How to setup and use the Makinex Jackhammer Trolley to remove Floor Coverings and Ceramic Tiles
The Makinex Jack hammer Trolley is a highly effective machine designed for use to remove small to medium areas of vinyl tiles, sheet vinyl, floor coverings, and can be used effectively on ceramic tile removal.
Understanding how to use the equipment in the most productive way, as with all equipment, is what will make your task easier, and also reduce the risk of breakages and frustration.
The Easy-Hammer trolley kit consists of the following;
- Easy-Hammer Dolly which you have procured from Floorex
- The included tile smasher head with the shank and flexible blade.
- Electric jackhammer (purchased separately from a power tool supply shop).
- A 75mm wide chisel (optional) which is used if you are removing ceramic tiles and/or the tile bed and parquetry.
The tile smasher head is designed to be used to remove Vinyl Tiles (VCT), sheet vinyl flooring, and can be useful as part of the removal of parquetry and carpet.
The tile smasher head is also able to be used to remove the last of ceramic tiles and the tile bed after using the 75mm chisel to rip the whole floor first.
HOW TO USE EASY-HAMMER TROLLEY
Before you start, make sure you have set the unit up as per the instruction manual
Decide which tool to use for the job
- 75mm Chisel is used for initial removal of Ceramic Tiles and for Parquetry removal.
- TILE-SMASHER head is for Vinyl Tile, sheet Vinyl removal and similar materials. It is typically used for removal of the last of the ceramic tiles and bed after you have striped the floor with the
75mm wide chisel. It is not intended for ceramic tile removal. Read the sections below to understand how to
remove ceramic tiles
The trolley includes an easy angle adjustment system so you can select the right angle that will remove the flooring on a particular job.
Adjusting the angle is simply done by pulling the lever on the handle and adjusting to the angle you need.
HERE IS THE USEFUL RULE OF THUMB!
The best height is the lowest blade angle that will allow you to go from one side of a floor to the other, without the chisel or blade jumping out.
Never raise and lower the machine during stripping; you will ‘round’ the bottom of the chisel or blade so it will constantly want to jump up onto the top of the material being removed.
This means that you start at a low chisel or blade angle, then only lift if you must, and keep it there.
Remember that the lower the angle of the chisel or blade, the more breakout force you will apply; you are not trying to remove the concrete floor!
HOW TO USE THE 75mm CHISEL
The 75mm Tile Removing Chisel can make the task of ceramic tile removal much faster if you it operate as set out here:
Always start with the 75mm Chisel – never take up ceramic tiles just with the Tile-Smasher flexible blade unless the tiles are very easily removed/poorly bonded!
Start from one side of the floor with the 75mm Chisel and go right across the floor taking out a strip.
Often this will be easiest to do going along the grout joint
Depending on the way the tiles are bonded or the width of the tiles you can then do a strip along the next grout joint
The aim is to stripe the floor with tiles remaining between each strip.
You may need to take out strips as close as 50 – 80mm between each to make sure the remaining tile is loosened enough for the next step
You can do these stripes relatively quickly over a whole floor stripe the floor leaving gaps of bonded tiles between.
Now put in the Tile-Smasher Head with the flexible blade (instructions below on setup and use) and remove the remnants; do it in as long runs as possible so you don’t waste time. Because the tiles have been striped, the remaining tiles will come easily and flexible blade can handle it without breaking the blade.
This method of removing tiles is simple and apply to pretty much every machine from hand scrapers to full ride-on machines.
Get into the habit of doing the job like this as it is proven to be fastest method every time.
HOW TO USE THE TILE-SMASHER HEAD WITH FLEXIBLE BLADE
First fit the short extension shank to the electric jackhammer fitted to the Easy-Hammer dolly while it is standing upright.
Fit the flexible blade to the Tile Smasher Head before fitting the whole head to the machine.
Now slip the Tile-Smasher Head onto the shank while keeping the blade flat on the floor, then push it all the way up onto the taper till it grips. Now knock the head onto the shank to tighten the head to the shank with a soft hammer or similar.
you can remove the shank with the head out of the machine and bang the end of the shank onto some hard; like the floor with the blade up and shank down to lock it even tighter to the shank.
If it is not parallel to the floor, during operation it will never perform well, it will want to jump out of the cut all the time.
Once set up you can use to take up the vinyl tiles, or sheet vinyl as required.
Once again don’t raise and lower the blade angle: once the underside of the blade is rounded it will always want to jump out.
Ensure that you use the lowest angle possible that will do the job. You aren’t needing to attack the concrete!
If the blade has become rounded through misuse, you can remove the flexible blade out of the Tile-Smasher Head and flip it over to start afresh.
To re-cap, don’t use flexible blades to do remove all the ceramic tile and/or bed, use a chisel to stripe the whole floor leaving a bit between each stripe. Then use the flexible blade to clean up the floor. It is fastest that way.
Please enjoy using your Easy-Hammer Trolley to the best advantage!