Barney12 Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 We've used Spanish Prime slates on the garage and outbuildings. The first roofer we used didn't grade the slates for the garage roof and it's slightly uneaten finish still annoys me now (but it may be my OCD as another roofer who I know well said that a slightly rustic finish is very normal around these parts!). Anyway on the house I want a "church job" (another phrase of my roofer!!) so want to ensure the slates are sorted and graded. I fully understand the process and subsequent use (I.e. Thicker slates towards eaves) but...... Whats the best technique for sorting thicknesses. I'm sure the pro's can do it by eye but there must be a technique? Is sorting to three thicknesses enough? I have a vague memory that @Construction Channel mentioned this as being one of his "trade secrets" which his boss would not be happy if he shared?
gavztheouch Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 I have done this once for my father house, we sorted them into three piles and bored the nail hole while doing so. You quickly get fairly good at sorting them. The thin and thick ones are obvious but the middle ground is harder to detect.
dogman Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 i made a sort of jig with different sized slots in it and slid all 3000 slates through it to sort into 4 grades i used roof batten with plastic wedges to get the gap right
Barney12 Posted January 25, 2017 Author Posted January 25, 2017 3 hours ago, dogman said: i made a sort of jig with different sized slots in it and slid all 3000 slates through it to sort into 4 grades i used roof batten with plastic wedges to get the gap right I like your thinking. How did you decide on the 4 jig sizes? By selecting 4 from the 3000 as your "template"?
dogman Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 I had two slots I think they were 6mm and 7mm. So ended with four sizes. less than 6mm and thicker than 7mm. I bought most on eBay so had a lot of different thicknesses It's what you do with those that just have a small area that's thicker
dogman Posted January 25, 2017 Posted January 25, 2017 Went looking for them. Memory must have failed as i had used some old melamine board I had also made a thicker one to grade the thicker slates.
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