How Can You Cut Tiles If There Is No Tile Cutter
How to properly cut tiles without a tile cutter How to cut tiles without a tile cutter is actually not difficult. When making repairs in an apartment, it is often necessary to replace many devices with improvised ones, such as a tile cutter with a simple glass cutter.
How can you cut tiles without a tile cutter
If it was required to cut the tiles and there was no tile cutter or glass cutter at hand, then you can make a simple “cutting” tool with your own hands. To do this, you need a thick and long nail or drill.
Next, we sharpen the selected workpiece on an emery wheel as sharp as possible and without edges, however, do not make the point thin, otherwise it may simply break. If we sharpen with edges, then in the process of cutting the tiles, the ruler or corner, which are used as guides, will be scratched.
After making our own tool, we start cutting the tiles:
- Take a tile and place it on a solid, perfectly flat piece of a wooden block.
- Using a ruler, apply the mowing line, along which we will cut.
- We take a metal square and press it against the mowing line of the cut, also take our own made tool and carry it with medium effort along the intended mowing line. To obtain the proper depth, you can nail or drill several times. In this case, the square acts as a guide.
- After these operations, we put the tools aside, take the tile with both hands and break it with sharp short blows on the even and hard edge of the wooden block. After that, erase irregularities and sharp edges with sandpaper.
In search of savings, you can do without purchasing a tile cutter. You can cut, cut, cut floor or tile using a conventional glass cutter, angle grinder, sharpened drills or nails, or a jigsaw. However, before you get used to cutting even edges with these tools, more than one tile will deteriorate. Cutting tiles requires great concentration and precision.
The better to cut the tiles if there is no tile cutter
Without using a tile cutter, you can trim the end of the material at a 45 degree angle. To do this, you need to take an angle grinder, clamp the tile in a vice and, stepping back from the front edge a couple of millimeters, lead the angle grinder.
You should not be loyal to safety measures (wear safety glasses). A cut ideally under 45˚ will not work, washed down is masked with grout. Also, the angle grinder can be applied to the tile with a groove in sizes from 2 mm to 4 mm and broken along the mowing line of the cut.
How to properly cut tiles without a tile cutter
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).
How to cut tiles with wire cutters
Nippers are indispensable when cutting holes in tiles for water pipes, platbands, hoods, furnaces and other structural obstacles. Better fracture is done with a pair of wire cutters equipped with two carbide clamps. The upper clamp cuts through the glazed surface of the tile, while the curved lower clamp holds the tile from below. Before work, a contour is applied with a felt-tip pen, along which it is necessary to make a cut. Rather, in this case, the tool does not cut, but bites off fragments of the tile until a groove of the desired size is obtained.
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.
How to cut tiles with a tile cutter?
- Tool List
- Manual tile cutter
- Safety engineering
- Basics of carving
- Electric tile cutter
- Safety rules
- Tile cutting
- How to cut tiles without a tile cutter?
- Angle grinder
- Jigsaw
- Figured breaking
Tile is one of the oldest ways to decorate a room. Despite this, it is used to this day, taking its rightful place along with modern finishing materials. Thanks to its technical characteristics and beautiful appearance, the tile has become the market leader in cladding products. Many people prefer it.
When laying tiles, you cannot do without cutting it, since ceramic tiles are often not suitable for their dimensions. Therefore, in many cases, they are pruned. And without certain knowledge and special tools, this is not so easy to do. If you are not going to lay tiles for professional purposes, then you can save on buying a high-tech tool. So, you can purchase a manual tile cutter.
Manual tile cutter
Many people use a manual tile cutter when cutting tiles, as this is one of the most convenient options. It is of high quality and inexpensive at the same time.
A manual tile cutter consists of the following components:
- Support (it is also the basis);
- Guiding part of the structure;
- Cutting element, consisting of a roller and a cutting disc;
- Lever.
The optimality of the option is as follows:
- Due to its simplicity of design, it is easy to use;
- The handle that moves the carriage with the cutting disc acts as a lever;
- Due to the laws of physics, the cutting effort is reduced;
- Allows you to make an accurate cut.
But this tool also has its drawbacks:
- Such a tile cutter cannot make a cut at a distance of less than 5 mm from the edge of the tile;
- If you want small pieces, about 5-7 mm, you have to be very careful. It is possible that the tile will break.
Safety engineering
When using a tile cutter, it is important to study the safety rules inherent in any such tool:
- Before starting work, you should examine the subject, see if there are any breakdowns or other damage;
- The carriage should run smoothly, smoothly and without pushing;
- Tubular guides should not contain pieces of tiles, traces of mortar and other debris. After cleaning, they should be lubricated with machine oil;
- The disc for cutting tiles itself should rotate easily around its axis and not contain burrs;
- To avoid injury, it is advisable to use special goggles and protective gloves.
It is recommended to use the invaluable experience of specialists
To cut material when carrying out facing work at home, you must have the following tools:
- Flat surface;
- A guide fence with a right angle at one end, the so-called “square”;
- Drill with a victorious tip;
- Glass cutter, office knife;
- “Tile-cutting pliers”. Miniature pliers with a wheel for cutting tiles on one side and a transverse convex plate on the other;
- Drill with nozzles in the form of “crowns”;
- Jigsaw with diamond wire;
- “Angle Grinder”.
To cut off a part of the tile with high quality, you need to draw a clear groove on the glossy surface and then break it with a quick confident movement. This can be done easily using different tools: glass cutter, drill with a victorious tip, a cardboard knife and a ruler. The procedure in all cases will be the same:
Glass cutter is the most affordable tile cutting tool
- Put the tile on a flat surface with the inside side down;
- Make the necessary markings and draw a clear line with a pencil using a “square”;
- We draw a furrow along the ruler, pressing with medium force on a glass cutter or drill;
- We put a drill under the cut line, press on the tile from both sides and break it. Alternatively, the tile can be broken by placing it on the edge of the table along the cut line and pressing down sharply.
It is much easier to break tiles with the help of the “rolling pliers”, as they are specially designed for this. It is enough to bring the transverse plate from above so that the cut groove passes exactly in the center of the pressure plate, and then squeeze the forceps. In this case, a quality fault is obtained.
Pinch the tile with pliers in the center on the marked mowing line and push down on the handles
At home, you can make quite suitable tools for cutting tiles if you cannot use a special tool. For example, a 6 or 8 millimeter diameter drill with a victorious tip can be ground on a diamond disc like a pencil. The main thing is: do not grind off the victorious layering and make the edge without edges. The rounded shape of the tip allows for deep cuts when applied to the side of the “square”.
All of the above methods are suitable for cutting wall tiles, but when working with thicker floor tiles with a dense structure, use other tools.
For example, it is advisable to use an “angle grinder” along with the tools at hand. At the same time, in order to complete it, the most suitable discs for cutting granite with a smooth crown and diamond discs, which allow you to quickly cut the tile material.
The cutting process of an angle grinder is quite simple and accessible even to non-professionals
The sequence of work can be as follows:
- First, you need to draw a fairly deep line with a glass cutter or a special drill. To do this, you can run it over the outer surface several times.
- Then, using the “angle grinder”, you need to start cutting carefully along the outer edge of the notch. In this case, it is desirable to deepen by no more than 3 millimeters. After performing this procedure 2-3 times, you can get a high-quality cut.
Floor tiles can be cut in another way:
- We also draw a furrow on a glossy surface using the same tools at hand.
- We turn over the tile and make an incision “angle grinder” from the inside exactly along the outer marks.
- After breaking, it is recommended to sand the edges with sandpaper.
Tiles can be cut straight and shaped using an “angle grinder” with a diamond disc. The productivity of such work is comparable to an electric tile cutter. Although the quality of the cut with the help of the “angle grinder” is inferior, but if you need to carry out large-scale mobile work, this tool is indispensable. After the incision, additional resurfacing will be required.
The secret to properly cutting ceramic tiles without a tile cutter
During the use of ceramic tiles as a facing material, the methodology and technology of working with tiles has been constantly improving. They learned how to cut the tiles efficiently and with minimal physical effort. The result is a smooth, rounded edge that does not require additional sanding. In the creation of professional tools for cutting tiles, the unique features of the material were taken into account and, based on experience, the most effective ways of influencing it were formed.
A high-quality and efficient way of cutting is possible with an electric tile cutter that uses a diamond cutting wheel and a water supply. This technology guarantees the minimum amount of dust, the minimum expenditure of physical forces. How to cut tiles without a tile cutter? Is it possible to cut ceramic tiles with comparable results at home?
When laying tiles on a floor or wall, you will definitely need to cut ceramic tiles
Professional tilers, having thoroughly studied the properties of tiles, learned to use different tools for working with ceramic material. Over, if for some reason it is not possible to use professional equipment, they are able to make a tool from available tools. It is easy to cut tiles with such a tool.
Particular attention should be paid to safety when working with the “angle grinder”
- Work must be carried out in goggles and a respirator, as cutting in this way is accompanied by a lot of dust.
- Do not use the tool without a protective “casing” and with a loose disc. In this case, cutting can only be done with a diamond blade.
- The cut should be made in the direction “away from you”.
- The tile material must be rigidly fixed to a horizontal surface.
- The “angle grinder” is a dangerous tool, therefore certain skills are required to work with it.
If you want to make holes at home and cut semicircular mowing lines, use a drill with special attachments, nippers with carbide clamps.
To make holes in the tiles, use a special drill bit
When drilling you need:
- Prepare a point on the tile, having previously discarded the glaze;
- Start drilling with a spear drill, and then use the nozzles.
The peculiarity of working with forceps consists in “biting off” fragments of ceramics along a previously drawn contour. It should be remembered that only small pieces need to be removed. In any case, after such procedures, it is important to sand.