How to cut tiles without a tile cutter: a few easy ways
How to cut tiles without a tile cutter? An overview of several popular ways to cut tiles without a tile cutter.
Using a jigsaw
In a situation where you need to quickly decide how to cut tiles without a tile cutter and an angle grinder, use an electric jigsaw equipped with a stone saw.
Such a tool makes it quite easy to make even cuts along a straight mowing line. And also makes high quality curvilinear configurations with a sufficiently large diameter. It is more difficult to get rounded fragments of a small radius.
It is easier to work with a jigsaw (by the way, with a small amount of work, you can use the manual version of the tool) when sawing a relatively thin wall tile.
Difficulties can arise when cutting denser flooring ceramic material.
How to cut tiles without a tile cutter
Not every home craftsman has expensive professional tools in his arsenal. But sometimes, when laying out small tiled surfaces, the problem arises of how to cut the tiles without a tile cutter, which can cause certain difficulties. In such a situation, a variety of available technologies are used, following the recommended sequence of actions. Previously, the material is soaked in cool water for 40-45 minutes.
How to cut tiles without a tile cutter: a few easy ways
Using the "angle grinder"
A diamond disc mounted on an angle grinder allows you to quickly cut the tiles according to the markings made. With this versatile tool, both straight and curved tiles can be cut. The advantage of an angle grinder over an electric tile cutter is its mobility. But it loses in terms of the quality of the cut obtained, after which the edges of the tiles need additional processing (grinding).
Cutting tiles with a glass cutter
It is quite easy to make a direct cut of a tile with a glass cutter, but you will have to tinker with curly cutting.
The operation is performed as follows:
- First, outline the line with a felt-tip pen or pencil, along which the cut will be made;
- With one hand they hold the tile, and with the other they confidently hold the glass cutter along the intended mowing line, while the tool is directed "towards you"; the glass cutter must be kept strictly at right angles;
- The cut tile is placed on a wooden glazing bead and struck with the palm, while the tile breaks exactly along the cut line.
Safety engineering
- Work must be carried out with goggles and a respirator.
- The area around the workplace must be clear to avoid the possibility of injury from the saw blade.
- It is advisable to work with a partner who will use a vacuum cleaner to remove construction dust.
Manual tile cutter
With a large amount of work, a hand-held tile cutter is a more suitable tool for cutting ceramic tiles. It consists of a base, guide tubes and a cutting element.
Place the tiles inside the device to work. Advance the cutter wheel away from you while trying to keep the pressure even. When you’re done making the cut, click on the handle to break the tile.
Cons – the tool is not universal, you cannot cut strips less than 5 millimeters wide on it. The edge of the fracture is sometimes uneven and must be sanded by hand.
Angle Grinder
The main advantage of this method is that cutting ceramic tiles with an angle grinder does not require special skills and is available to a layman. The principle of operation is very simple: we connect to the network, press the start button and, after the disc picks up the required speed, we cut "from ourselves" according to the markings applied in advance.
It is advisable to cut the ceramic tiles with a tool that has the ability to adjust the speed. It is recommended to work at a speed not exceeding 3.5 thousand rpm. At a higher speed, ceramics begin to crack, and hot shavings and dust fly in all directions at great speed.
The angle grinder is an inexpensive and easy-to-use tool. But it has several significant drawbacks. First, when cutting, a huge amount of dust and debris is generated. Secondly, the edges of the tiles are not very neat. They have to be processed additionally: remove the jagged edges with pliers, process the cut with a file and emery paper.
Also, despite its simplicity, this tool requires careful handling. In order not to harm yourself while working, you need to know how to cut ceramic tiles correctly. Always hold the tool firmly in your hands to keep the space in front of the saw blade clear. Be sure to use safety glasses, gloves and a respirator.
How to cut ceramic tiles? Tools and technique
When choosing how to cut ceramic tiles, you need to decide on the upcoming volume of work and its type. A tool that can easily tackle wall tiles will not work with floor tiles. Radial cutting requires a different tool than simple cutting.
How to cut ceramic tiles
In any case, special tools will be needed for the work. The simplest of them is a glass cutter, a manual tile cutter has a higher performance, for professionals it is recommended to opt for electric tile cutters. When you acquire a certain skill, the tile can be cut with an angle grinder, and a diamond string is used to make art products.
We cut ceramic tiles with an electric tile cutter
This tool belongs to the professional category and is quite expensive. With its help, a significant amount of work is easily performed, it cuts any tile quickly, accurately and beautifully. Allows you to cut less than 5 mm wide, make cuts at an angle of 45 degrees, recesses and holes. It is used for curly cutting. The cut has smooth and slightly rounded edges. In some models, the edge of the blade is immersed in water, in others, only the surface at the cutting site is wetted. During operation, all dust settles in the cooling water tank.
The design is very similar to a circular saw. It consists of a platform, a cutting disc fixed on it and an electric motor.
How to properly cut ceramic tiles with an electric tile cutter.
- Water is poured into the container so as to overlap the edge of the cutting wheel by 2-3 cm.
- Includes tile cutter.
- Press the ceramic tile against the machine and slowly move it under the disc, focusing on the marked line.
- The blade is moved under the cutting element with a force depending on the strength of the tile. It is not recommended to apply excessive pressure on the knife, this may cause the cutter to stop.
- To cut a corner, the tile is gently lifted, unrolled, and repeated.
It is necessary to monitor the condition of the cutting edge of the disc, replace it in time. Diamond wheels are commonly used. Also, regularly, as it gets dirty, they change the water in the bath.
How To Cut Ceramic Tile Angle Grinder
New wheels are used for dry cutting, diamond dusting or for work on concrete. An angle grinder is best used with adjustable speeds. At a rotation speed above 3.5 thousand rpm, the tiles crack, and the dust content increases significantly.
The angle grinder can be used to cut floor tiles, porcelain stoneware and wall tiles. With a certain skill, you can cut circles 70 mm in diameter and make curly cuts.
The cut is made from the back of the tile, as small chips may remain on the surface. The canvas is placed on a solid and even surface, mark the fishing line with a marker, draw an angle grinder around it and break off the part that is longer. The cut surface can be trimmed with the same angle grinder.