hose and good quality trigger gun as this will dramatically reduce cleaning time.
7) When setting concrete ceilings with a flatbox do I need to install a rubber blade?
No, the stainless steel blades are fine and providing the ceilings are well grinded with a Grand Master ceiling grinder, you will have long blade life. Additionally these blades are relatively cheap and fit the flatbox
[Handy Hint] Ceiling setting is best preformed by a two man operation as the porous nature of concrete dries the very plaster quickly, therefore you will need somebody preferably skilled in the art of drywall plastering to feather the edges behind each joint set, this is done with a 10 inch plastering blade and Grandmaster pole mounting apparatus.
8) When setting concrete ceilings with a flatbox what size flatbox is used?
Begin the first coat with a 8 inch box, once dried then the second coat 10 inch and 3rd coat with a 10 or 12 inch box.
Handy Hint] Bridge the undulations of the uneven concrete ceiling with the first 2 filler coats and, scrape the protruding materials off between coats with a secondary pole attachment i.e. [grandmaster pole mounting apparatus attached to a scraper].
9) What compounds can be set with a drywall plastering box?
I successfully use a plasterers flat box to set concrete ceilings and walls with the following compounds, cornice cement, smooth patch, paint texture, faring mortar and high build mortar .
[Handy Hint] Premix cement additives in water and add to the patch compound for lump free mixture.
[Handy Hint] When applying the 'filler coat's add pre soaked [overnight] vermiculite to the plaster mix and remove coarse mesh from plaster pump.
10) What are the advantages of setting a concrete ceiling with a drywall flatbox?
With a two man team, it is possible to joint set [for a heavy stipple finish] and complete up to 400 square metres a day this is many times faster than even the best hand setter [$10 x 400 = $4000].
[Handy Hint] White setting can also be preformed by using a 3 coat, cross hatch patching method. This will require sanding with a Grandmaster Aussie Kaiser sander using 40# -80# grit sand paper, attached to a vacuum and paint pole.
11) What is the best method of preparing large concrete balcony ceilings for a very fine texture or painted finish?
Due to the fact that I have seen many painting contractors lose $1000's of dollars on high rise jobs trying to perform this difficult task I have compiled the following detailed instructions. For a very fine texture or painted ceiling finish it is vitally important that the surface of a concrete ceiling is as made flat as a sheet of drywall [otherwise surface imperfections will show up in changing light conditions]. Due to the fact this task using conventional methods is very labour intensive and very hard to achieve, it is recommended that you use a render material that contains sand [soft patch compounds are generally unsuitable] and involves the following steps :
Step 1, grind the entire concrete ceiling to a very high standard with a GrandMaster ceiling grinder:
Step 2, paint or spray the surface of the ceiling with a bonding agent:
Step 3, set the formwork joints with Dulux Acra patch 500 and a flatbox :
Step 4, flatbox set the ceiling with a fine paint render and smooth with a wide render blade attached to grandmaster pole mounting apparatus:
Step 5, use a plastic float to achieve a smooth, flat finish.
[Handy hint] The application coaters of the Apla-Tech Pneumatic tool system can also be used in conjunction with a PFT Ritmo rendering machine for the setting of a concrete ceiling with a fine paint render. This will also require spreading with wide render blade attached to grandmaster pole mounting apparatus:
[Handy hint] A Render Toweling machine attached to the Grandmaster bracket sanding bracket system is the most productive method of floating the smooth finish on the ceiling. With this method a 2 man team can complete approx 200 square metres a day 200m x $30 = $6000.
Drywall Plastering, fixing and sanding
12 What is the best method of maintaining plaster flat boxes ?
The Plasterers flat box is a very widely used and productive accessory, found in most drywall plasterers tool kits. Due to the fact that their is little to no printed information to be found in regards to the correct adjustment and maintenance of a flat box, I have compiled the following list so that you can rejuvenate your ageing equipment to set long straight lines and have perfectly feathered edges.
The GrandMaster's flat'box maintenance tips
Always store your boxes without the setting gauges on [Over time the brass blade holder has a tendency to lose its slightly concave shape].
Before use, always spray boxes with lubricant such as CRC, RP7 or vegetable oil this makes boxes easier and faster to wash and ensures plaster does not accumulate in those hard to reach areas.
Settings on your boxes is between 2 - 3 the other settings are more suitable for a skim.
New blades require to be bent a little, so they don't fall out of the brass blade holder.
When inserting a new blade make sure end screws on the brass blade holder are all the way out, so as when you apply the box onto the drywall surface the blade sits above the stainless steel holders which are held by the brass blade holder.
As new blade wears out, keep adjusting end screws to achieve a perfect feathered joint finish.
[Handy hint] The GrandMaster dust extraction handle can be attached to most popular brands of flat boxes for setting tasks.
Trouble Shooting Tips:
Regularly clean compounds from under blade.
Adjust screws every few jobs.
Replace blades regularly.
Make sure brass holder in its 2-3 settings moves freely.
Spray boxes with lubricant frequently.
Sometimes the brass blade holder will need to be removed and reshaped into its original shape.
If your flat box loses a lot of compound from the back flap, it is generally because of wear and tear of the 2 bushes that hold the back flap onto the axel. To solve this problem, simply remove screws on back flap and replace bushes on axel [No more leaks].
Check wheels every few years.
Compounds should not be to sloppy and should not pour out of the openings.
[Handy hint] The GrandMaster paint pole adaptor can also be attached to sanding poles and be used for plaster feathering tasks.
13) What drywall fixing screw gun do you do you recommend for the fixing of plasterboard and fibro cement sheet?
I recommend the GrandMaster Impact collator screw gun kit, which uses the highly popular Hitachi impact screw gun and Makita collating gun head as is much cheaper that purchasing a Makita collating screw gun and requires less physical exertion to fix drywall and fibro cement sheet into wooden and metal studs. Due to the fact that this tool employs a powerful rattling counter sink feature it is superior to all known purpose built drywall fixing guns.
Handy Hint] This tool can also be used for fixing metal cladding and floor deck fixing tasks.
14) What is the fastest method of applying drywall plaster to walls and ceilings?
Without doubt the Apla-Tech Pneumatic is the most efficient tool system I have seen in operation as a large volume of plaster can be extruded onto walls and ceilings very quickly. For further information contact www.apla-tech.com
[Handy hint] The application coaters of the Apla-Tech Pneumatic tool system can also be adapted for use and used in conjunction with a PFT Ritmo rendering machine for applying render. This is of great benefit as it greatly reduces the cleaning and preparation time required to protect windows, floors and building fixtures from pump nozzle splatter.
15) What drywall sanding system do you recommend?
During my previous career as one of Australia's largest drywall sanding contractors, I developed the Aussie Kaiser bracket sanding system which uses the Festool ES 150 sander for preferred use over the giraffe / Porta cable sanding machines for purely commercial reasons. Being that it was of a similar capability but was a "much more versatile, cheaper and more reliable tool system to operate". For example when the giraffe sander is in the "hand's of employees" the overall costs of operating and maintaining this "high maintenance sander" can be as high as $40 dollars a day [i.e. $8000 x 4 per year].
[Handy Hint] I recommend an eclectic mix of the most suitable tools, for your business.
16) When drywall sanding, what sander speed is recommended?
To avoid the risk of over sanding the soft plaster compounds, I recommend a speed control setting of between 2.5 to 3.5 .
[Handy Hint] To avoid gouging, start off by placing sander directly onto plasterboard beside the joint, then move on to plaster joint.
[Handy Hint] To ensure you get the maximum life out of your sander, regularly use dry high pressure air to blow sander and wheel bearings out (preferably while the machine is running)
17) My interface pads keep flying off my sander, how do I keep them on?
Super glue. A few drops on the base pad .
[Handy hint] To remove glue build up on sander base pad and improve adhesion of new interface pad. Wipe base pad lightly with paint thinners {to prevent damage to base pad} and scrub vigorously with wire brush.
18) Because the head of an eccentric sander is smaller than a porta cable or giraffe drywall sander, does this mean that it has less working performance?
No, because a smaller eccentric hand sander is much lighter to use and can be worked more comfortably for much longer. Additionally it is able to sand work in confined areas, this means that there is a lot less hand detailing to do.
[Handy Hint] To extend the life of the interface pad and abrasive sheets, take care and avoid running your sander head into nails and timber doorway fixtures etc.
Rendering and Patching
19) What is the best method of repairing deep holes in concrete walls and ceilings?
Prepare hole with bonding agent: apply a firm but tacky high build mortar to a sized sheet of plastic and push the mortar into the hole with your hands, then trowel into level shape. This plastic sheet acts like a solid sheet of formwork and prevents the mortar from falling out. Allow the material to harden for approx 3 hours then remove plastic sheet and trim protruding material : upon mortar curing complete repair with faring coat mortar and smooth patch finish.
[Handy hint] This technique is also recommended for drywall repairs.
20) What is the best method of rebuilding drip lines in balcony soffits?
Cut ceiling with the GrandMaster ceiling chaser and jack hammer out core. Paint the concrete with bonding agent then re-mold each section of the drip line using fillet molding timber and faring cement mortar. Once dry remove fillet molding timber and patch with smooth patching compound.
[Handy hint] To repair curved sections use plastic fillets, drill holes in each end and staple with concrete nails to obtain the correct curve, additionally make sure all fillets are sprayed with vegetable oil for easy cleaning and reuse.
21) What is the best method of applying render?
I recommend the use of PFT Ritmo rendering machine, For further information click on to www.pft.de/
[Handy hint] I consider this model is most suitable on construction sites as it is the most portable.
22) What proportion of a rendering task is preformed by a PFT Ritmo rendering machine.
Approx 40% the other 60% of your time is used in finishing.
[Handy hint] To ensure trouble free operation ensure that you carry a spare rotor stator in case of breakdowns,
23) How do I clean the rotor stator of a PFT Ritmo rendering machine, if I have a breakdown during pumping.
This information is not contained in their operation instructions and will need to be soured from agent upon purchase.
[Handy hint] Empty hopper of dry bag render, fill hopper with water, remove remote operation plug and use forward and reverse settings on the rotor stator switch to clean rotor.
24) How many metres can a standard hand renderer complete in a 8 hour day?
On average only about 20 to 25 metres a day.
[Handy hint] To improve productivity a incorporate a render toweling machine into your operation.
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