Removing Soap Dish Set in Tile

15 years ago

I have 4 each 1950 Chrome Soap Dishes set in ceramic tile that I want to take to the chromer. They have a tiny screw underneath and a small grout line around the tile to dish interface. I can not get the screw loose for the life of me...

Any ideas?

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Comments (4)

User
15 years ago
Since you haven't gotten any replies, I thought I'd put in my 1 cent (not worth 2 cents).

I don't know if this would work for you, but I bought dh a screw extractor tool one year. It is really for screws that are broken off or too messed up on top for the screw driver to grip. I think it kind of works like a drill to get into the screw & then has enough torque to unscrew it. I think I bought it at Home Depot.
sombreuil_mongrel
15 years ago
You could drill the screw head off, then use a plug cutter to remove enough wood from around the shank (with the dish already removed) to unscrew it with pliers. You could later use a longer screw to reinstall. Have you found a plating shop already? They're getting hard to find. The EPA has taken a toll on them.
Casey
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As most guests don't take baths buy one of those multi-liquid dispensers that stick to tile or the wall. You put them at the height that would be comfortable for accessing while taking a shower. They come in anywhere from 2 liquid containers to 4-5. They also come with labels to stick on the outside which states what you filled each dispenser with. It is good to get a 3 or 4 container dispenser. That way you fill one dispenser with liquid soap, another with shampoo, and another with hair conditioner. I've seen them in different plastic colors or faux stainless. You just press a button on the bottom to open up the enclosure that reveals all the dispensers. Take the cap off of the dispensers you will use and put in the appropriate liquids. They beat a soapdish or one of those shower caddies with a stick. They have them at places like Bed, Bath, & Beyond and most any bath shop. I'm sure they have them at Target or Walmart too. It just depends on how nice a product you want. And you never have to worry about soap "melting" in the soapdish or bottles of conditioner or shampoo cluttering up the area. Greg
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Why would more water get behind that once it's grouted than any other tile? Because it runs horizontally? But it has the slope in the back so water won't pool at the back on any grout lines. Doesn't make sense to do it any other way than the way the handyman has done it. I just googled and see some examples of it done the other way - it makes them look like after thoughts to me.
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I understand the concerns about using dish soap if it tends to dry your hands. That hasn't been a probelm for me, but I do have a child with OCD who tends to wash more than necessary, so for a while I switched from the antibacterial dish soap to a dish soap that was not antibacterial. It was gentler on the hands, and kept my child's hands from cracking (and sometimes bleeding) as they had with the antibacterial soap. Since then, I've diverted my child from constant hand washing to using hand sanitizer in between a normal amount of hand washing, which has solved the problem. Now I can use whatever kind of dish soap I want. But if it doesn't bother your hands, dish soap is a perfectly good hand soap. (My grandmother even used dish soap for shampoo, which I do occasionally for a super cleansing of all hair products from my hair, with no discernible harm.)
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I thought I already posted to this (uh oh, wonder where that one went???). I have the same exact thing in my 1965 bathroom but the bar has fallen off. Mine also has no screws and looks to have been set right in there with the mortar and grouted along with the tile. Silicone caulk it back in place. OBTW, Silicon is used to make computer chips. Silicone (with an "E" is a totally different substance used in caulk, adhesives, and hollywood boobs. ;-) -Babka
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jillyjax
Original Author
15 years ago
Marti and Sombreuil -
Thank you for your posts. I asked a construction savvy man at work and he suggested PB Buster. It did remove the grout from the outside of the screw. I also bought a 3/32" screw driver with a handle. I did this because I couldn't get much leverage with the "eye glass" type screw driver. My wimpy hand and arm strength crushed the new screw driver head! Tonight, my dad also suggested the screw extractor tool. I'm not certain that it will work for such a small screw, but I'm certainly willing to investigate.

Yes I have found a plater. This 1957 very modern house, built high-end, had a really cool electric heater and a inset toilet paper dispenser. Here in Houston I found a plater and they did a beautiful job. We'll probably never use the heater, but it is a cool ornament. I have several recessed light trim rings and another toilet paper dispenser that is ready to go as soon as I can get these six darned soap and tooth brush holders off the wall. It will look really cool if I can get them re-chromed. If not, I'll have really cruddy looking ornaments around our sink. :) Again, we'll never "use" them as originally intended.

Thanks much for your suggestions. At least I still have hope.

Take care -
Jill
annzgw
15 years ago
Try to find the right size screwdriver for the rest of the soapdishes and get one that has some length and a decent handle on it.

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Removing Soap Dish Set in Tile

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sombreuil_mongrel

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Removing Soap Dish Set in Tile

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sombreuil_mongrel

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