Mozart Knife

[Mark Brown]

So for the past 10 years or so I have been sold on my Mozart knife, it could do anything. I shelved my two very expensive steel crescent skiving knives and put that to rest.
Here we are 2021 and I finally learned how to sharpen steel and I have to say, that Mozart knife is a piece of garbage. It cannot hold a candle to a properly sharpened crescent knife and I wanted everyone to know.

 

[Jon]

Mark I used to sharpen mine on ceramic tiles which have a kinda smooth surface and only on one side
I still reckon those Mozart knifes are a lot better for cutting off the weld on those timber look vinyls as they do not make "bald" bits by trimming off the wear layer BUT you do need to change the blades. I dampen the vinyl with a wet rag and only pass over once with the one blade and not with that "spacer" blade.
Doing it that way any idiot can do it

 

[Mark Brown]

Man, i was sold on mine for a long time so i will not disagree with you Jon that it works and even works well but the level of sexiness i can get with my skive knife, i am tossing Mr. Mozart in the garbage. Ok, not the garbage, i still like it for first pass on Lino, those bloody skive plates can kiss my bottom.

I was welding a printed pvc (or whatever we call it) with a 2.5mm weld groove and my goodness it is so pretty. No gouging, other than the price

 

[Jon]

Seen guys here, and maybe me every now and then, extend the snap off blades as far as they will go to trim the weld rod especially on those anti skid vinyls which wreck all your gear

 

[Mark Brown]

I have a dedicated plate and blade for my mozart for any safety floor. You should see what Altro Stronghold does to tools. Its their grittiest safety floor. I had posted a Pic on the old TFP one time with all my knuckles covered in blood/tape from that stuff. It is also how i ruined my Master Turbo Groover.... still need to get ahold of Leo to get a new one.
However, and this is where i really started to hate that knife, I found that it leaves too much weld rod and went back to my skive knife. I just run two of them. The one is flat faced from being abused on safety floor.... that stuff is brutal. I use to take the snap off knife blades and bend them to a U to trim the last bit. Then i started using the flat headed trim tool for cove work, then utility knife blades.... now i am back where i started with my crescent knife.

 

[Mark Brown]

I dampen the vinyl with a wet rag

The best trick ever. Lubricant is key for sexy sex. If you ever wanna get crazy with it.... put some dish soap in a squirt bottle and let 'er rip, works really well for linos. Pvc who even cares, you have to try to blow a weld.

 

[highup]

I did some welding 25 years ago. That was plenty.

 

[Jon]

I did some welding 25 years ago. That was plenty.

Trouble is one needs to be doing it all the time to keep the knack

 

[highup]

That's why I don't do it. I could never stand commercial work so investing in welding equipment was absolutely out of the question.
Commercial customers never feed you or tip you.

 

[Jon]

What is a tip?
Thats right Americans tip
We used to get offered a beer when we were on jobs when we finished for the day, both commercial and domestic but since drink driving came in that stopped

 

[highup]

What is a tip?
Thats right Americans tip
We used to get offered a beer when we were on jobs when we finished for the day, both commercial and domestic but since drink driving came in that stopped

A tip, Jon is when you get done with a $2,200 job and the customer writes the check for $2700 and says "looks fantastic" that beats a cold beer any day.
..... Or when you finish carpeting a house and installing vinyl in a couple of bathrooms, the customer says thank you and we'd like to buy you dinner one of these days. I met them for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Near the end of the dinner some of the waiters approached me from behind and put a sombrero on my head and sang me Happy birthday. No, it wasn't my birthday.
As we left the restaurant she handed me a card and said thanks again for all the work you did. When I got to my truck I opened the card and there was two crisp $100 bills in it. I could buy a lot of beer with that Jon.

 

[Mark Brown]

I still have 200 dollars in gift cards for the KEG.... someday, someday!!

 

[Jon]

We dont tip here in NZ as the tip isnt needed to make up wages
Every time we go to the States and forget to tip we are sure as hell told about it
In a way I dont mind tipping as just for an example a steak here costs $20 and no tip. USA steak costs $15 and a $5 tip so therefore the same price. Not sure about prices as I havent bought a steak for a long time
The only trouble is Americans come here and tip and now everybody here is expecting tips

 

[Mark Brown]

Gratuities for food service is ridiculous. I mean, like anything if you do an absolute bang up affair of your job I will hand over wads of cash like it is going out of style be that construction, food service, prostitution whatever..... but to assume i am going to hand you money just because you DID your job?? Get stuffed.
My favorite is tips on take out... uh what? Or for pouring a bloody coffee, come on now.

 

[highup]

..... And the waitress said, I'm not paying $450 to have two bedrooms carpeted, "that's more than I make in a week"
I wouldn't go to the same restaurant twice, Mark. They will remember you.

 

[highup]

The people I work for don't tip to make up for wages. I charge $650 to install carpet in a 24x26 ft living room. Handed them the bill and they rounded it up to $800.
If I had billed this job through one of the local shops the entire job would have been worth $400, so I was charging more in the first place.
Jon, think of it like a handshake, but better.

 

[Jon]

On our cruises around NZ and Australia over the years I have told the Americans do not tip when they get off the coach and they look at me strange and I explain the drivers get a good wage so no need for a tip. I think it is a matter of habit as they are used to doing it. I do tip when other countries do as. Australia, England maybe NZ do not expect tips. Might round up a taxi fare to the next $5 or $10 so we dont end up with a pocket full of change in our pockets

 

[highup]

I certainly do not expect tips. They don't happen on a daily weekly monthly basis. I did a job about 2 months ago. It was a new home and I was called because it was some emergency. The guy was ready to move into his house but it needed carpet. Someone forgot to notify the shop that they were ready for carpet and I was asked to come in and save the day.
At the time, I was just ready to start a job for a lady has been waiting 3 months for me.
I was able to do this "emergency" job. Took me 5 days. The day that I finished I called the homeowner to tell him I was done and that I was locking up and heading out of the house. He insisted that I stay and that he was heading over. I thought he just wanted to see the completed job. He didn't even go inside to look. He handed me an envelope. It contained a check for $250. He knew my other job was priority.