How to trim tiles without chipping

The subtleties of working with porcelain stoneware

Tiles are used to decorate not only the walls, but also the floor. To do this, use a harder porcelain stoneware tile. it is cheaper than marble or granite, but not inferior to them in strength.

Many are wondering how to cut tiles without a tile cutter. In this case, you can also use an angle grinder with cutting wheels.

Basic requirements for a tool for processing porcelain stoneware at home:

• Use only blades specially designed for cutting porcelain stoneware and other hard materials, with a diamond coating of the maximum height.
• the angle grinder must be equipped with a speed controller.
• To avoid chipping, it is recommended to buy solid metal discs with a minimum thickness.

Recommendations for preparing the workplace and performing cutting:

• A flat, stable surface is selected to securely fix the tiles. It is recommended to put a thin layer of foam under it.
• The workpiece is secured with clamps.
• Using a marker or glass cutter, the mowing line is guided to cut. It is recommended to pre-stick adhesive tape on the surface of the workpiece in order to minimize the likelihood of chips.
• You need to saw at a short distance from the markings so that there is a margin for subsequent leveling and grinding of the cut.

Straight cut

To make a straight clean cut without chips, you need to follow these rules:

• the tile is fixed on the table so that the cut part goes beyond its limits;
• markings are applied to the workpiece;
• the cutting tool is positioned at right angles above the cutting line;
• The angle grinder must be moved slowly and smoothly towards you so that the trim line is visible.

Tile cutting discs

The cleanliness of the tile edge after cutting depends on the correct angle grinder attachment. You can use different discs, while the quality of the work performed will also be different.

The following types of discs can be used to cut tile material:

• Stone. This is the cheapest angle grinder attachment, the roughness and thickness of which make it impossible to get an even and clean cut. After using stone discs, the tile has many chips and an inaccurate cut, it takes a lot of time to refine the material, and the process itself is quite laborious.
• Steel. Such nozzles are solid, segmented, combined. Without cooling with metal samples, you can work continuously for no more than 1.5 minutes. Then the angle grinder must be allowed to cool slightly without turning off. Experts recommend using steel discs with additional diamond coating for high-quality cutting of slabs. They are thin, during the work a lot of dust does not form, and the cut is smooth and clean.
• Solid steel. They are used for ceramic tile materials. the cut is clean, and the side of such a disc can additionally grind the edge. The instrument should be allowed to cool periodically. If a solid red streak appears (sparking), it is recommended to apply the disc several times over any abrasive surface, such as a concrete base.
• Metal segmented. Nozzles of this type are designed for processing natural stone, porcelain stoneware, paving slabs. The working surface of the discs is divided into segments that allow cooling the nozzle during operation.
• Combined (turbocharged). These are versatile discs that can be used for any material. The nozzle has an intermittent cutting edge and wavy working surface, which increases the thickness of the mowing line of the cut and generates more dust.

Ceramic cutting technique

The work begins with drawing lines to cut off excess parts. To do this, many use a simple pencil or colored markers to better see the line of the cut. Experts recommend marking the workpieces with a glass cutter or other cutting tools. during the cutting process, a lot of dust is generated, when removed, the mowing line drawn with a pencil will be erased, and they will have to be reapplied.

Curly cutting

In a tile, you often have to make round holes, for example, for a pipe.

Sequence of work:

• markup: draw a circle, mark the center;
• cutting begins on the inside of the marking and at an angle, the tool is carried out along the entire circumference;
• at the next stage, the circle is visually divided into sectors that need to be cut and removed one by one;
• the cut is processed with a file until a flat circle is obtained.

Obtuse angle

If you need a tight joint, cut the tile at an angle. To do this, you need to have experience in performing such work. To facilitate the task, you can make a straight cut, and the corner can be made using sandpaper or a grindstone.

Cutting curb slabs

Paving slabs differ from other materials in their structure. Concrete is taken as a basis, and granite crushed stone is used as a filler. For cutting such workpieces, an angle grinder is recommended to purchase combined or segmented diamond wheels.

The work area should only be set up outdoors as there will be a lot of dust during the cutting process. If it settles on an already laid tile, you need to immediately remove dirt, since dust eats into the material and changes its color.

It is recommended to carry out work in protective clothing, respirator and goggles. For products of small thickness, the standard through-cutting technology is used, and the thick tiles are first notched, then the excess part is chipped off.

How to cut tiles without damage

You can use different tools to neatly trim tiles when laying it, but masters who are independently engaged in repairs are more often interested in the question of how to cut tiles with an angle grinder without chips.

Most popular tool

The following types of hand, plucked and electric tools are used to cut tiles:

• roller glass cutter;
• tongs-shaped tile cutter;
• manual tile cutter;
• electric drill with edging wheel;
• Sander;
• electric machine.

Each of the listed tools is capable of qualitatively cutting a certain type of tile. To prevent cracks and chips, certain rules must be followed for the use of a particular tool.

How to cut ceramic tiles without chips

Ceramic tiles are still a popular and quality finishing material. Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of tiles in various colors and original designs.

To achieve the best effect, it is necessary to choose not only the color you like, but also prepare the tiles to size. This is especially necessary with the correct laying out of the upper and lower layers on the wall and vertical corners.

Application methods

The use of each tool for cutting ceramic tiles is limited by several factors: the thickness of the tile, its coating, geometric dimensions, and the density of the internal structure.

When using a tong-shaped tile cutter, it is necessary to gradually separate the cut part by bending it. These operations are simplified by using a special mechanical tile cutter.

The electric tool provides a faster and better cut. The main condition for its successful application is the correct choice of the cutting wheel and the engine speed.

To cut correctly and prevent unintentional chipping, the tiles must be firmly fixed to the surface. This can be done with a special tool such as clamps.

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The high engine speed ensures reliable cutting along the line of the mowing line. However, a large amount of dust should be taken into account, which makes it difficult to maintain the correct direction of travel. To eliminate this problem, it is necessary to wet the cutting line of the cut.

Tile cutter. tongs

angle grinder and jigsaw

With an angle grinder (angle grinder). an angle grinder, a straight cut can be applied to ceramic tiles. When carrying out work, it is recommended to use protective equipment: goggles protect eyes from dust, respirator. respiratory organs, headphones. hearing organs, gloves. hands. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the equipment. change discs when grinding them in order to prevent injury to the operator and breakage of the tool.

angle grinder with accessories

First, it is recommended to mark the material using a pointed tool (nail or drill), scratching the tile. The material is placed on the work surface. table or floor. In order not to damage it, it is necessary to put fragments of plywood, cardboard, dense fabric under the tile, fix the material with a clamp.

Sections that are less than 2 cm in length are considered small. In this case, the cut is made immediately to the entire thickness of the material. When making a straight cut, it is recommended that the indentation along the outer edge of the tile does not exceed 3 mm in one pass. This reduces the likelihood of material damage.

To make curved cuts with large radii of curvature, a jigsaw with a file for ceramics, natural or artificial stone is used. For the convenience of working with a jigsaw, you must use the “precise cut” mode.

Cutting tiles with a jigsaw

We cut with tongs with a cutter

The technology consists in cutting off the main part of the tile with a cutter, like a glass cutter. Then, with the help of pliers, the cut shape is brought to the required profile. Finally, the unevenness is cleaned and the final shaping is performed. If you try, you get the shape of the hole or cut with the given parameters.

Angle grinder angle grinder

Let’s take a look at how to cut tiles without a tile cutter using an angle grinder. This will require:

• Machine with a diamond wheel of appropriate grit.
• Smooth, stable surface to get the job done.
• Ruler or pre-drawn line on the back of the tile.
• Substrate under the tile so that it does not wobble or slip during the cut.
• It is advisable to connect a vacuum cleaner, because a lot of dust will be generated during operation.

After the tile is stable, you can start cutting. You should start from the near edge and lead the stone in such a way that it runs over the front covering. So chips will form only from the bottom, and the top will remain smooth. It is convenient to make incisions in the same way.

What discs are used for cutting tiles

For cutting ceramics, special discs are required, which can be stone or metal with diamond coating. Stone ones are rarely used, since they are quite thick and quickly grind off, and during work they generate a lot of dust. The cost of stone discs is several times less than metal ones, but experts prefer to work last.

Metal discs can be:

It is preferable to process ceramics with solid discs. When working with such discs, there is a time limit: they cannot continuously cut for more than 1-1.5 minutes. Then let it cool down while the angle grinder is idling.

Segmented for cutting paving stones, porcelain stoneware, natural stone or concrete.

The segments are designed for better cooling of the tool during operation.

How to cut tiles without a tile cutter

Figured breaking

Figured breaking in ceramics is not easy. To do this, you must first make many cuts with a small step from the end to the figured cut. The smaller it is, the more accurate the bend will be on the ceramic. The cuts are made just short of the main mowing line. Then, with the help of forceps, each segment is carefully broken out and unnecessary ceramics are removed with small bites.