Cutting tiles

[AdamW]

I am currently tiling my bathroom (neeeeearly done!). On the advice of some peeps here I bought an electric watercooled tilesaw months ago and was looking forward to using it. When I had my first load of cut tiles to do, I filled up the tank, switched it on and started slicing away. Great fun. Anyway, my usually logical brain did not seem to draw any correlation from me having to pour several litres of water into the tank, and that water going all over the floor. "Just a bit, it'll dry up" I thought. Now, I live in a first floor flat...

My downstairs neighbour had water dripping through his bathroom ceiling, covering everything in tile residue! Luckily he is a very nice chap and had his bathroom ripped out at the time anyway. PHEW!

I have a manual cutter now too, bought it so I can tile at night (don't fancy using the electric cutter outside in the cold). I have broken 10 tiles with it in two evenings. With the tile cutter I didn't break any. Absolute rubbish!

 

[shaggy]

Come on Adam, I've got one and it's a brilliant machine. Sounds like you've put too much water in it; just enough that the blade is spitting onto the table is ok. If you've needed to cut 'L' shaped tiles to go around an electrical socket it's the tool to use.
On my machine there is a rubber plug that fits into the water tray. You did remember to........................?

 

[AdamW]

Nah, you see I bought the slightly cheaper one which has the smaller tank. I guess with the more expensive one the blade glides through the water like a knife through butter. My one is more like a Labrador taking a bath

If it doesn't chuck the water out it makes loads of dust, I would rather have the inconvenience of using it outside than breathe powdered tile.

I originally got it for cutting L-shapes but it is brilliant for cutting straight tiles too. If you are putting up expensive tiles it would probably pay for itself in reduced breakage.

 

[shaggy]

Mine was about £40 from Machine Mart. I do use it inside and it's not a problem with dust. Earlier this year I laid some thick quarry tiles and it cut them ok. It's also good if you only want to remove say 2mm from a tile.
I say have another go before you bin it.

 

[AdamW]

Ah, definitely won't bin it! It is a great tool, just too messy to use indoors. So I am happy to use it at the weekend, outdoors, just not in the evenings. Hence why I bought the manual tile cutter. Means I can use it in the warmth of my flat, and whatsmore I get extra warmth from the rage building within from every tile it decides to smash.

Ever wondered why most people don't tile their whole bathroom? Do 20 square metres and you will know why!

 

[freestyle]

Hopefully this post has not been closed down yet....

before I posted I searched on the word TILE and found a post that pretty much matches my question however.

I have a NuTool tile cutter (cost £20 from MACRO) I set it up in the kitchen (again first floor flat) and water went everwhere in a matter of seconds.... so much infact that I turned it off.

Questions:
1.) Is it safe to have water spraying all over the machine (very, very near the motor !!)

2.) Should it be doing this in the first place ?

3.) If it should be spraying water all over the show, how can I ensure I am safe...

 

[2scoops0406]

Yeah, my tile cutter does exactly that, a fine slurry of tile dust and water is liberally applied to myself. That said though, this is way better than trying to use a manual tile cutter, which personally I think are Cr@p (workman, tools etc). I'd persevere, and try to find a way of minimising the mess. For me it didn't really matter 'cos I cut them in my garage. Possibly not an option in your case. Good luck

 

[phhut]

I have a watercooled tilesaw (well I used to have - i think my son has it now) and I found it great for 'L' shapes and the like. It did spray water about, but just put a plastic sheet down and a dust-sheet on top of that.

For other 'odd' shapes I progreesed onto 'nibbling' - broke a few to begin with but got better - it just takes a bit of practise (on odd tiles from other jobs).

Using a manual cutter is easy enough (if you mean the hand-held plier type with the sloping jaw) - just score a deep line on the tile and crack it along the line with the tool - secret is to make sure the score is complete from edge to edge and through the glaze. No good on curves or 'L' shapes though - need to nibble then.

Have also a manual jig cutter with a lever but I find that breaks too many tiles - can't get on with that.

 

[shaggy]

All I can say is mine doesn't spray water about, the dust is not a problem and I have used it indoors.
It's the ETC7 from Machine Mart currently £43.42inc vat so if anyone is thinking about buying one this one is ok.

 

[freestyle]

Thanks.

Looks very much like mine (even though its a new tool)

I might try again. But am more interested in my safety

 

[AdamW]

Exactly like mine too. Do you find that you get dust coming out of it? Mine starts to show a little dust when the water is running low. I get 3 or 4 cuts out of it between top-ups (needs about 100ml per top-up). If you have ANY amount of dust coming out, that would explain the lack of splashing water, you need to put more water in it!

My neighbour suggested buying a cheap paddling pool to put it in. But that is a VERY bad idea as it is only a matter of time before you slosh water into the motor.

What I do with mine is: mark the tile to be cut, cut it, take it back upstairs, check for fit, then I check along that run to see if the same size tile would work all along. Then I cut however many I need, clean off the slurry, stand them against the wall to dry and do the same for other runs. After cutting 40 or 50 (did I mention I am tiling my whole bathroom ) I stick them to the wall. On some of my straighter walls I have cut 10 exactly the same in one batch before needing to adjust by a milimetre or two.

My manual cutter is the jig cutter with lever. It has already cost it's value in broken tiles... well, it's broken about 10-15 before I decided not to bother with it unless I really have to. I was tempted to take it back to Wickes and get my money back as it doesn't cut tiles, it smashes them. Well, if you just want to take a centimetre off the edge it does. And my floor is now covered with bits of broken glaze that I keep on finding stuck in my feet. I've got a mate sleeping on my living room floor on Friday, I have had to warn him "no air mattress" just in case it pops on a bit that I've missed!

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Now, I guess you lot have done what I have done and removed the stupid bl**dy blade cover so you can see what you are doing... Trouble is, I reckon that the guard returns most of the water to the reservoir when in place...

Wouldn't be without mine now though. Does a lurvery job, if a little messy!

 

[freestyle]

I don't think I did on mine..

But I will check

 

[AdamW]

No, my blade guard is definitely still there, and in place. No way would I want to risk shards of glaze shooting out at me, goggles or not. When cutting L-shapes it is a matter of going in a bit, pull it out and have a look, then in a bit more, until you reach your mark.

Ooo-err!

 

[doc]

plasplugs have just brought out a wet tile cutter endorsed by the one and only tommy walsh it collects the spent water and re-uses it. do it all sell them they are about £35