When carrying out finishing work with the use of tiles, there is always a need to cut tiles into pieces, to cut something. A special tool is used for this, but how to cut tiles without a tile cutter? Many people think that this is impossible, but there are interchangeable tools, and tile cutting is no exception. Cut the tile with improvised means, you just need to be patient and time-consuming.
Tile cut by different methods
Alternative tools, features
There are many possibilities to cut tiles without equipment using the following tools:
Cutting Tools
Angle grinder. a grinding unit that, when using special nozzles with diamond coatings, cuts tiles, other materials (even floor tiles, porcelain tiles).
Glass cutter is a device that has the size of a ballpoint pen and copes with tiles, but confidence and clarity are required in the work.
Drill. suitable for rounding, holes, while using different nozzles (drill, ballerina, crown).
Pliers. the edge of the tool cuts the upper layer of tile, makes a line of break. Often used for curly cuts.
In addition to these tools, they use a spray saw, a jigsaw, even a nail.
Attention! When working with tiles, nozzles with diamond spraying are used. others do not cope, spoil the material.
Technology of work
Glass Cutting Tile
An affordable simple method to cut tiles is the use of a manual glass cutter, which operates on the same principle as a mechanical glass cutter, only operations are performed manually. The most suitable for the job is considered to be a tool with diamond tips and a roller made of hard alloys.
Glass cutter. an affordable method to cut tiles at home
When performing work, adhere to a certain sequence:
- The first step is to mark the incision with a marker or pencil on the front side.
- Lay it on a hard, even surface.
- A ruler is applied to the markup.
- A manual glass cutter is applied to the farthest point away from you.
- Having pressed on the ruler (so that it does not move) and on the glass cutter, with a steady motion with uniform pressure, they carry the line from the far edge to itself. In this case, the cutter should not be pressed strongly. When the line is drawn, a crunch is heard, at the end the glass cutter should come off the tile.
Attention! The notch line is made so that a visible mark remains on the enamel. Do this only once, since when re-cutting the tile will break unevenly.
- A break line that has appeared is tapped with a wooden handle of a glass cutter.
- The tile should be exposed so that part of it is a canopy.
- On the exposed edge of the tile, which is located on a table or other flat surface, press, break along the line that is drawn. If the fishing line is deep enough, then the fault is obtained without chips, neat, even.
You can break the product along the break line if you put cloves, a match under the tile, press from 2 sides. This method of breaking is popular with a large amount of cutting. time is saved on transferring the tiles to a flat surface for breaks.
Video: How to Cut Tile Without a Tile Cutter
In this way, cuts into strips of more than 5 cm are well obtained, but smaller strips are difficult to break off qualitatively. To do this, use a block, a clamp at home: the narrow part is clamped, and the wide part is broken off by a sharp downward movement.
Manual glass cutter is used if you want to cut several tiles. In the case of a large number of cuts, it is advisable to use a special tile cutter tool, which has a large wheel making a deep cut.
Tile cutting angle grinder
Initially, an angle grinder was used for cutting marble, porcelain tile. Cutting an angle grinder is a noisy job, but this method is widespread. Using this tool, even complex corners are cut out of tiles. To work, you should prepare the tool:
Regardless of the type of tile (ceramic or porcelain tile), the first thing to do is marking. To do this, use a ruler, construction corner, tape measure, marker or pencil.
When working with a tool such as an angle grinder, one should not forget about safety precautions: the machine must be with a protective cover, which in case of what will take on the main impact force. Be sure to wear safety glasses. After observing the safety rules are accepted to work.
Before starting work, check the reliability of fastening the diamond wheel on the spindle. Another type of drive will not cope with this task. After turning on the machine, wait until it picks up speed. Only after that they start cutting along the intended line.
We cut the material on the front side to ourselves, i.e. in the direction of the drive. The car is held upside down so that the drive spins "away from you." To obtain a direct cut, angle grinders are held flat. To get a cut at 45 degrees, the tool is fixed on its side. Due to the high revolutions of the disk, the cut is smooth and clean.
Attention! The tile should be well fixed so that nothing interferes with the cutting element, the tile does not move and is on the surface of the support. Be sure to fix the sides with clamps.
The cut can be carried out in several approaches, gradually immersing the saw deeper, without losing momentum, so you should not press. For a better cut, before each approach, the cut line is abundantly moistened with water.
Advice! The quality of the cut will improve regardless of the selected cutting method, if the tile, for example: for the floor, is left in the water before working for an hour.
Alternative glass cutter accessories
When the house does not have a glass cutter, angle grinder, then you can use a durable sharp object to mark the furrow. Will fit:
- cutter;
- filed with emery;
Winning Drill Cutting
- drill bit;
- construction knife;
- alloy steel, other.
The main thing is to hold such an object in your hands while holding a furrow. To carry out the cutting line with a construction knife, you will have to carry out the line several times.
In emergency cases, a circular saw is used, although it has low revs. The appropriate disk is selected (with spraying), the shaft accelerates to the maximum speed. Then slowly, without pressure, a cut is carried out along the intended line. The cut is made submersible, longitudinal, necessarily wetting the cutting point with water.
Tile Cutting
Sometimes in the tile you should make curly holes for laying near the pipe, plumbing. This can be done in the following ways:
- a drill;
Curly cuts
- Angle Grinder;
- pliers
- jigsaw;
- glass cutter.
How to cut a tile angle grinder, glass cutter is clear. but how to work with pliers? Draw on the tile fishing line cut. Then with small pliers break off small pieces. Clippers with a clamp do a good job of this. The upper carbide clamp cuts the glazed surface, and the lower holds the product from the bottom.
When using a drill, ordinary drills are used to outline the contour, and then break off the excess pieces with nippers. All kinds of nozzles will help to make curly cutting of material: feather, crown, and others.
Attention! It is not worth biting off large pieces. the edge of the cut will be of poor quality, ugly. Additionally, after working with wire cutters, a special emery cloth is used, a file for cutting irregularities.
The holes in the tile are made using a circular saw, which has a carbide tip for making round holes. It is used to create curly tile cuts. The tool is suitable for hard and soft tiles. Sawing slowly, collecting a lot of dust around itself. Therefore, the product should be dipped in water.
Each method of cutting tiles without special tools is good in its own way. You can cut the product with the help of improvised devices. Of course, the performance will be low, but with small volumes. this is an economical solution.