How to cut tiles manual tile cutter. Note on using a tile cutter
Popular and comfortable material The final finishing touch for the bathroom, toilet and kitchen is clay tiles; when laying them, you always need to clearly mark them, in addition to cutting them to the required sizes. If we talk about the industrial scale of construction, then in most cases craftsmen use a mechanized (electronic) tile cutter, but for home use the manual version is completely suitable.
What is a manual tile cutter?
Tile cutter is the combined name of a group of instruments created to obtain direct or figure cutting on clay or tiles. As for the design, then manual tile cutter consists of the following parts:
- The base, which is the supporting part for all other parts;
- Tubular guides designed for precise movement of the cutting element;
- The cutting element is an iron roller mounted on an axis with a pointed edge;
- A handle designed to move a carriage with a roller along the intended cut.
Long-term experience in construction work indicates that the implementation manual tabletop tile cutter at home is a balanced option both in terms of performance and accuracy, as well as simplicity. Advantages of using a manual tile cutter:
- Ease of operation due to the simple design of the device;
- The handle in the design plays the role of a lever, significantly reducing the effort with which you need to cut the tiles;
- Quite a clear cut (compared to the simpler method, glass cutter).
But the introduction of this version of the tile cutter imposes certain restrictions on the processing of tiles. So, for example, it is impossible to get a cut less than 5 mm from the edge of the tile. If you try to do this, there is a high risk of breaking the edge. Also, read the article on how to use a tile cutter.
Preliminary work
Manual tile cutter- a simple, but nevertheless cutting tool that requires certain preparation and sequence of actions to obtain a clear result. Let's talk about them more carefully.
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Well before then how to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter, you need to carry out preparatory preparations:
- Inspect the structure of the tile cutter for visible damage and unevenness of the guides.
- Check the smooth movement of the carriage with the cutting roller along the tubular guides. It is important that they avoid contamination, which will be a hindrance. If you have just cleaned them, then there is an option to apply a small amount of machine oil to the surface for lubrication.
- You need to check the condition of the cutting roller. It should spin freely without unnecessary sounds such as creaking or jamming. If there is damage to the cutting roller (for example, burrs or gouges), then it should be replaced. Otherwise, bulges or cracks will appear on the cut.
How to cut tiles
How cut tiles Houses, cutting tiles, video.
How to cut tiles. The cheapest tile cutter
We answer the main questions. how tame cut with a tile cutter tiles ? How true cut.
Before you cut the tiles with a tile cutter, you should take care of your safety. To prevent scratches, cuts and other problems, you should use construction gloves. While cutting the tiles, do not allow your fingers to get under the cutting roller. Also, when making a cut, the tile needs to be broken along it, this creates small particles that, of course, get into your eyes - wear safety glasses.
Cutting tiles with a tile cutter: a general beginning
After preparing the tile cutter for use, we begin cutting the tiles. For this purpose, clear surface markings are useful. So, for this purpose, an ordinary construction pencil is used differently, for example, a marker. Thanks to its use, we draw a marking line. Well before cutting floor tiles with a tile cutter or wall tiles, you need to fix them correctly relative to the cutting roller. For this purpose, in some designs of tile cutters, special clamps are used to ensure that the tiles are in one hundred percent motionless position. If there is no such clamp, then the tile must be held with one hand, and the handle with the cutting roller carriage with the other.
Before making the cut, you need to apply a drop of machine oil to the surface of the cutting roller, which will significantly reduce the friction of the surfaces of the roller and the tile, which will subsequently improve the quality of the resulting cut.
How to cut clay tiles with a tile cutter?
When the tile is accurately aligned with the marking strip, you need to lift the handle of the tile cutter so that the surface of the roller touches the front side of the tile. Now you can move the handle only towards yourself in a smooth motion. With all this, it is important to keep under control the force of pressure on the surface of the tile. With insufficient pressure, the cut will be too small to successfully break the depth tile.
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If you press very hard on the handle, then there will be ugly cracks on the decorative layer of the tile. If you are cutting a tile for the first time, then it is advisable to take a piece and experiment, because it is quite possible that you may not get an even cut.
Fundamentally: the cut is expected to be obtained in one longitudinal movement of the carriage with the cutting roller, otherwise the repeated dangers will not coincide with the first, so the cut will turn out to be inaccurate or excessively rough.
How to cut tiles with a tile cutter?
Tile its composition is virtually no different from clay. The only difference is the color of the base – it is lighter. But this actually does not affect the process of cutting tiles, so it is done in the same way as clay tiles.
What is needed, the incision is made. Now we lay the tile on a flat horizontal surface and lift one of the edges, very far from the cut strip. Now, carefully, but despite this, we press quite sharply on the tile in the area of the notched danger so that the tile breaks exactly along it.
If the cut is not clear enough, then its edges can be trimmed with a grinding stone or sandpaper. Use careful longitudinal movements to achieve a smooth edge of the cut. It is needed if the tile will be joined end to end with another. If it is located in a corner, then sanding the edge is not necessary.
Laying ceramic tiles is not complete without trimming or cutting the right size. You have to cut the tiles in the corners of the room, when laying along the walls and along the edges of the room, when laying on the floor. When cutting tiles, it is important to get a smooth edge of the tile without chipping, and it is important not to split the tile. To achieve this result, there are several types of special tools for cutting tiles. A tile cutting tool that provides excellent cutting results at a low price per tool is a manual tile cutter, which will be discussed in this article.
Manual tile cutter
The tile cutter is a manual cutter of small thickness. Cutting tiles is done by first cutting the glazed surface of the tile and then breaking it along the cut line. Tile cutters come in different sizes to suit the tiles they are designed for.
A manual tile cutter is the simplest and most convenient device, allowing you to cut the tiles into pieces. It costs from 500 rubles and more, depending on how sophisticated it is, and it saves a lot of time and effort. By the way, some stores rent it, so if you need it for a short time, ask the store or the place where you bought the tiles.
Manual tile cutter device
The manual tile cutter is designed as follows:
The tile is fixed and cut with a wheel (3) in a straight line along the line of the future fault. Then the lever (5) lowers and breaks the tile into 2 parts. The whole process takes a maximum of 1 minute.
- Before using the tile cutter, pour a few drops of oil onto the guide frame and marking wheel.
- Make sure the wheel is secured properly (it is often held in place with a small bolt) and that it does not move from side to side, otherwise the cut will be crooked.
- Check whether the wheel is worn out and if necessary, replace it (you can find a suitable one at a tile store). It will be easier to cut the tiles.
Depending on the structure of the tiles you are working with, you can cut even 5-6 mm tiles with a tile cutter. Typically, the denser the tile, the easier it is to cut with a tile cutter and therefore the more likely it is to cut a narrow strip. Although this is not necessary, it is better to experiment before making the necessary cuts. If you are unable to cut a thin strip of tile with a tile cutter, you can use an electric tile cutter or make a notch with a tile cutter and break off any excess with cutters.
As a last resort, you can use a glass cutter and a nail instead of a tile cutter. Use a glass cutter to score the tile and place the back of it on the nail, aligning the cut line with it, and press down on both sides of the tile with your thumbs. You can also cut tiles hand saw(a jigsaw) with a carbide blade, but the procedure will take from 5 to 10 minutes, while on a tile cutter it will take from 5 to 10 seconds. However, none of these methods gives such clean cut like a tile cutter.
How to properly cut tiles with a tile cutter
1. To directly cut tiles with a tile cutter, first mark the cutting lines with a felt-tip pen on the tile. 2. Place the tile on the base of the tile cutter, aligning the cutting line and the scoring wheel. (If you are making many cuts of a given size, use a screw to secure the bounding box in one position.) 3. Hold the tile in place with one hand and the wheel handle with the other. 4. Raise the handle so that the wheel touches the surface of the tile from its upper part and move the handle towards you. 5. Press with light pressure, enough to apply the mark and do only one pass wheel. Usually, if several passes are made along the cutting line, the cut will be of poor quality.Video: How to choose a manual tile cutter
How to cut tiles into pieces using a tile cutter
In order to divide the tile into parts along the intended line, install “wings” at the base of the handle at the level of the lower third of the tile. It is better to cover the “wings” with adhesive tape, thanks to this there will be no traces of them left on the tile. Many craftsmen hold the tile in position by lightly pressing the handle with the thumb of their left hand, then lightly striking the handle with the palm of their right hand.
If the tile does not crack, hit harder. If the tile still does not crack, take another tile and start all over again.
If the cut edge of the tile is visible after the tile is in place, you can smooth the sharp corner with a sanding stone or sandpaper. Craftsmen usually have several types of stone for soft and hard tiles. If the cut edge is covered by another tile, e.g. inner corner, there is no need to align the edges.
That's all. Good luck to you in your endeavors!
Video: How to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter
Every craftsman should know how to cut tiles with a tile cutter so as not to spoil the rather expensive material. Any facing works Ceramic tiles cannot be done without trimming when you need to get fragments of the required size and shape. For a good appearance, it is necessary that the cut is smooth and neat, and that after grouting the joints there is no sharp, uneven edge sticking out.
Classification of manual tile cutters
To cut tiles in small quantities, you can use hand tools. It is much more convenient to cut tiles in large volumes using electrically driven devices.
Based on the design features, the following types of manual tile cutters are distinguished:
- Roller. The simplest device in which a carbide roller is used as a cutting element.
- Mechanical. The tool is equipped with a rigid carriage, thanks to which you can cut with extreme precision.
- On bearings. The smoothness of the cutting action is determined by the presence of bearings on which the bushings are installed.
Cutting tiles can be done either with hand tools or with an electric tile cutter, grinder, wire cutters, or glass cutter. This can even be done with a jigsaw, but it is better to use devices specially designed for this, as they allow you to achieve the desired quality of cut.
Advantages and disadvantages of manual tile cutters
Like any other tool, a manual tile cutter has its positive and negative qualities, which should definitely be taken into account when choosing a device for cutting tiles.
Among the advantages are the following characteristics:
- independence from electrical networks;
- possibility of use at any temperature and humidity;
- compactness;
- light weight;
- low cost.
The disadvantages include the following qualities:
- cannot cope with a large volume of work;
- does not allow cutting a strip of tile less than 1 cm;
- Difficult to cut particularly hard materials.
Manual tile cutter device
The design of manual tile cutters is the same, there are only some differences regarding functionality. The following working parts are distinguished:
- a base that serves as a platform for the location of all working elements;
- tubular guides along which the carriage with the cutting wheel moves;
- carriage - in addition to the cutting roller, it is equipped with a special concave foot for breaking off the cut part of the tile;
- cutting element - carbide roller rotating on an axis;
- the handle that moves the carriage.
How to properly cut tiles with a tile cutter
Experienced craftsmen, before cutting the tiles with a manual tile cutter, recommend holding the tiles for some time in warm water. It will become a little softer, which will reduce the likelihood of cracks and chips. To reduce friction and improve cutting quality, it is recommended to drip machine oil directly onto the marking line or onto the cutting roller.
Safety precautions
You need to know how to safely cut tiles with your own hands and how to avoid possible injuries. There are a number of requirements that must be met:
- Inspect the tile cutter for functionality and damage.
- Check the carriage stroke. It should move smoothly, without jerking.
- The guides must be even and smooth, without damage.
- The cutting disc must have a smooth surface, without burrs or gouges. It should rotate on the axis freely, without creaking or getting stuck.
For safety reasons, you should use protective plastic glasses and fabric gloves.
How to use a manual tile cutter correctly
To use a manual tile cutter correctly, you should be guided by the following technology:
- Draw a marking line on the front side of the tile using a marker or felt-tip pen.
- Fix the material using special clamps, while the marking line should be located exactly under the cutting wheel.
- Place the cutting element at the beginning of the marking and lightly press it.
- Holding the handle, smoothly move the carriage away from you along the cutting line. The pressure should be strong enough to cut the glaze. If you apply great force, you can break the tile or damage the glazed layer at the cut site. Insufficient pressure will not allow you to disturb the hard coating and then break the tile.
- Move the handle to the middle, lower the lever (if included), then press it or hit it sharply. If there is no lever, the tile is placed on the edge of the table along the cut line and broken by pressing on the part protruding beyond the edge.
If everything was done correctly, the tile should break neatly exactly along the cut line. Some models have a built-in ruler and swivel base for cutting tiles at a 45-degree angle. More details in the video:
How to use a tile cutter
For a small number of tile cuts, you can use tile cutters. They are convenient for making rounded cuts and fine adjustment of fragments when laying tiles. This device is similar to pliers. The cutting roller is placed on holding jaws.
Cutting is carried out as follows:
- markings are applied to the glazed surface of the tile;
- an incision is made along the line in one motion cutting disc from the far edge to yourself;
- The tongs are placed with the tool feet up (on the glaze), the cut line should be in the middle (between the side surfaces of the feet);
- Carefully press the handles, breaking off the unnecessary fragment.
How to use a roller tile cutter
The roller tile cutter is the most simple device for cutting tiles, but its capabilities are limited. Soft material It can cut, but it will not be able to cut hard and dense tiles. This tool can only cut a few pieces, because its productivity is low.
Along the applied marking line, a groove is made with a cutting roller from edge to edge of the tile. If the cut is deep enough, the element easily breaks along the cut line. To do this, you can place the tile on the edge of the table or on a large nail and apply pressure.
How to use an electric tile cutter correctly
An electric tile cutter is considered specialized equipment for working with tiles of various thicknesses (even more than 16 mm). They can make straight, diagonal and curly cuts. The design of an electric tile cutter includes: a work table, an electric drive, a saw head with a tile cutting disc and a cooling system.
You can understand how to properly cut ceramic tiles with an electric tile cutter using the following instructions:
- marking is carried out;
- the desired position of the element is established along which the material is shifted along the cut line;
- the workpiece is placed on the desktop of the device;
- the engine turns on;
- With your hands, the tile is pushed towards the cutting disc (the force is increased when the disc comes into contact with the material);
- the equipment turns off.
Another type of electric tile cutter is available, in which the motor is located on top, and the tool must be held in your hands. In this case, stands are installed on a horizontal plane and tiles are laid on them. The tool makes a cut along the line.
Hand tools will be sufficient for small masonry areas and for a small number of cuts. When working with tiles, professionals will need a powerful and reliable power tool that allows them to cut better and has unlimited capabilities.
During renovation, when all the dirty, rough work is done, it is worth thinking about finishing the floor, walls and ceiling. Many people stop their eyes on the tiled cladding.
Tiled, like tiled, is one of the oldest, but no less practical coatings. Today, tiles are made from many different materials, such as ceramic, cement, stone and, in some cases, even glass.
Any tile, regardless of the material from which it is made, requires special care.
When covering walls or floors with tiles, it is almost impossible to guess the size of the surface to be covered, which is why fragment laying is still in great demand today.
Tiles are a very wear-resistant and durable material, however, when shaped cutting there are frequent cases of splits and cracks, which leads to complete unsuitability of the blade. It is impossible to make a perfectly even cut of a tile manually, without using any special tool. To save your money, time and effort, we will consider all possible options for cutting ceramic products.
For the first, cheapest and clumsiest method, you will need an ordinary manual glass cutter, which can be bought at any hardware store for 100-250 rubles.
This option is only suitable for thin tiles. This method involves the use of a ruler, a glass cutter and patience, but despite all your efforts, it is quite difficult to avoid defects: the tile tends to slip out or move out from under your hand, thereby making the cut uneven, and in places of strong displacement, a split is possible, which will make the tile unsuitable for use.
To make the correct cut, a deep scratch is made on the front side, which will then become the refraction point of the tile. With this cutting method, it is very easy to miscalculate the force of pressure: strong pressure will instantly crack the tile, and weak pressure will cause a crooked fracture.
Among the amateur and professional level The most popular method is to cut tiles using a manual or mechanical tile cutter. This method is relatively inexpensive, but no less effective than using an electric tile cutter.
A tile cutter, depending on the level and quality, costs an average of 300 rubles. You can find it cheaper, but the quality of such a tool fully corresponds to its low price. It is worth noting a number of other advantages of this tool:
The device of a manual tile cutter is considered to be as simple as possible. It uses a movable handle, at the end of which there is a cutting element and paws that break the tiles. The main surface of the tool has a shallow notch, with the help of which the break is as smooth as possible. Cutting tiles diagonally using a manual or machine-operated mechanical tile cutter is very simple.
The first thing to do is to secure the tile and prevent it from slipping. Should be secured front side to the handle. Then, without making much effort, move the handle along the surface of the tile, creating a scratch. The last step is to apply some force with your paws, which will lead to the breaking of the tile along the cut line.
Main disadvantage The disadvantage of this tool is that it will be extremely difficult to make a cut, and then a crease in the edge of the tile less than 5-6 cm, which is the determining factor when choosing a cutting method.
Cutting tiles using a grinder and stone circles is no less popular view work than cutting with a tile cutter.
Professionals choose this method for large work fronts, where smoother cuts can be neglected for the sake of speed of finishing and repairs.
To cut tiles or tiles using a grinder we will need:
- Bulgarian;
- diamond disc for cutting stone;
- pencil and ruler.
To make a cut, you need to take measurements, and then use a grinder to walk along the line without applying any pressure. extra effort. The grinder must slide smoothly over the tile, otherwise chips will form.
By repeating the same action several times, you will achieve a perfectly even cut. It is worth noting that The grinder should be pressed to the side opposite to the cut.
This will help minimize the number of chips.
The most the best solution, undoubtedly, the use of an electric tile cutter is considered. This is full-fledged professional equipment that will not only increase the speed and quality of the work done, but also increase your convenience. Such a tool can be considered a full-fledged machine tool: it is energy-consuming, massive and demanding to maintain.
But despite all this, the electric tile cutter is a leader among builders of any level - from amateur beginners to professionals. This method, despite its complexity, is considered the most productive and high-quality than its analogues.
An electric tile cutter uses the same device as a mechanical one. However, instead of a cutting element similar to a nail or blade, this device uses saw blade, similar to that, which is used in the grinder.
Very often, to decorate protruding corners, a cut in the shape of the letter “g” is necessary. Many people get confused because the tile cutter cuts the tiles strictly in a straight line.
The simplest solution is separation work surface into two components.
The first cut is made perpendicular to the long side of the tile, and the second cut is made parallel, thereby avoiding the terrible seam that occurs when folding two tiles into an “L” shape.
You can also try cutting using a glass cutter and pliers. A glass cutter makes a fairly deep mark, along which a break is then made using pliers.
Cutting down tiles at an angle of 45 degrees is no less common practice than making a shaped cut. If your tile cutter has an inclined mechanism, then such a cut will not be difficult, but if there is no such mechanism, do not be upset.
The tiles can be cut down using the same grinder “by eye”. While grinding, hold the tool slightly at an angle.
Such a cut is often needed to hide the outer, protruding corners of walls, but this method is not recommended for rooms with slippery floors.
It is safer to use curbs that will make the corner less acute, but will not greatly spoil the perception.
To learn how to cut tiles at 45 degrees at home, see the following video.
Tile is one of the most popular ways of designing and finishing buildings, and is considered the most practical option than its analogues. Initially, tiles were made from clay and covered with glaze. Now manufacturers are not limited to clay alone, but use stone, ceramics and even glass, although production technologies have not changed much.
The selection of the required sizes and shapes of the tile is achieved by cutting it. For an ordinary person not involved in the construction industry, cutting tiles is a complex, painstaking and not always successful process. However, in reality, anyone can cope with this.
The choice of tool depends on the goals and type of work.
For repair apartments will do a cheap manual tile cutter and a grinder, while for larger-scale work you can’t do without an electric tile cutter.
The process of cutting tiles is not complicated, however, you should not rely on luck and it is better to purchase a little more material. This will eliminate the need to run around, pick up and buy the missing one.
The appearance of the room and the quality of the work performed depend on the correct and accurate cutting of tiles.
How and how to cut ceramic tiles - an overview of methods and devices
When planning to lay tiles, you need to decide what to use to cut ceramic tiles. The facing material is available in several versions, and for each type of tile there is a priority method for cutting it. You will learn further about how to cut various tiles and what devices exist for this.
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The basis of most types of tiles currently produced is fired clay - ceramics. On the front side, the tile is covered with a thin, but more durable waterproof coating, which simultaneously carries an aesthetic load. Facing material is divided into two types:
- wall (for finishing vertical surfaces);
- for covering the floor surface.
Floor tiles can be used indoors or outdoors (for laying on thresholds, verandas, terraces). Floor tiles intended for indoor use are usually made with a smooth front surface; external tiles often have special anti-slip ridges or a rough surface, which is taken into account when choosing a cutting device.
Wall tiles are easier to cut than floor tiles due to the fact that they are thinner
With wall facing material It's not all that simple either. In addition to the most common tile, which has a smooth decorative surface, there are tiles with a relief finishing layer (including a frieze - dividing elements between the panel part of the wall and its “top”). Not all methods that allow you to cut smooth tiles are suitable for corrugated surfaces.
When choosing ways to cut tiles, take into account their thickness, strength, area of the intended cladding and the complexity of the pattern geometry. Wall tiles are thinner than floor tiles, their strength is lower, so they are suitable for cutting regular glass cutter or a manual mechanical tile cutter.
Floor covering material requires more serious tools, especially if its surface is rough or has anti-slip protrusions.
If a lot of complex patterns are expected (holes for sockets, bypassing pipe communications), care should be taken to have devices for shaped tile patterns.
When deciding which device to use to cut tiles at home, you should take into account the amount of intended finishing. For small areas and simple patterns, a simple tool is suitable. If there is a lot of work, it makes sense to use more advanced devices so that cutting the tiles does not take longer than laying them.
Nowadays, ceramic tiles are cut using several devices that differ in design complexity and functionality.
If you have to cut ceramic tiles at home, and the cladding area is small (for example, a kitchen panel), a regular glass cutter will do the job. These simple tools can be equipped with a cutting roller or a diamond tip. Choose a glass cutter that you have used to work with or whichever you find more convenient - you can cut the tiles with any type of tool.
If you need to cut a small amount of tiles, any glass cutter will do.
How to cut tiles with a glass cutter correctly? The essence of the process is identical to working with glass: you need to scratch a groove on the front surface, which will become a fault line.
To do this, first take the dimensions of the fragment required for laying, make the appropriate marks on the decorative side of the whole tile, and with a marker draw a straight line corresponding to the intended cut.
The tiles are laid on a flat surface located at a convenient height for working (table, workbench). Using the working part of the glass cutter with medium, even pressure, a movement is made from the far end of the tile towards you.
In this case, a clear shallow furrow should be formed without any interruption areas. To make the cut as smooth as possible, you can use a guide bar.
But it is better to make the cut under visual control, aligning the cutter with the drawn line. It is not advisable to run a glass cutter twice along the same line - it is very difficult to hit the same groove a second time.
As a result, the cut will not be of very high quality. You should try to make a furrow in one movement.
Then we do the following. If the cut part is more than 3-4 cm, lay the tile on a table (face up) or other hard surface so that the cut line coincides with the edge of the stand. We place the wider part on the table, the narrow section hangs down.
Firmly holding the part of the tile that lies on the table, you need to sharply press on the hanging fragment, as a result of which it breaks off exactly along the drawn groove. When the width of the cut fragment is small, another tactic is used - the excess part of the tile is gradually broken off with special nippers.
If you don't have them on hand, you can use regular pliers for these purposes.
Cutting tiles with a glass cutter requires skill and steadiness of hand. These qualities are acquired quickly, so don’t be upset if you don’t get the desired result the first time.
To quickly acquire the skill, you can sacrifice one tile and make many different strips and rectangles out of it, making cuts with a glass cutter, and then move on to cutting out the tile fragments necessary for laying.
The glass cutter is only suitable for working with smooth tiles
The glass cutter is suitable for working with smooth wall tiles. The corrugated surface of the tile cannot be cut with this tool. It is very inconvenient and time-consuming to make circular patterns using a glass cutter.
To do this, you will have to soak the tile for at least an hour (to soak the ceramic base), make a circular cut, and then look for a suitable stand that best matches the geometry of the intended hole. The tile is laid on a stand and gradual gentle pressure forces the cut section to separate from the main fragment of the tile.
It is problematic to deal with thick and durable floor tiles with a glass cutter, so if it is necessary to cut this type of tile, it is advisable to use more advanced devices.
A manual tile cutter is essentially an improved glass cutter, and its cutting element is the same roller, only more massive and durable, designed to withstand greater force.
The pressing force in the device under consideration is increased by a lever that forms a single mechanism with the cutting wheel and is mounted on a carriage moving along two parallel runners.
The guides are fixed to a frame equipped with a stand at the bottom, on which the tiles to be cut are laid. On the stand, according to the stroke of the cutting element, there is a built-in metal protrusion, which serves as a stop when breaking the tiles.
Movably attached to the movable carriage next to the cutting roller special device(press), with the help of which pressure is transmitted from the lever to both halves of the tile being cut.
There are many models of manual tile cutters, differing in the following characteristics that affect the performance of the device:
- maximum size of tiles that can be cut;
- mechanism for sliding the carriage along the guide rails (dry running, lubrication, bearings);
- backlash of the cutting element;
- material for manufacturing the main parts of the device;
- equipped with an additional device for cutting circular holes.
With better quality tile cutters, their cost increases accordingly, therefore, when choosing a cutting device, you should understand for what purpose it is needed.
If you plan to do one-time work on laying tiles in relatively small volumes, it is not advisable to buy a model at a price above average - an inexpensive product will do. When you plan to lay large areas of tiles, it makes sense to purchase a more expensive model.
High-quality manual tile cutters are widely used in their work even by professional tilers.
To properly cut tiles with a tile cutter, follow the following sequence of actions:
Manual tile cutter – handy tool, suitable for processing fairly thick tiles
To acquire initial skills in using the device, it is advisable to make several trial attempts.
A manual tile cutter is convenient to work with, but there are some limitations. This device, like a glass cutter, does not work on embossed tiled surface and some types of floor tiles, especially outdoor ones, are also too tough for the tool. In addition, a tile cutter will not be able to cut strips smaller than 15-20 mm.
A water saw is sometimes called an electric tile cutter, which is similar in design to a circular saw and is classified as a professional tool with corresponding capabilities and cost.
The device is equipped with a work table, in the longitudinal hole of which a diamond-coated cutting disk rotates. The peculiarity of an electric tile cutter is that the tile is cut in the presence of water, which abundantly wets the disc.
It is supplied to the site of the cut through a special pipe (in more expensive models) or the disc is wetted, being partially immersed in a pan of water.
Water saw – professional tool, suitable for cutting any tile
Wet cutting at high blade speeds allows you to form an ideal cutting edge that does not differ from the factory one (a chamfer is formed at an angle of 45%). Thanks to constant wetting, dust does not form during cutting, as well as chips on the cut tile edge.
Not only straight-line cutting, but also shaped cutting and the formation of holes of various configurations and sizes are possible. The quality and type of tile only affects the cutting speed, and even then only slightly.
A water saw will cut a strip of any width from any tile - wall, floor, and even porcelain stoneware. An electric tile cutter is the best option for cutting floor tiles, both indoors and outdoors, as well as tiles with a textured surface.
In this case, there is no need to use plastic corners when laying the facing material to cover the cut edge - just fill the corner seam with tile grout.
If you don’t have such equipment at hand (which is not surprising), you still need to cut different types of tiles, cutting out holes various shapes and sizes, you can use a universal power tool, one of the models of which will probably be in the arsenal of any home craftsman.
Angle grinders (angle grinders) or grinders are universal power tools with a wide range of applications in everyday life and in small industries. Grinders are also used for cutting various types of tiles, equipped with special “tile” discs or ordinary circles for concrete (no big difference was noticed between the results of these attachments when cutting ceramic tiles).
You can also cut any tile with a grinder, but the cutting edge will not be perfect
If you don’t have a tile cutter or other specialized tool, you can cut the tiles with a grinder. A grinder can be used to cut any tile – wall, floor, porcelain tile.
In this case, the surface topography, strength and thickness of the tile do not play a role.
The cutting edge is not as smooth and problem-free as when using an electric tile cutter, but taking into account the application tile grout or plastic corners when laying tiles, small flaws are acceptable.
To efficiently cut tiles without a tile cutter using a grinder, it is advisable to use small angle grinders designed for a disc diameter of up to 125 mm. They are more convenient to work with, especially when cutting shapes and forming holes in tiles.
But you need to take into account that grinders with small disc diameters usually have high speeds (3600 rpm and above), at which the tile at the cutting site overheats, can crack and numerous chips, so it is advisable to use an angle grinder with an adjustable number of revolutions when working with tiles .
It is convenient to cut tiles with a grinder, but there are several disadvantages of this process:
- a lot of dust is generated - it is impossible to work in a closed small room;
- when cutting, many small pieces of ceramic fly off, so the process requires compliance with safety regulations and the use of personal protective equipment (glasses are a must, a respirator is advisable);
- there is a possibility of electric shock, and in general, an angle grinder is a dangerous tool.
To cut a piece of tile in a straight line using an angle grinder, the necessary measurements are taken and the desired area is marked with an approximate line, after which the tile is laid on a flat surface, but not very hard (a piece of board, plywood, OSB board).
It is necessary to cut through the entire thickness of the tile only in cases of cutting off narrow strips; in other situations, only decorative layer, after which the tile breaks, as described above.
Cutting holes with a grinder (circular or rectangular) is done from the back side - this will result in fewer chips and other damage to the front side of the tile.
The described tools for cutting tiles are rarely used in isolation - it is much more advisable to combine the use of various methods.
For example, when laying wall tiles to cut straight fragments, it is good to use an inexpensive manual tile cutter or even a glass cutter (quickly, you don’t have to leave the room); for curly patterns and cutting thin strips, you can sometimes choose a grinder when working in an open space.
How to cut porcelain tiles - an overview of the necessary tools
The answer to the question of how to cut porcelain stoneware must be sought by anyone who is going to use this facing material.
Even if the dimensions of the room are a multiple of the size of the tile, it will still have to be adjusted in the places where utility lines exit.
Features of the material
Porcelain tiles are made by pressing a mixture of clay, quartz sand, feldspar and other minerals, followed by high-temperature firing.
The result is a dense material with a tiny number of pores and the highest hardness - 7 - 8 units on the Mohs scale.
For comparison: corundum has the same hardness (this type of mineral includes sapphire and ruby), only diamond and some other materials have a higher hardness.
This feature makes porcelain tile wear-resistant even under the most intense loads, but at the same time very difficult to process.
The problem is aggravated by the fragility of the material: if handled carelessly, chips appear on the front side. Therefore, the issue of choosing a tool for cutting porcelain tiles is very important.
How to cut porcelain tiles
Methods for processing this material are primarily divided into two types. Each of them has its own indications for use.
Manually
Cutting with hand tools is justified for small volumes of work. It is usually resorted to by owners of apartments and houses who decide to carry out repairs on their own.
Advantages of the method:
- an available tool is used;
- no dust.
Hand cutting tool
Flaws:
- low productivity;
- often poor cut quality.
Power tools
A professional has to cut porcelain tiles in large volumes, so he cannot do without power tools.
Advantages of the method:
- high speed of work;
- high-quality cut.
Using power tools
Flaws:
- a large amount of dust;
How to cut porcelain tiles without chipping
To avoid chipping on the front surface of porcelain tiles when cutting them, you must follow two rules:
Is it possible to use a glass cutter?
Porcelain tiles will be too tough for a manual glass cutter, with the exception of the thinnest varieties. When cutting thick modules, this tool is used only as an auxiliary tool.
Is it possible to cut porcelain tiles with a manual tile cutter?
This tool is quite suitable for cutting porcelain tiles. Please note that it requires some skill, so it is advisable to practice beforehand.
Manual tile cutter
What tools are used for cutting
The full list of tools used for cutting and drilling porcelain stoneware includes manual or electric devices.
Manual tile cutter
The cutting element in a manual tile cutter, as in a glass cutter, is a roller, but not a carbide one, but a diamond one. When rolled with pressing force on porcelain stoneware, microcracks form in the surface layer. Next, the tile is broken into two parts.
A manual tile cutter is used like this:
The cut must be made in one pass. When you roll the roller again, the cut will be uneven.
Electric tile cutter
An electric tile cutter cuts with a diamond-coated disk rotated by an electric motor. In addition, the motor moves a table with a tile fixed on it or a head with a disk (depending on the model) along the cutting line.
Discs called wet cutters are used. They provide high quality cuts, but require liquid cooling. Different models use two cooling methods:
Manual electric tile cutter Greapo PTC1200
When working, observe the following rules:
- The rotation speed of the disk at the beginning and end of cutting is slowed down.
- The tile is held by hand with sufficient force to avoid vibration. The module is pressed with hands on either side of the cut.
- When using a tool with static cooling, the water in the container is changed more often, otherwise the disc will capture the debris that accumulates in it, which will negatively affect the quality of the cut and the service life of the cutting element.
A disk clogged with crumbs is cleaned by cutting it into a brick made of pressed sand or installing it on the reverse side (if there is no indicator of the required direction of rotation).
Bulgarian
To cut porcelain stoneware, a diamond-coated cutting disc is also installed on the grinder, but designed for dry cutting (dry cutter).
It consists of segments, which improves heat dissipation, but degrades the quality of the cut.
Rules for choosing a disk for cutting porcelain stoneware:
- thickness - at least 2 mm;
- The width of the cutting edge is greater than the thickness of the tile (otherwise the quality of the cut suffers).
It matters which way the disk rotates. When installed with the wrong side, the cut is of poor quality and the risk of injury to the tool increases.
When cutting porcelain stoneware with a grinder, adhere to the following rules:
The tiles are not cut to size, but with a margin of 2–5 mm. It will allow you to sand the edge, removing chips and cracks. Grinding is done in a circle around the stone.
If the edge is intended to be hidden with a plinth or corner and therefore high demands are not placed on its quality, sanding may not be performed. Also in this case it is not necessary to cut the tile completely: it is cut and then broken.
Protect your eyes with goggles and your respiratory tract with a respirator, as a lot of dust is generated. You can reduce its amount in the surrounding space during work using construction vacuum cleaner. For this you will need an assistant.
To reduce damage to the front surface, it is recommended to first cut a shallow groove in it, and then remove the remaining material from the back side.
A circular saw
You can turn a circular saw into an electric tile cutter by replacing circular saw diamond-coated cutting disc. The tiles will have to be fed onto the disk manually, so you need to act very carefully.
Jigsaw
This tool can be used to cut thin porcelain tiles. To do this, it is equipped with a diamond-coated thread.
Electric jigsaw
Wire cutters
Using wire cutters, you can break off an edge of a small width - within 1-1.5 cm. To make the cut more even, you can first go over the tile with a glass cutter.
Ballerina
This tool is used to make large diameter holes in porcelain tiles.
It resembles a compass: it has a centering drill and one or two cutters on legs set aside.
The distance between the center drill and the cutters, and accordingly the diameter of the hole being made, is adjustable.
That is, the ballerina, unlike the crown, is a universal instrument.
The ballerina is used as follows:
During operation, the drill is cooled with water.
Sliding of the drill on porcelain stoneware at the beginning of drilling is avoided in different ways:
- scratch out a hole with a sharp corner of a file;
- stick paper tape;
- mark with a clerical proofreader;
- They use a jig - a block with a guide hole for the drill, pressed with force against the tile.
Waterjet cutting
An expensive installation is used that supplies a thin stream of water (tenths of a millimeter in diameter) under significant pressure with the addition of crumbs of solid material. The cut is performed quickly and efficiently, but such equipment is available only to large workshops.
Tool selection
For one-time work, it is not advisable to purchase a specialized tool. It is more rational to use an angle grinder, which is a universal tool and is available in every household.
A manual tile cutter is not suitable for cutting along a curve. Only a water jet machine, a grinder, a jigsaw and, if you have the appropriate skill, an electric tile cutter can handle this task.
A non-specialized tool does not allow for quality trimming.
Therefore, it is advisable for a home craftsman to use a combined approach: most of the modules, the edges of which will be hidden by a plinth or corner, should be trimmed independently with a grinder or a manual tile cutter, and those that will be in plain sight should be taken to the workshop for trimming with an electric tile cutter or water jet machine.
Sometimes it is necessary to trim already laid tiles. This can only be done with the help of an angle grinder.
Due to the absence of pores, porcelain stoneware is an extremely hard material, so cutting it requires the right tool and equipment. It is faster and more convenient to use a tool with an electric drive; manual tile cutters are only suitable for small volumes of work.
How to cut tiles with a tile cutter and grinder: detailed instructions
Ceramic tiles – construction finishing material, used for both wall and floor cladding.
Its production technology makes it possible to produce images with different strength indicators, not to mention a wide variety of external design. The most popular method of making ceramic tiles is pressing. Afterwards the clay is fired at high temperature. If the tile is covered with enamel on top, then we are talking about tiles.
A separate subtype of especially durable tiles is porcelain stoneware. IN clay mixture quartz, feldspar and coloring pigments are added. To impart aesthetic properties, it can also be coated with glaze.
Despite the differences in composition and production technology, both types of tiles are divided into:
- Wall-mounted. Lighter and thinner tiles. Moreover, porcelain stoneware is often used for cladding the facades of buildings. But, mainly, wall tiles are used in finishing bathrooms and kitchens.
- Floor tiles, which have greater weight, thickness and, as a result, increased wear resistance and strength.
When laying various types tiles have their own nuances. It is especially important to know the right technology how to cut tiles. After all, the need for this arises quite often.
When the tile does not fit entirely or it is necessary to bypass some protruding object, such as a pipe.
In this regard, the question arises, what is the best way to cut tiles? Which tool is more effective to use? And is it possible to complete this process yourself?
How to cut ceramic tiles
To start helpful advice. Before you start cutting ceramic tiles, soak them in water for at least half an hour, preferably an hour. Then draw a line of the intended cut on its surface with a marker. If the tile is tiled, then it is better to do this on the front side covered with enamel.
Among the most budget-friendly tools among those that can be used to cut ceramic tiles with your own hands is the usual roller glass cutter. Move it along the intended line, trying to apply the force as evenly as possible.
But the force must be sufficient to leave a groove on the enamel surface. Then, to lift it up, you need to place a match or a toothpick under the tile. And then gently press the tile in both directions.
If the edge of the fracture is not very smooth, then you can go over it with a sanding block with coarse-grained sandpaper.
In addition to this method, all the tools described below are successfully used for ceramic tiles.
How to cut porcelain tiles
Unlike ordinary tiles, porcelain tiles are more durable, even with the same thickness of the tile. Therefore, it requires the use of other cutting technologies.
So how to cut porcelain tiles? There are three answers to this:
- manual tile cutter;
- Bulgarian;
- electric tile cutter;
A little later we will look in detail at how to use these tools. And what instructions should you follow when working with them.
How to cut floor tiles
The average thickness of floor tiles is about 8 mm, which can be twice as much as ordinary tiles or porcelain stoneware. In addition, it has increased hardness and resistance to mechanical damage. Therefore, a manual tile cutter does not work very well for cutting floor tiles.
If you are looking for a budget solution, then the best option is an angle grinder. The main disadvantage of this method is that the cutting process creates too much dust, which not only instantly fills the entire room, but can also get into the upper respiratory tract and eyes.
The electric tile cutter, thanks to the water supply, is free from these disadvantages. But if the scope of work is relatively small, then purchasing it can be quite expensive. Otherwise, it is an all-around great tool for cutting floor tiles.
A good alternative would be the following method, which you can easily do yourself. We mark the future fault line on both the front and back sides of the tile.
For outside, covered with glaze, the same tool is used as for ceramic tiles - a glass cutter.
We roll it once along the markings; numerous repetitions will lead to a poor-quality cut.
And on the back side of the tile, use a grinder to make a cut about a couple of millimeters deep. Thus, we weaken the strength of the tile at the site of the supposed fracture. Then we place it on the edge of the table or any other surface, so that one rug is in the air. Then we break the tile by pressing on the free edge.
How to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter
The technology for working with it is extremely simple. Using a pencil or marker, draw a cut line on the surface of the tile. Place the tile on the base of the tile cutter, align it so that the markings coincide with the center of the base. Then we additionally make sure that the diamond roller passes exactly along the line both at the beginning and at the end of the marking.
Then we run the blade of the roller along the tile; the guides on which it is attached help us with this. The handle should be raised so that the paws do not touch the surface of the tile. Then we lower the handle, thereby breaking the tile.
Its advantages include:
- noiselessness;
- ease of use;
- affordable price.
Flaws:
- uneven cut edge;
- The tile must be held with your hands;
- strip width is at least 5 mm.
How to cut tiles with a grinder
A grinder with an installed diamond cutting wheel is a universal tool for working with any type of tile. In addition, the grinder is multifunctional, and its affordable price quickly pays for itself.
The technology of how to properly cut tiles with a grinder with your own hands is as follows:
- mark the tiles;
- we fix it on two planks, so that the cut point is between them;
- When cutting, the direction of movement of the grinder should coincide with the direction of rotation of the diamond blade.
As a last resort, you can use a cutting wheel for concrete; it is not so effective at cutting porcelain stoneware, but for cutting ceramic tiles its strength is quite sufficient. If you buy an angle grinder, then choose a model with adjustable blade speed.
The nuances include that the cut will be chipped, especially noticeable on the enamel side of the tile. This point must be taken into account when laying; it will be better if the cut is hidden with a corner or plinth.
But this fact is compensated by the fact that a grinder can cut not only in a straight line. Which makes it indispensable when you need to make a curved cut.
If necessary, all cut irregularities can be polished by replacing the diamond disc with a grinding wheel.
How to cut tiles with an electric tile cutter
In every way the most The best way for cutting all types of tiles. An electric tile cutter can quickly cope with a significant amount of work and leaves an even, high-quality cut. Cutting tiles at 45 degrees is quite a trivial task for him.
There are two main types of design. In one of them, the cutting wheel is fixedly fixed, and the platform can be moved towards the circular disk.
Or vice versa, the base platform is stationary, and the blade moves along guides that are located above the platform. The diamond-coated cutting wheel is partially immersed in a bath of water, or the liquid can be applied directly to the cutting site.
Thanks to this, the cutting surface is cooled, and the cut remains smooth and even.
Brief instructions on how to properly cut tiles with a tile cutter:
- mark the cutting line;
- place the tile on the platform;
- make sure that the beginning of the marking coincides with cutting edge disk;
- start the tile cutter;
- Holding the tile with both hands so that it does not deviate from its original position, cut the tile.
One of its advantages is that it allows you to cut thin strips less than 5 mm wide. But it has only one drawback - a fairly high cost.
Video: cutting tiles with a manual tile cutter yourself
Video: how to cut tiles with a grinder at home
How to cut tiles with a tile cutter
The easiest way to cut tiles into pieces is to use a manual tile cutter. Its cost varies from 200 rubles or more, but with the help of this tool you can save a lot of time and effort. Moreover, you can simply rent it in a store building materials. In this article we will tell you how to cut tiles with a tile cutter.
Tile cutter device
Manual tile cutter device
A cutting line is marked on the fixed tile, along which the tile cutter wheel is drawn. Next, the lever is lowered and the material breaks along the marked line. This work takes no more than 1 minute.
Rules for using a manual tile cutter:
- Before using the tile cutter, it is worth dripping oil onto the guide frame and wheel to apply the mark. Make sure the wheel is securely fastened. It should not move to the sides, otherwise you will get a crooked cut line. When the cutting wheel wears out, it is worth replacing it by purchasing a similar one at a hardware store.
Processing tile edges with nippers
- Before you begin the process, you should first try making a few experimental cuts of the desired curve. If you are unable to make the necessary cut with a manual tile cutter, you should use an automatic one, or make several cuts and break off the tiles in small pieces using nippers.
Cutting tiles with a glass cutter.
- How to cut tiles using a glass cutter and a nail As a last resort, a nail and a glass cutter are used for these purposes. Using a glass cutter, a notch is made on the front side of the material, the tile is laid on the nail with the back side so that the line made and the nail coincide, and then you press on both halves of the slab with your fingers.
- You can also use a jigsaw with a carbide blade on it. However, it will take much longer to complete the work this way. But none of the above tools will do the job better than the tile cutter itself.
Video
Video material presenting different ways tile cutting:
Technology for cutting ceramic tiles using a tile cutter
Drawing risks
To make a straight cut with a tile cutter, you need to draw a line on the material with a felt-tip pen.
When making many identical cuts, it is advisable to fix the frame with a screw in a given position. Hold the stove with one hand and the lever with the wheel with the other.
The lever must be raised until the wheel touches the surface of the tile, and then move the handle towards you. Using a little force, make one pass of the wheel, making a mark.
Pre-treat the wings of the instrument masking tape so that they do not damage the material.
Hold the tile in the desired position by lightly pressing the lever with the thumb of one hand, and hit the lever with the palm of the other hand.
After finishing the job, the cut edge may stand out. This is corrected by sanding it with sandpaper or a grinding stone. Stock up on the necessary type of stone that matches the structure of your slab. There is no need to trim the edges when they are covered by adjacent tiles.
Video
This video shows the operating principle of a manual tile cutter:
How and with what to cut porcelain stoneware at home (tile cutter, grinder, etc.)
Porcelain stoneware tiles are a universal facing material. With its help, you can finish both walls and floors, and it is used both indoors and outdoors.
Naturally, as when working with any facing material, when laying porcelain tiles you cannot do without trimming them.
And if a regular glass cutter is suitable for tiled or ceramic tiles, then with porcelain stoneware the issue is somewhat more complicated.
Since porcelain stoneware tiles are much harder and more durable, cutting them will require special tools, when working with which you must observe certain rules. So what and how is it better to cut porcelain tiles?
Overview of tools for cutting porcelain tiles
How to cut porcelain tiles? Experts advise choosing a tool based on what goals you are pursuing. Let's look at each in more detail.
Glass cutter
The glass cutter is not intended for cutting porcelain stoneware, but if there are no other options, you can use it
This tool is not intended for cutting porcelain stoneware, however, if there is no alternative, you can use it, however, only in cases where small amounts of work are involved.
A simple and reliable tool for cutting porcelain tiles
A simple and easy-to-use tool that allows you to cut even strips from porcelain stoneware. The tile is fixed with special clamps, after which an incision is made using a lever with a cutting element. As a result, the tile easily breaks at the point of the cut.
Electric tile cutter
Professional cutting of porcelain tiles
A professional tool that allows you to make almost perfect cuts with straight or slightly rounded edges. An electric tile cutter is designed specifically for these purposes, and therefore has clear advantages not only over manual devices, but also over electric ones.
Bulgarian
Porcelain tiles can also be cut with an ordinary grinder
This is a universal tool that can also be used to cut porcelain tiles. True, in this case the grinder must be equipped with a special “diamond” disk. The grinder is a good option for both professionals and amateurs.
Wire cutters
Nippers - the simplest tool for curly cuts
Nippers are the simplest tool for curly cutting tiles in general and porcelain tiles in particular. To be precise, the nippers do not cut, but break off small pieces of tiles, resulting in a groove or bend of the desired shape.
"Ballerina"
With the help of a ballerina you can make holes of any diameter
This is the name of a special tool with which you can make holes of different diameters in porcelain stoneware.
Hole saw
A hole saw or diamond bit makes perfectly straight holes in porcelain tiles
The best tool for both curly cutouts and making holes in tiles. Allows you to cut porcelain tiles of any thickness and hardness.
Comparison table of tools for cutting porcelain tiles
Porcelain stoneware cutting technologies
Let's look at the technologies for cutting porcelain stoneware using the most popular tools.
Manual tile cutter
Despite its simplicity, a manual tile cutter provides enough high quality work. The tool consists of a support platform, two guides, thanks to which the cut is perfectly smooth, a lever with a cutting roller and clamps for breaking the tiles.
The manual tile cutter is suitable for tiles with a thickness of 8 mm, 1 cm, etc. (up to 12 millimeters). Please note that the thicker the tile, the larger the cutting roller should be in diameter. Ideally, these two values should coincide.
Preparing the tile cutter for work
Before starting work, you need to make sure that the cutting roller is not dull and its size corresponds to the thickness of the selected tile. If necessary, the roller is replaced.
The ease of movement of the tile cutter along the guide rods is determined. If the cutting element passes tightly or, on the contrary, dangles, it is worth checking the bearings and cleaning the guides.
Cutting porcelain stoneware
The cutting technology on a manual tile cutter is quite simple.
- After taking measurements, make appropriate marks on the tile with a pencil or marker;
- the tiles are laid on the tile cutter platform, the cutting line is aligned with the cutting roller;
- so that the tile does not move during cutting, it must be fixed by hand;
- the roller is installed on the edge of the tile and, gently pressing the lever, it is drawn along the entire cut line;
The smoother you move the roller, the better the finished cut will be.
- after the cut is made on the tile, it is secured to the platform with fixing tabs so that the cut line is between them;
- They begin to press on the part of the tile protruding beyond the platform with their hand until the tile breaks.
When cutting with a manual tile cutter, the edges of the tiles are quite smooth, but the appearance of small chips and unevenness is possible. In this case, the deformed edge must be sanded.
Video: how to cut porcelain tiles with a manual tile cutter
We offer you a master class on cutting porcelain tiles with a manual tile cutter.
Bulgarian
A grinder can cut a wide variety of materials, porcelain stoneware is no exception.
Preparing for work
To cut porcelain stoneware, a special “diamond blade” must be installed on the grinder. When installing the disk, check that it is securely fastened, and be sure to wear safety glasses and gloves.
Working with an angle grinder
The technology for cutting porcelain stoneware differs little from cutting other materials.
- Markings are applied to the tile with a pencil along which the cut will be made;
Using a grinder you can make shaped cuts and even holes
- The tiles are cut along the marked line with a grinder. To reduce the number of chips, try to cut the tiles “in one go”;
- Since when cutting porcelain stoneware with a grinder, small chips and cracks may remain on the edges and front side of the tile, the end of the tile after cutting is cleaned with sandpaper or a grinding disc.
Electric tile cutter
If the two previous methods are considered within the framework of “dry” cutting, then the next technology refers to “wet”. In other words, during the process, water is supplied to the tile cutter, which protects the cutting element from overheating. This ensures an almost perfectly even and smooth cut.
Electric tile cutters come in two types: with a movable and a fixed disk. In the first case, the cutting module moves along the tile along special guides, in the second, the tile is fed onto the disk using a platform or simply by hand.
In addition to the platform and cutting module, most electric tile cutters are equipped with a container of water into which part of the cutting disc is immersed. This helps protect the disk from overheating and also significantly reduces the amount of dust during operation.
Preparing for work
Before starting work, you should check the reliability of the disk fastening and the presence of water in a special container.
If the tile cutter has already been used, then the cutting disc must be cleaned and the water changed, since porcelain stoneware chips that have fallen into it interfere with the cooling process.
Tile cutting
A professional tool allows you to cut porcelain tiles almost perfectly
The cutting technology itself with an electric tile cutter is very simple: a pre-designated cutting line is aligned with the cutting disk and a special lever moves it along the tile or feeds it onto the disk.
Since the cut edges on an electric tile cutter are almost perfectly smooth, no additional processing is required.
How to make holes in porcelain tiles
Sometimes situations arise in which porcelain stoneware does not need to be cut, but a hole must be made in it. In principle, this problem can be solved with the help of a small grinder, but in this case the hole will not be very even. Let's look at the two most successful methods.
"Ballerina"
A special tool that allows you to cut tiles and thin porcelain tiles. In its design, the “ballerina” resembles an ordinary compass. The cutter moves along a special bar from the central support, thereby making it possible to make a hole of any diameter.
To make work easier, the ballerina can be inserted into an electric drill
The technology of work is very simple: the center of the “ballerina” is fixed on the tile, and a circle is drawn with a cutter pre-fixed at the required distance.
After this, knock out the central part of the hole with a light blow. If you are working with porcelain stoneware, it is better to make several turns of the cutter without lifting the tool from the tile.
Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to get into an already drawn line.
Diamond crowns
A diamond crown makes it possible to make a perfectly even hole in porcelain stoneware, without special effort. Its only drawback is that the size of the holes is clearly limited by the diameter of the crowns themselves.
A diamond bit allows you to drill perfectly straight holes in porcelain stoneware
The crown is inserted into a regular drill, after which a hole is made in the selected location.
To avoid chipping, porcelain tiles should be drilled only from the front side.
Video: how to make holes in porcelain stoneware
You can learn more about the technologies for drilling holes in porcelain stoneware by watching the following video:
Cutting porcelain tiles is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. It is enough to “arm yourself” with the necessary tools and after a little practice you will definitely achieve excellent result. Good luck with your renovation!
Reading time ≈ 8 minutes
If you have come to this page, then you are interested in how to use manual tools, as well as what they can be in general, and other information related to these tools. A training video will help you figure this out, as well as instructions, which no device can do without. It would not be amiss to warn that the capabilities of such a machine are somewhat limited and mainly concern the length and thickness of the tiles, but first things first.
What kind of tile cutter do you need?
Working units of a manual tile cutter
For those who are interested in which tile cutter can cut ceramic tiles, but do not specify the details, the correct answer is ANY. This should not be surprising, since literally 30-40 years ago, in the vast expanses of our Great and Mighty, they knew only one cutting tool - a glass cutter, and with its help they created excellent coatings. Of course, thick tiles had to be cut on machines, but nevertheless, one could only dream of hand-held mobile devices.
Today, manual machines are:
- on bushings;
- on bearings;
- on two guides;
- monorails;
- with and without a ballerina.
Size selection
In order to choose the most suitable tool, first of all you need to know specifically what you are going to cut, that is, length and thickness come first. If we talk about length, the bed of most manual models is designed for 600 mm, but there are also shorter ones that cannot accommodate tiles longer than 400 mm or even 300 mm, although in most cases this is enough.
Exclusive models of machines allow you to cut tiles up to 1200 mm in length, but they are rarely found on sale, as they are not in great demand. The capabilities of manual machines in terms of tile thickness are almost the same - this parameter is always no more than 15-16 mm. This is all the information regarding the choice of sizes.
Bushing and bearing tile cutters
A simple machine on two guides with a carriage moving on bushings
If you, for example, then without any hesitation you can opt for a roller tile cutter, where the carriage moves along two guides on bushings. They are the cheapest, in new condition they perfectly cope with their purpose, therefore, for single use fit perfectly, but for professional finishing or such a tool is simply unsuitable for large volumes. The fact is that it is impossible to even imagine any construction site without sand and mineral dust, from which the bushings and guides are erased, causing the cutting accuracy to be lost. This machine can no longer be used for finishing.
Monorail tile cutter on bearings with protractor and side stop CORONA C8204
When the carriage moves on bearings, it is quite natural that the service life of such a tool increases significantly and you can work with it for quite a long time. In addition, the bearings can usually be adjusted, allowing for a smooth ride that is desired, which is not possible with a bushing-based model. Another advantage of the monorail is its rigidity - it does not bend when the carriage is pressed with a lever handle, therefore, the cutting line always remains smooth.
Professional finishers often call such tools “indestructible”, since they can last more than ten years.
MATRIX 600×16 mm on two guides, equipped with a protractor and ballerina
If there is a need for cutting at an angle, then for this purpose the vast majority of any models have a rotating clamping bar with a protractor on the front of the bed. There are also machines where you can additionally install a ballerina on the guides (see top photo) - this device allows you to cut out. Perhaps someone will be confused by the fact that it will have to be cut by hand. Yes, this, of course, takes longer than using a drill and a hole saw, but thanks to the flat surface of the bed, cracking almost never occurs, and additional power tools are not needed.
The most simple model tile cutter
When there is a need to lay 2-3 squares of ceramic tiles, for example, for a backsplash in the kitchen, then there is no point in paying for a double-rail, or even more so, a monorail model with bearings. In such cases, you can purchase a device like the one in the top photo - it is often called a tile breaker. According to the principle of operation, this is the same roller glass cutter, but there is also a presser foot, which is used to break the tiles.
We can say that such a tool is quite enough not even for 2-3, but for 20-30 squares of finishing. But its main problem is not rapid wear, but the fact that it is dangerous to break floor tiles - they are thicker than wall tiles and the break sometimes extends away from the cut line. Cutting is also impossible - the material is too hard.
Note. For the tile cutters listed above and in general for all tile cutters, the cutting roller must be replaced after you notice that it does not cut the surface well. This consumables and it can be purchased at almost any store that sells construction tools.
Some types and capabilities of tile cutters
Tile cutting process
The stop bar is set at the desired angle using a protractor
Now let's figure out how to properly cut porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles with manual tile cutters - model in in this case does not matter and these instructions do not apply except to a tile splitter. In the front part of the bed there is a movable stop bar with a protractor. which is pressed with a clamp (a bolt with a wing) in a certain position; if you need a cut at a right angle, then the bar is installed so that the center is 0 or 90⁰ - this depends on the model, although it makes absolutely no difference. But when the cutting line needs to be made at an angle, the bar is turned at the required degrees towards the center - it’s very simple, you just need to try it a few times.
Cutting ceramic tiles at right angles
Let's say you need to either cut a strip from it at a right angle, as shown in the top photo. To do this, check the position of the stop bar and the rigidity of its fixation so that it does not move and place the tile on the frame so that the marking line exactly coincides with the zero mark. But for some models, especially after several years of operation, the cutting roller may be shifted 0.5-1 mm from the center, so you need to pull the carriage towards you and check how this wheel fits in line. Over time, they get used to this error and immediately install the workpiece in the desired position without checking. They cut with the translational movement of the carriage, that is, from the back of the platform to the front (towards the protractor).
Cutting floor tiles at an angle of 45⁰
When a tile needs to be cut at any angle, the stop bar is turned into the desired position, guided by a protractor, and clamped with a clamp. But you may not know exactly what angle we need in degrees, although this is not scary - the workpiece is set according to the markings. That is, the tile must lie on the platform so that the cutting line exactly coincides with the movement of the cutting roller, so check this by applying it to the line in several places. The cut in this case, just like with a right angle, is made by the translational movement of the carriage, moving it away from you.
Breaking tiles along a line with a tile cutter foot
The cut passes only over a coating that is much stronger than ceramics or porcelain stoneware (protection from abrasion), so after such an operation the tile can be broken. To do this, tilt the cutting wheel forward and press the foot so that the line is in the center. You should not pull the foot to the middle of the tile - it is better to rest it at the edge with a slight indentation, as shown in the top photo. But the tiles are sometimes overheated and the break can move to the side. To avoid this, first press the tile half-heartedly on one side, then turn it 180⁰ and break it to the end.
Brief overview of models and cutting tiles
Conclusion
I described in general terms how to use a manual tile cutter and you are probably convinced that there is nothing complicated about it. The most important thing is choice good tool- albeit inexpensive, but with a smoothly moving carriage and a non-loose cutting roller. I wish you success!