tile cutter

[stephen]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me if they use an electric tile cutter?

I would think that for cutting tiles in a straight cut all across that a "score and snap" manual cutter would be quicker and cleaner.

However for cutting L-shaped pieces from tiles to fit around electric sockets, I think a saw could be useful.

I know they use a circular diamond blade. Is this different to a 4 inch angle grinder blade? Is it thinner perhaps? I'm just wondering what the advantage of a tile cutter over an angle grinder is, other than the cutter has a platform to mount the tile on.

I find if I cut tiles with my angle grinder that using a diamond blade gives a rougher cut, with some fine chips along the edge. These are ok if they will be hidden under a light switch. I find if I use a stone cutting disc, the cut is cleaner and the tile does not chip and the cut can be left on display. Are the cuts with a tile cutter clean?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Guy King]

The message from [e-mail] contains these words:

Water cooling, which is even messier with an angle grinder.

Don't buy the cheap B&Q one. I did and it's crap.

Yes, score/snap is ideal provided you can do it. I can, but some can't. Yes, for taking corners out etc, the saw is good. For some tiles - like the porcelain tiles we used on the conservatory floor it's the only way to go. Score/snap just didn't work - I'm fairly big [1] and my full weight wouldn't snap them.

[1] Severe understatement.

[John Stumbles]

Consensus here (and my own personal experience) is that the £30 plastic Plasplugs one is pretty good.

Also you can't score & snap thin cuts which you can do with a rotary machine.

And with score & snap you don't get yourself water cooled :-)

The plasplugs one will even cut granite tiles!

[Lurch]

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 23:44:51 GMT, Guy King mused:

What did you find wrong with it? I bought one of the big heavy metal constructed ones from B&Q a number of years ago and, although I don't use it daily, it does the job intended. I've tiled a few kitchens since buying it and mitred corners with this machine have always come out reasonably well.

[Mr Spoons]

I bought a fiarly good one for about £70 (ISTR). I use it for cutting stright lines, because I never got the hang of score and snap. For doing L shaped tiles it is the only sensible way forward, and I have evan has a lot of success cutting arbitrary shapes by using it essentially as a bench grinder for tiles.

I bought it because i know I have a lot of tiing to do (Bathroom, En Suite, Cloak, Kitchen, utility) and it just makes life so much easier.

As someone said the water cooling does make it messy. I bolt mine to a work mate, which I stand on my mixing spot, and that seems to take care of most of the mess. You might also want to put some PVC sheeting on the walls in front and behind it. I use mine in the garage or inthe garden so it doesnt matter too much, but of you were using it inside, it' recommend that.

Cheers Chris

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've done two rooms with ceramic floor tiles using score and snap. A £10 hand scorer works very well for scoring, but for the snap I gripped each tile in the B&D Workmate jaws and thumped it. Very few breakages. The hand scorer wasn't up to doing the snap.

I cut a slot with the angle grider, and then score and snap one limb.

I saw some professional tile fitters using a tile saw, and it was much slower than my score and snap.

[Stuart B]

I can recommend getting a cat litter tray big enough to sit the tile cutter in and that takes care of any water that would end up on the floor ,bench etc . Stuart

[Guy King]

The message from John Stumbles contains these words:

As will the B&Q cheapie - it's just ill designed. The water doesn't run back into the tank - just falls off the edge onto the floor. I ended up replacing the tank with one made from a Wilkinson's plastic storage box. Worked fine then.

[Guy King]

The message from Lurch contains these words:

The water runs all over the place, very little of it landing in the tank. The fence is vile.

[Lurch]

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:24:13 GMT, Guy King mused:

I remembered about the water after I posted, I tend to use it outside because of this. I have found that there is a fine line between not enough water and the blade sending it everywhere.

The fence isn't great, but it does the job to a fashion. I mainly cut freehand\follow a line anyway.

Not the best tool, and I never expected it to be, but it was on offer IIRC so I bought it!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My Plasplugs tradesman or whatever has a drain channel running round the bed which returns water to the tank and with the blade guard set with minimal clearance to the work really doesn't make much mess at all. You'll get some water on your front, but not much.

So saying I like to use it outside - as you say clamped to a Workmate. For some reason daylight makes seeing the cutting line so much easier.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It is, but the edge doesn't need dressing as it will with a score and snap one where the edge is in a highly visible place.

[John Rumm]

Yup, plasplugs one with water recirculation.

Quicker certainly, unless they are tiles which don't score and snap well.

Yup, and cutting out curves, or taking very thin rips off the edge of a tile etc.

Depends a bit on the cutter - but it is often thinner, and has some edge polishing surface that leaves a smooth cut edge.

The platform and the water. The water not only gives a beet cut it also controls the dust which would be pretty bad with an angle grinder used inside (not so bad if you cut them outside).

They are on mine. Alternatively get a more appropriate blade for your grinder - something like this will leave a very fine edge:

[Dave Plowman (News)]

[Guy King]

The message from Lurch contains these words:

You mean the fine line between total loss lubrication and dead loss?

[John]

.

I bought a Screwfix one - Didn't get on with the score and snap and needed some narrow strops and L shapes.

Question - what is the ideal medium for marking tiles before cutting - not having much success up to now and need to do a few tricky ones. Water washes off the marks.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Chinagraph pencil. You'll get them at a decent stationers or office supplier in various colours including black and white. But ordinary soft pencil - BB etc - should work ok on many - a carpenter's type is pretty good.

[The Natural Philosopher]

yes.

Until uou need to snap off a 10mm wide sliver.

yes. Its about 9" and thiner.

Not a lot, but that alone makes it invaluable. Two hands to steady the tile. It will also cut a bit thicker things , if slowly.

You can also cut mitres..

Reaanably though I use emery paper to get rid of sharp edges.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not on mine it doesn't. It ends up all down my T-shirt, every time..well I do tend to run without the useless guard.. ;-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Felt tip. Or pencil. It does wash off, but not as fast as the tile cuts.