Mixing thin-set

I need to mix only about a 1/4 of a bag of thin-set. The mixing instuctions only give h2o amounts to mix the whole bag. Is there a general rule of thumb such as 2:1 or some kind of ratio to get close then make adjustments?

Thanks
KMD

Trying to precisely measure partial bags of thinset is a PITA. I have always just slowly add water while mixing until it gets to the consistency of peanut butter. If you mess up and mix too thin, just keep mixing and add a litte more dry thinset. Kind of like making bread dough -- too much water, add more flour.

Technically,

You should be adding the thinset powder to the water. Thinset is very forgiving and it's hard not to mix it correctly, even if you screw up it's easy enough to fix it.

KMD, I would start with about 1-1/2 quarts of water in a mixing container and begin to add the powder until you arive at the necessary consistency. It's as easy as that.

Even though you say it's forgiving, I find that, as a DIYer, there seems to be an ideal consistency for easy spreading. Having experimented a bit, when the thinset is mixed with the right proportion with water (or at the right speed), it just "works". It spreads beautifully and holds the tile beautifully without any fuss. I can feel the "glue" in it. It's kind of "plump".doesn't collapse and doesn't feel too thin or liquid. Otherwise I notice the tile sinking or not staying put. And the notches in the trowel don't make well formed ridges. I've actually scraped the area clean and thrown away the thinset because it didn't look and feel right. I also found that starting with water in a bucket, as you say, is far superior to starting with the powdered thinset. It's only my very limited experience. Am I dreaming or can there be some truth in this? I'm only a very amateur DIYer.

As long as your "plump" isn't caused by air-entrainment then I think I understand what you are saying. When power mixing thinset the machine should not exceed 350 R. P. M. I think is the recommendation. Anything faster than that and you begin to get meringue.

I suppose everyone feels they have a particular place in the vicosity that just feels good to them. Thinset has a range in which it handles well, and anywhere in that range is acceptable as far as I'm concerned. Chemically the manufacturers have a specific water to powder ratio they print on the bag but I don't know anybody that mixes thinset to those exact specifications. The truth is, it just isn't practical when you are working out of a fifty pound bag.

The only time I measure water is when working with SLC's.

How do you know what 350 RPM's are? Yes, I think I understand that "meringue" scenario. It's fluff and nothing more. It doesn't seem dense enough to hold any weight. I just keep adding more thinset and it doesn't make a difference (it seeps out from under the tile and into the grout joint). It seems that it needs to be plumb and dense (like peanut butter). I have a person mixing for me and it appears he often mixes the thinset too fast with the paddle. Difficult for a woman to "advise" a guy on a guy-type project. But, even more difficult for a woman to mix the thinset herself. The part I like is spreading the mixture and setting the tiles. In some respects I think a woman's hand is excellent for these projects since tiling requires very clean, meticulous work habits with, a lot of patience, and attention to detail. The part that's hard for a woman is that it can be heavy and you're dealing with construction-type materials (thinset) that is something of a 'turn-off' for the average woman. Great to do, though, if you have an assistant.

As a woman, I'm a litle put off by the comment that women are more meticulous and clean, therefore better at laying tile and spreading mortar than men. I think many men who are tile layers by profession would argue that point, and many women are not meticulous or precise or clean. It just depends on the person. Thanks for the tips about mixing thinset though, I'm off to mix up some of my own for a countertop installation me and my boyfriend are doing. Cheers.

I'm sure some women are bad at it, and some women are good, and the same goes with the men. My wife happens to be great at mixing thinset, and she always does it when we're tiling - won't go near the tile saw though!

To talk about "why women are good at mixing thinset or why men are not meticulous" seems a bit pathetic to say the least! However after seeing what that delusional, half-man Bush has done to WHAT USED TO BE a great democratic country I must admit Hillary would do a far better job not only in the Whitehouse but also mixing thinset! Peanut butter consistency is the key! A president with a brain is the answer!

Now we are OFF TOPIC for sure!

Off topic, but making sense!

Here is a simple idea that I use when working with thinsets & mixing. For example, I use a spreadsheet program like MS Excel (or any other you may have) and start with the manufacturer's recommendation. So, for thinset: NA-3100 (NA=North American), it says 1 & 1/2 gallon water with 50 lbs of thin set.

So, I start the first row with 1 & 1/2 water and 50 lbs. The next row, I multiply the first row with (0.93).
For the third row, I multiply the result from second row with (0.93), and keep going down creating rows where it comes down to (0.01) gallon of water & (0.49) lbs of thin set. You can also create a column for Liters and use the "CONVERT" formula to create the values for that column. My first & my last rows say:

1. 50 Gal, (50.0) Lbs Thinset, (5.68) Ltr.
.
.
.
0. 01 Gal, (0.49) Lbs Thinset, (0.06) Ltr.

Then try to round up to the nearest decimal point for you to be comfortable to measure. This works like a handy back-pocket guide for me.

But what I have problem is with the storing part of the thinset. That is, you mix a perfect batch, but by the time you set the 25th tile, you find out that the mix is really hard to work with. Too dry. Manufacturer says do not add water. Just stir the mix again. According to my experience, it just does not work.

So, does anyone have a solution for storing a great hand mixed thin set for a longer period of time.?

Thanks
Sunny
mishras@msn.com (any help will be greatly appreciated)

So, does anyone have a solution for storing a great hand mixed thin set for a longer period of time.?

Place some Saran Wrap over the pail, good for a week.

To the Bush Basher. Thanks for bringing politics into a non political forum. Did you ever stop to think that many of the countrys problems may be from all the partisan B. S.? Grow up, and express your opinion where it counts. With your legislaters. If you want to blog about politics, go to a political forum. Thank you! And thanks to all for the information on thinset. It put me at ease since I have never mixed this stuff before.

RD you forgot to tell them to be sure to put the thinset in the refrigerator