Got myself in a hole...

[leenowell]

Hi All,

I was fitting a low profile shower try which requires it to be stuck to the floor with silicone. The floor is 3/4 ply so I cut an over sized hole in it to enable the trap to fit through and connect to the tray. I fitted the tray and the hole matched the cut out so stuck it all down. When I went t o fit the trap I realised that there is a flange all the way around it on w hich a rubber seal fits.

Most of the hole in the ply is fine except for a section (about 1/4 circle) where the flange hits the ply. Bloody typical! I don't want to cut the fl ange as I am afraid it will cause the gasket to leak so somehow need to tri m the hole. I can get access under the floor from besides the tray but the waste pipe and water pipes make access to the area very difficult.

I have tried chiseling from above which was partly successful in the I now have a sloped edge but can't get the chisel into a shallow enough angle to get the rest off. I have tried

- a dremel type thing but only have sanding disks which bearly touch the wo od before breaking.

- a right angle chuck to try and use a drill bit to "sand" the edge but no joy. I also tried one of those "saw" drill bits but they only "saw" mid wa y along the shaft

At the moment my only option seems to be to cut a hole in the ceiling below and access from there. As you can imagine this is not a popular option.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Lee.

[mailbin]

Can you get a Bosch/Fein-type multi-tool to it?

If not, I'd be tempted to lift the shower tray up rather than go through the ceiling

[leenowell]

the floor with silicone. The floor is 3/4 ply so I cut an over sized hole in it to enable the trap to fit through and connect to the tray. I fitted the tray and the hole matched the cut out so stuck it all down. When I we nt to fit the trap I realised that there is a flange all the way around it on which a rubber seal fits.

cle) where the flange hits the ply. Bloody typical! I don't want to cut th e flange as I am afraid it will cause the gasket to leak so somehow need to trim the hole. I can get access under the floor from besides the tray but the waste pipe and water pipes make access to the area very difficult.

now have a sloped edge but can't get the chisel into a shallow enough angle to get the rest off. I have tried

e wood before breaking.

no joy. I also tried one of those "saw" drill bits but they only "saw" mi d way along the shaft

elow and access from there. As you can imagine this is not a popular optio n.

Unfortunately the pipes are in the way for a Fein tool I had assumed that getting the tray up would be virtually impossible without damaging it as th ere was a lot of silicone sticking it down. Anyone tried lifting one after wards?

[Peter Parry]

You can get Dremel cutting discs for wood such as

(may be cheaper elsewhere - that was just the first I found).

[tabbypurr]

he floor with silicone. The floor is 3/4 ply so I cut an over sized hole i n it to enable the trap to fit through and connect to the tray. I fitted t he tray and the hole matched the cut out so stuck it all down. When I went to fit the trap I realised that there is a flange all the way around it on which a rubber seal fits.

e) where the flange hits the ply. Bloody typical! I don't want to cut the flange as I am afraid it will cause the gasket to leak so somehow need to t rim the hole. I can get access under the floor from besides the tray but t he waste pipe and water pipes make access to the area very difficult.

w have a sloped edge but can't get the chisel into a shallow enough angle t o get the rest off. I have tried

wood before breaking.

o joy. I also tried one of those "saw" drill bits but they only "saw" mid way along the shaft

ow and access from there. As you can imagine this is not a popular option.

pictures sure would help.

Ceiling holes aren't hard to fix neatly, but many do lack the skill.

NT

[Steve]

Any chance of snapping off the remainder with an angled head tool, I'm thinking waterpump pliers? Or would bending the end of a chisel get you the angle you need?

[Bob Eager]

Dremel cutting bit.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Stanley knife with several new blades. Not the cheap blades costing 50p for five.

[John Rumm]

Multimaster type of tool and a small plunge cut blade...

You wanted an excuse to buy one didn't you?

(and to be fair, they are fantastic "now get out of that" type tools).

[ss]

+1

I dont have the skill tried skimming and always a fail, however have done a few `patches` in ceiling and always invisible, the patch you cut out does most of the `filling` and its just the edges that need filling and sanding smooth.

[ss]

I did manage to take my old one out when refurbishing but bear in mind I could afford to take risk as it was being replaced. I initially started with a stanley knife and then small wedges on one side, tap them in just tight enough to create pressure and left for a couple of hours then tap in a bit more and leave again and keep repeating changing to bigger wedges when necessary. I eventually got it out in one piece. I am not saying this will work for you but it did me.

[John Rumm]

Yup patching a hole in PB is usually pretty easy IME:

[dennis]

Router. You may need a piece of ply to make it level before you run a suitable rebate cutter with a ball bearing guide around it.