The Lemon Fool

its time for a new washbasin in bedroom
it appears...
that whoever installed current basin used liberal quantities of mastic behind basin
not just a 'trim' along sides and top

as well as the fitting screws

any suggestions for removing the basin without taking most of the wall and tiles with it???
I dont mind if the basin gets damaged but the wall needs to be reused!

It will depend on how much access you have. Would a deep cut blade on a multi-tool do it?

https://www.toolstation.com/smart-purpl ... ade/p44009

Scott.

Cheese wire. You may have some wire used for tying up garden climbers. That’s what I used to remove a 4 foot by 1 foot mirror firmly attached to tiles with masses of mastic (or it could have been “no more nails”adhesive). You need the access all round to get the wire in place of course.

DeepSporran wrote:Cheese wire. You may have some wire used for tying up garden climbers. That’s what I used to remove a 4 foot by 1 foot mirror firmly attached to tiles with masses of mastic (or it could have been “no more nails”adhesive). You need the access all round to get the wire in place of course.

Seconded, although I'm not sure garden wire is strong enough or thin enough. It is mild steel wire and not especially strong in tension.

When I've needed to do the same I've used a guitar string. A set of electric guitar strings costs about a fiver from any music shop will give you three very thin (but differing) plain strings much thinner than garden wire and far, far stronger. Devise a handle of some sort to fix onto each end e.g. a short length of dowel, then just pull the wire through the silicone using a sawing motion.

Piano wire will prolly work too, although I'm not sure where to get it from.

I had never thought of cheese wire.

I find that a snap-off blade knife usually reaches, e.g., https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-re ... nife/9614v . You have to take care not to snap the blade.


Julian F. G. W.

jfgw wrote:I had never thought of cheese wire.

I hold that cheese wire is far too thick for this task. The only cheese wire on Amazon I could find that states the diameter is 1mm in diameter, or 0.039".
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boska-Holland- ... TFAK&psc=1

Some nice guitar E string at say 0.012" or 0.010" will cut through the pretty tough silicone (FAR tougher than cheese) quite easily.

Mike4 wrote:When I've needed to do the same I've used a guitar string.

You know you can't buy experience like this. What a wonderful resource Building and DIY truly is. C.

csearle wrote:

Mike4 wrote:When I've needed to do the same I've used a guitar string.

You know you can't buy experience like this. What a wonderful resource Building and DIY truly is. C.

Very kind of you to say so Chris, thanks.

Another use for the exact same instrument is when the handle snaps on your washing machine door. You can loop the geetar string around behind the door and use it to pull the little latching arm back, and voilà, ze door flies open!

A hacksaw blade may be useful with the serrated edge helping.

john

hmmm! both my guitars are nylon strung spanish accoustics!
but
will be trying the wire idea
and also the hack saw, though I think it might be to fat for the'gap' between wall and basin

will advise progress...and any other results in case useful to others

mutantpoodle wrote:hmmm! both my guitars are nylon strung spanish accoustics!
but
will be trying the wire idea
and also the hack saw, though I think it might be to fat for the'gap' between wall and basin

will advise progress...and any other results in case useful to others

The wire is MUCH easier, having done this exact job several times!

Try squirting some washing up liquid or WD40 down the back to lubricate the wire (or hacksaw blade) if you have difficulty. I've never needed to though.

Mike4 wrote:

mutantpoodle wrote:hmmm! both my guitars are nylon strung spanish accoustics!
but
will be trying the wire idea
and also the hack saw, though I think it might be to fat for the'gap' between wall and basin

will advise progress...and any other results in case useful to others

The wire is MUCH easier, having done this exact job several times!

Try squirting some washing up liquid or WD40 down the back to lubricate the wire (or hacksaw blade) if you have difficulty. I've never needed to though.

You can fit a guitar string in to a junior hacksaw if it helps? (It's a good way of filing nut slots - or cutting cheese)

- sd

servodude wrote:You can fit a guitar string in to a junior hacksaw if it helps? (It's a good way of filing nut slots - or cutting cheese)

- sd

I'm terrified of filing nut slots. Mebbe I should practice on some cheese.

But for the OP I think a B string in a really large bow saw would actually be pretty effective.

Mike4 wrote:

servodude wrote:You can fit a guitar string in to a junior hacksaw if it helps? (It's a good way of filing nut slots - or cutting cheese)

- sd

I'm terrified of filing nut slots. Mebbe I should practice on some cheese.

I've seen guitars where cheese would have been better than whatever plastic they've gone for..
- the great thing about using a string under tension is that it's the right width and shape profile unlike a file or blade; which helps stop that sticking then slipping when tunning thing

-sd

servodude wrote:

Mike4 wrote:

servodude wrote:You can fit a guitar string in to a junior hacksaw if it helps? (It's a good way of filing nut slots - or cutting cheese)

- sd

I'm terrified of filing nut slots. Mebbe I should practice on some cheese.

I've seen guitars where cheese would have been better than whatever plastic they've gone for..
- the great thing about using a string under tension is that it's the right width and shape profile unlike a file or blade; which helps stop that sticking then slipping when tunning thing

-sd

I find a nice gob of axle grease helps with that....

Mike4 wrote:

servodude wrote:

Mike4 wrote:
I'm terrified of filing nut slots. Mebbe I should practice on some cheese.

I've seen guitars where cheese would have been better than whatever plastic they've gone for..
- the great thing about using a string under tension is that it's the right width and shape profile unlike a file or blade; which helps stop that sticking then slipping when tunning thing

-sd

I find a nice gob of axle grease helps with that....

When you can't get Nut Sauce I guess you have to make do...
..or you could just cut the slot properly

I will say though that you should be using car wax to polish most guitars - same paints and finish (unless you've vinyl topped Capri)
- only difference being the size of the bottle (cost is about the same)

-sd

many thanks everyone
we tried the hack saw blade...and also the guitar string
but we just couldnt get it through the mastic

so we have bought new taps/plug/ waste etc and given basin another good clean
its a shame but... I am too old to worry about everything

thanks again

If the guitar string isn’t ‘sharp’ enough to get through the mastic you might have more luck with a survival kit type wire saw. If it can cut wood you’d think it would be ok on mastic, however tough the mastic is. Lots of examples available on Amazon, eBay etc.

For example:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08QJ2K5BJ/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08QJ2K5BJp13NParams

Or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dibiao-Outdoor-Emergency-Camping-Survival/dp/B085Q2VM3N/ref=asc_df_B085Q2VM3N/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=463097934198&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15113503119042608504&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046134&hvtargid=pla-977040799356&psc=1

However, I appreciate that you might decide just to live with the old basin. Best wishes whichever way you go !