# 61" bathroom to 60"



## swindmill (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm remodeling a bathroom with the tub against the back wall. The old tub was 61", and the new tub is a standard 60". The walls around the tub will get CBU and tile. The tub is in place but I need to fur out the right hand wall an inch (lefthand tub). I'm look for ideas on how to best handle this. Everything I can think of is 3/4 or 1/2.


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 13, 2014)

Long shim strips?


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## swindmill (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm hoping to just shim out each stud 1", I just don't know what material to use. I don't have a table saw that will allow me to rip my own strips, so I'm stuck using stock material. If there's nothing available, it may just be time to get a decent table saw. I'd like to have one, so if I have to get one...


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## nealtw (Jan 13, 2014)

Pick up a half sheet of 1" plywood or rip 2x4 down to get 1 1/2 x1 strips.


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## swindmill (Jan 13, 2014)

I guess I've never looked for 1" plywood, but if the big box stores carry it, that would work.


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 13, 2014)

Or a double layer of 1/2"...


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## nealtw (Jan 13, 2014)

If the wall come out and stop at an outside corner, where you might want to put up corner bead for drywall, don't use plywood , it messes up with the screws for the cornerbead.


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## CallMeVilla (Jan 13, 2014)

Your best bet is to cut 1" shims from a 2x6.  Put two of them side by side to create a steady base for the skill saw as you cut the strips.

Now you will have a good shim for corner bead nailing.  This is better than buying milled 1" casing ... and a lot cheaper!


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## bud16415 (Jan 14, 2014)

I nail my corner bead on and haven&#8217;t had any issues with plywood or OSB even. I just use drywall nails as the heads are so thin they don&#8217;t stick up and don&#8217;t bend the bead like screws will want to. 

Without a table saw it&#8217;s still not so hard to rip stock with a hand circular saw if you take your time. I often screw a guide strip to the piece I&#8217;m ripping similar to what Villa suggests. I find a nice straight piece of trim wood works better than a 2X as the 2X has a round corner and my saw wants to get stuck in that corner. I bought a thing called a workmate last summer at a garage sale and I love it for holding a long piece to rip like this. 

I would cut two strips of half as oldog suggests.


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## swindmill (Jan 14, 2014)

I could rip 2x with some clamps and a guide. Doubling up 1/2" would work too. I'll be going with one of those options in the next few days.


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## bud16415 (Jan 14, 2014)

I guess I would look at it as to what I have laying around. I always have a pile of edges of half inch plywood stacked up because I can&#8217;t force myself to toss a 12 inch x 8 foot piece of 4ply out. But if I had to go buy a sheet to just rip some shim strips off of I would go with the 2X as it&#8217;s much cheaper.


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 14, 2014)

I finally bought a saw guide and I should have done it a long time ago.  Little blocks of plywood will prevent the guide clamps from marring the wood you are cutting.
It's also a great straightedge.

For fine adjustments on your project I recommend shoebox cardboard shims but you may want to waterproof them first.

As to buying a table saw, figure out how much your travel time and convenience are worth and foresee how often you will need to do ripping and crosscuts in the near future.
As a gift I got a Harbor Freight sliding compound miter saw and that comes in pretty handy, too.  It brings out the shortcomings of just having a table saw or a circular saw.

As you get better you may want vernier adjustments on your equipment.


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## CallMeVilla (Jan 14, 2014)

Guess who got to cut 1 3/8" strips from a 2x6 today freehand with by skill saw?  Coincidence but true.  Didn't take pics but I did it using the technique I described (above) to create shims for a fireplace trim repair.

So, it CAN be done ...  Just remember what they taught you in school:  "Stay in the lines."


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## nealtw (Jan 14, 2014)

CallMeVilla said:


> Guess who got to cut 1 3/8" strips from a 2x6 today freehand with by skill saw? Coincidence but true. Didn't take pics but I did it using the technique I described (above) to create shims for a fireplace trim repair.
> 
> So, it CAN be done ... Just remember what they taught you in school: "Stay in the lines."


 Every saw comes with a rip fence and if if you are making a narrow cut just start the cut and clamp your finger on the nose of the saw, Your finger can be the fence. Watch out for slivers.:beer:


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## swindmill (Jan 15, 2014)

I'll probably give a freehand rip a try and see how it goes. I can follow a chalk line fine, but it's easy to move an 1/8 one way or the other when you change your footing as you make your way down an 8' cut.


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 15, 2014)

Clamp a 2X to the plywood to act as a guide.


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## nealtw (Jan 15, 2014)

If you no longer have the rip fence for the saw. Drill a couple holes in the base of your saw and screw a peice of would to use as a fence, make sure it straight with the blade.


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## swindmill (Jan 15, 2014)

If it came with a rip fence, I must have it somewhere.  I'll look around for something that looks like it might be it. 

It's looking like I will be ripping from 2x6.


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 15, 2014)

Decide which is worse, undersized or oversized.  
I hate forcing things or using a plane or sandpaper or a rasp so if you can cut accurately to +/- 1/16" then cut it 1/16" undersized and shim and caulk.  
No one can hit it perfectly, especially in this application.

Also, you can easily make a cardboard mockup.

In general, make your marks with an Exacto knife rather than a pencil or pen.  The accuracy can only get worse from your mark.


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## nealtw (Jan 15, 2014)

Wuzzat? said:


> Decide which is worse, undersized or oversized.
> I hate forcing things or using a plane or sandpaper or a rasp so if you can cut accurately to +/- 1/16" then cut it 1/16" undersized and shim and caulk.
> No one can hit it perfectly, especially in this application.
> 
> ...


 
With a fence you cut one peice, if wrong toss it adjust the fence and keep cutting.
In this case a little big would be fine.


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