Used to hand mix all my thinset for tile jobs, now I just use a bucket paddle

For years I'd mix small batches of thinset by hand with a margin trowel (like 5 pounds at a time) for bathroom floors. Then last summer I watched a tile setter in Tulsa use a $40 paddle on a cordless drill for a whole 50 pound bag in under two minutes. Game changer for my kitchen backsplash project. Has anyone else switched to this and dealt with mixing it too fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.reese20d ago

Ugh the air pockets are brutal when you go too fast with a paddle lol. Had to scrape a whole batch because it looked like swiss cheese.

michael66920d ago

@taylor.reese I feel that, my last batch looked like a sponge cake disaster.

olivia_moore20d ago

@taylor.reese has a point about the paddle speed, but I've found that the temperature of the butter makes a bigger difference than people realize. If it's too cold when you start mixing, it won't incorporate smoothly and leaves those gaps no matter how careful you are. Room temperature ingredients beat technique every time for avoiding the sponge look.