Cutting ceramic tiles

[Woodchips2]

We recently moved the kitchen in our bungalow to a bigger room to create a kitchen/diner and I've been doing the wall tiling. The ceramic tiles were from Homebase and quite a bit thicker than previous tiles I've used. Things went fine until I had to cut a few 'L' shapes around socket outlets. In the past I've scored the tiles and then nibbled away with a pair of pincers but no way could I nibble these little devils. I tried a saw on an oscillating multi-tool but that just blunted the saw . Even a hand tile saw didn't make any impression. I thought I'd have to hire or buy a tile saw which seemed a bit over the top for cutting half a dozen tiles.

I had a look on You Tube for some ideas and saw a guy cutting ceramic tiles with a diamond blade in an angle grinder. I bought a diamond blade for £3 and it worked a treat. The guy on You Tube held the tile with one hand and cut with the angle grinder held in the other hand. I clamped the tile and cut with two hands on the grinder :roll: . A cost-effective solution if you have just a few tiles to cut.

Regards Keith

 

[blackrodd]

I was "helping" a friend tile his kitchen, some time ago. He had borrowed a Plas Plugs wet tile saw at about £19.99.
I was mightily impressed at how this little plastic based saw just sliced through any tiles, cleanly and very accurate.
The only draw back is the need for a waterproof apron and stand to one side or get showered.
One of the few times that a "cheapie" is a very good buy IMO.
So I bought one and it has done several jobs, cut some really hard tiles, and still going strong.
Among the best in the cheap and medium priced range, I think. Regards Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Strange - I had a Plas Plugs one at about £30, and it fell apart first time out.

 

[blackrodd]

Strange - I had a Plas Plugs one at about £30, and it fell apart first time out.

It's amazing to me sometimes, the differing experience on the same items or machines etc that we can have.
I'll try and keep it running, just in case I end up with 1 like you had!
Regards Rodders

 

[RossJarvis]

Strangely enough, I'd never worked on ceramic tiles before this week. Some friends wanted some holes drilled in a new tiled bathroom for bog-roll holder, towel rail, cabinet etc and three coat hooks?!? How hard can this be I thought?

I knew standard masonry bits would take forever, so bought a diamond core drill for 12 quid. I tried dribbling water on it while drilling and after three holes all the diamonds were gone! They only wanted 20 holes drilled :shock:

So I then bought another 5 bits from Screwfix for £2.50 each and got someone to help me by squirting water on from a sprayer continually. 2 bits got the job finished and both still had all the diamonds left. (I used one to start the job through a jig and the other to finish). The instructions said to let the drill do the work and not force it. This would have taken about a year, so I discovered leaning on the ruddy thing seemed fine and took about a minute instead of 20 per hole. I also discovered one cavity fixing per doo-dah was more than enough, even if they had two fixing holes!

The next time someone wants help on ceramic tiles, I'm out!

 

[blackrodd]

I've found that a glass drill bit cuts ceramics faster and lasts longer.
The cutting speed, like most materials is fairly important for good results.
Regards Rodders

 

[Jonzjob]

When I did our laundry room here I used my cheepie angle grinder, 12€ with 2 year warranty, steel box, spare motor brushes and several ordinary disks. I decided that a diamont disk would be the bogs dollocks and bought 3 from a local Fench shed for 8€. They did a great job and have also been used for cutting bricks, re bars and gawd knows what. I just can't wear the things out!

The re bars were in the kitchen worktop and I found them when I had to enlarge the hole for a new sink. The work tops are reenforced concrete!! It didn't arf cause a mess in the place too!

 

[dickm]

Have wondered about those mini-sawbench things, but have always fallen back on TC coated jigsaw blades in the Bosch. Slow speed, zero pendulum and the advantage that you're not limited to straight cuts. But best to have the tile firmly supported either side of the cut - if you cover the screw with paper to keep out the dust, then you can use a slightly open bench vice.

 

[graduate_owner]

I have a diamond blade tile cutter made by Einhell. It was second hand when I bought it and it's done walls and floors for me and for 3 sons-in-law. As has been said, you do get a free shower when using it but it works a treat, even if it is a cheapie. I can thoroughly recommend a wet diamond saw bench for this sort of work.
Whilst being on loan to one son-in-law I needed to cut some floor tiles and I tried a dry diamond disk in an angle grinder. It worked, but the dust was just everywhere - not healthy. Go for a wet type.

K

 

[pebbles]

+1 here for a wet one. I tried standing off to one side to avoid the water but in the end just made myself a coverall from a big black bin-bag - hole for my head and arms... worked fine if looking a bit stupid!

It cut hard porcelain kitchen worktop tiles easily, curves I just 'nibbled' by offering tile up to the blade and going at it slowly.

Goggles a must though...

 

[gregmcateer]

I knew standard masonry bits would take forever,

Not so, Ross - I have just installed a shower and as normal, when fitting it onto tiles, I start with the smallest masonary bit I have to get through the glaze, (No hammer, just careful steady hand to avoid jumping about).

Once through the glaze enough, go up to the bit size you need and through you go - still no hammer until right through the tile.

If you are unsure about keeping it on the target, you can buy a little spear-headed bit that cuts through them like the proverbial hot knife.

HTH

Greg

 

[RossJarvis]

I knew standard masonry bits would take forever,

Not so, Ross - I have just installed a shower and as normal, when fitting it onto tiles, I start with the smallest masonary bit I have to get through the glaze, (No hammer, just careful steady hand to avoid jumping about).

Once through the glaze enough, go up to the bit size you need and through you go - still no hammer until right through the tile.

If you are unsure about keeping it on the target, you can buy a little spear-headed bit that cuts through them like the proverbial hot knife.

HTH

Greg

I am rather hoping to avoid them in future :? However thanks for the tips, as well as the others above, plenty of alternatives to try if my hopes are not met!

 

[krashbandikoot]

My wife recently had me tile out our bathroom and I agree the spear head glass cutting bits are essential for drilling the holes through the tiles. I bought a 3 pack for about £5 I think it was and they just cut through the tiles no problems. Then I finished the holes with a masonry bit for wall plugs.

As for cutting, it's either a manual tile cutter, (one of those ones that look like a coping saw), or a sliding score tool that has a little fitting on it to apply pressure at either side of the score and break the tile. OK so it's not the neatest line in the world but a tile sanding pad smooths out the rough edges fine.

I did once try an angle grinder with a diamond disc but ended up taking the disc back as after only 5 or 6 tiles all it did was heat up the tile rather than cut it. Maybe it was just a bad disc??

 

[MMUK]

Diamond wheel in the trusty 4 1/2" Makita grinder has done me for years cutting floor and wall tiles. I buy Rolson diamond discs for about £2.50 each and they last just as long as Norton or Bosch discs that cost ten times the price.

 

[tbone]

Looks like you have all been having fun. Small L shapes and complete squares are angle grinder jobs and even the best of us take couple of goes on the long thin L shapes. When you cut a square or an L shape it's good to mark both sides of the tile and cut part way through both sides, this should help.
Cheers tbone.

 

[Woodchips2]

Looks like you have all been having fun. Small L shapes and complete squares are angle grinder jobs and even the best of us take couple of goes on the long thin L shapes. When you cut a square or an L shape it's good to mark both sides of the tile and cut part way through both sides, this should help.
Cheers tbone.

Good tip =D>
Regards Keith