Best Practice For Cutting Ceramic Wall Tiles

[booveedoo]

I have a tile cutter ( the =A315 type) where you score once by moving the arm down the slider then "sapping" the scored tile under the bars by pressing the lever. However, when ever I do this on a length

15mm (the piece I need!) on a 140mm X 140mm tile, all I get is a corner breaking off!!!. Is it just practice or is there a knack? Do I need to score more than once?. The cutting blades is as new. Does it need lubrication? Help please, I`m running out of practice tiles!!

[Christian McArdle]

However, when ever I do this on a length 15mm (the piece I need!) on a

If cutting close to the edge, use an electric tile saw, rather than snapper.

Christian.

[Andrew Gabriel]

You need to score more than once IME, but make sure the tile doesn't move. Also, make sure you score right to (or even past) the edges of the tile. When I'm doing this with ceramic floor tiles, I don't use the cutter to snap the tile, but put the tile in the jaws of a B&D workmate with the score level with the top, and thump the tile with my palm. Had very few break in the wrong place that way (but watch you don't cut your wrist if one does leave a sharp break). I haven't done thinner wall tiles, but I would be tempted to try something similar, or even do it like glass -- lay the tile on a pencil or sharper vertical edge such as a steel ruler in B&D jaws, in line with the score on top, and gently press down either side.

[tarquinlinbin]

As stated by another poster,you could use a ceramic power cutter but I have done quite a few tiling jobs which have required numerous small width sections and all i do is score it in the normal manner and then part the bit i want from the rest of the tile by using a pair of plastic "tile pliers". If you havent seen these they are like a pair of hard plastic pliers,having twin upper jaws and a single lower jaw which when closed,fits between the upper jaws. So then,with gentle pressure at the ends of the score using these pliers,the score is gradually weakened and the tile parts cleanly and easily,no problem. Just clean up the edges with a tile file card,job done.

[Peter Ashby]

As others have said, score more than once but don't move the tile seems to be key. I retiled round the bath recently and had to cut all the tiles, by scoring more than once I got good clean breaks. Only problem was the tiles have a linear grain (subtle but noticeable) and I got some of them the wrong way around. Solution: put them in the middle of the run and make them a 'feature' ;-)

Peter

[booveedoo]

Thanks for all the replies. Two things I`ve learnt! Score more than once, and a quick, sharp punch on the "snapping" lever does the job. I`ve had several sucessful cuts now so onward and upward!!