Day 260 September 20 , 2002

I'm up early today. I have a simple plan. Go to Bradon's Rental place, rent a wet tile cutting saw (also called a "tub saw" due to the fact it is mounted in a tub filled with water that is pumped onto a diamond blade during the cut), cut the remaining tiles to size and set them. I'll be done in time to finish cutting up the trees that fell in the wind storm. So I headed to Bradon's and saw their tub saw and was immediately skeptical. It was small and plastic. I expressed reservations to the nice gentleman who assured me that he had used it to lay 1000 tiles and it did a fine job. I'll give it a whirl I said. First he had to search around for the guide. He couldn't find it so he stole one from another saw. I took it home and set it up. I made 3 cuts on some scrap tiles and packed it up and brought it back. It just wasn't able to cut as accurately as I needed it too.

I called the Rental Center in Monticello and asked if they had a tub saw capable of cutting a 12 inch tile on a diagonal. He said he did so off I went to The Rental Center in Monticello. They had a big heavy contractor quality saw which I brought home. I began filling it up with water and the water leaked right out the not-for-this-saw drain plug and poured into my big cardboard box of finish nails. Nice. I repositioned the saw and put a bucket under the leak. Evidently the mile of Teflon tape some moron wrapped around the plug was inadequate. Needed a mile and a half. I took all the nails out to dry. I cursed. I flipped on the saw and covered the front of my shirt with water. I adjusted the blade guard. First I cursed. Louder than the first time. I grabbed a tile and set it on the sled. Ummm. Doesn't fit. Not only wont it accommodate a diagonal cut on a 12 inch tile, it wont even do a straight cut. ARRRRGGGG!!!! I called Mr. Rental Man to explain. "What do you mean it wont cut a 12" tile?" he asks. I'm thinking what part of "the tile is too big" don't you get? I explain some more and he asks what color the saw is. I think that's a strange question, but I'll play along. "Orange?" I say slowly. "Bring it back that's the wrong saw" he says, completely unfazed. So I do.

When I arrive he says he has a saw in the back being cleaned that will work, he thought that was the saw I originally took. I drive around back and Bobby and Jonny Bonehead are power washing a nice very large tub saw. Electric motor and all. I say nothing. We load up the behemoth and when I ask where the drain plug is, Bobby says to "just stuff a rag in the hole". I resist the retort spinning in my head. As I'm pulling away, Jonny yells for me to stop, he has found the plug. Yeah. I head home again and set up the saw in the back of the truck as it's too heavy for me to lift out of the truck myself. I fill it up and, standing to the side, I turn it on. Nothing happens except for the circuit breaker tripping. Well, they did power wash the electric motor after all. No cursing now, just a chuckle. After the motor dries it works fine. I cut all the tile I need to. As I turn off route 17 to return the saw, the power steering pump on my truck takes a shit. I love it when a simple plan comes together, don't you?

8 hours, more or less. I believe there was some weather also.