Artist's grout float

Abstract

The artist's grout float of the present invention takes advantage of the small size, flexible, resilient blade of an artist's pallet knife, to form a small scale grout float for use in creating artistic and decorative mosaic works. The blade of the artist's pallet knife is covered on the underside with a layer of resilient material such as rubber, or polymeric elastomeric material. The layer of elastomeric material allows the grout to be forced into the crevices between the mosaic tiles while wiping the surface of the tiles to avoid buildup of grout material on the tile exposed surfaces. The blade may be in a triangular, table knife, or other convenient shape with at least a partial straight edge useful in spreading the grout.

1 . An artist's grout float, comprising: 
 a pallet knife having a thin, flexible blade having an upper side and a lower side and at least one side edge said pallet knife having a handle; and    a float cushion attached to said lower side of said blade;    said float cushion coextending with said lower side of said blade at at least the forward portion of said blade and extending along said side edge.    
   
   
       2 . The grout float of  claim 1 , wherein said float cushion is made of a flat piece of elastomeric material.  
   
   
       3 . The grout float of  claim 2 , said blade being made of metal.  
   
   
       4 . The grout float of  claim 3 , wherein said float cushion is attached to said blade by an adhesive material.  
   
   
       5 . The grout float of  claim 4 , said blade and said float cushion are generally triangular, forming a rounded front point.  
   
   
       6 . The grout float of  claim 5 , said pallet knife having the general shape of a triangular trowel.  
   
   
       7 . The grout float of  claim 5 , wherein said blade is about 2¼″ in length, ⅝″ in width at the back, and ¼″ in width at the front rounded end.  
   
   
       8 . An artist's float, comprising: 
 a knife having a thin, flexible metal blade and a handle, said blade having a forward portion and at least on side edge and having an upper surface and a lower surface; and    a float cushion attached to said forward portion of said knife blade at said lower surface and coextending therewith;    said float cushion being made of a flat piece of elastomeric material;    said float cushion being attached to said knife blade by an adhesive material.    
   
   
       9 . The grout float of  claim 4 , said blade and said float cushion are generally triangular, forming a rounded front point.  
   
   
       10 . The grout float of  claim 4 , said pallet knife having the general shape of a triangular trowel.  
   
   
       11 . The grout float of  claim 4 , wherein said blade is about 2¼″ in length, ⅝″ in width at the back, and ¼″ in width at the front rounded end.