What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

Installing wall or floor tiles is almost never complete without trimming. Parts need to be adjusted to size, cut to the shape of the base, etc. Traditionally, a tile cutter is used for this, but more and more DIYers are choosing an angle grinder. Let's figure out how to cut with a grinder without chips and is it possible in practice.

All about cutting tile with an angle grinder

Why is a grinder better than a tile cutter

To begin with, the tile cutter is designed to cut tiles. For each of its varieties: thick or thin, more or less durable, you can find suitable model tool. The main advantage of the tile cutter is that it gives an even cut without chips. There is not a lot of dust in the process of work, the risk of spoiling the plate is minimal. C angle grinder all wrong.

You can cut it with it, the result can be very good. But for this you have to try. It is advisable to have the skill of working with a grinder, otherwise there is a great risk of spoiling the material. The tool will cut any veneer if the correct blade is selected. We must be prepared for the fact that during the cutting process it will be very noisy, a lot of dust will rise into the air. The cut line may be chipped.

Nevertheless, home craftsmen choose exactly the grinder. The reason is simple: a tile cutter, especially if it is a quality model that does the job well, is expensive. Buying it for the sake of finishing one room is not profitable. It is cheaper to trim with an angle grinder. You just need to learn how to handle it correctly.

What disc to cut tiles

Tool accessories are selected for a specific material. Several types of discs are suitable for cutting.

Stone circles

Cutting element of considerable thickness. Due to this, the cut is wide, the amount of dust increases during work. The main disadvantage is the rapid wear of the consumable. Moreover, if chips or other defects appear on it during operation, the circle is immediately changed. Otherwise, it can collapse, damaging the workpiece and causing harm to the person working with it. Stone discs are the cheapest.

Steel circles

Fine tooling with different processing. For solid materials choose steel with diamond coating. Such a cutting device easily copes with the task; it does not grind for a long time. Three types of steel discs are used for cutting.

Segmented dry cutters. Radial cutouts divide the circle into segments, which helps to cool the steel during operation. Therefore, the duty cycle is one minute, after which cooling is required at idle speed. The segmented tooling can cut the veneer without water supply. Disadvantage: low cut quality, a lot of chips.
Solid circles. They are distinguished by the absence of thermal relief segments, therefore, for their cooling, a constant supply of water to the treated area is required. In this case, the cutting takes place continuously. Without cooling, you can work only for 10-15 seconds, after which 20-30 seconds of idle. The cutting line is of the highest quality, there are no or very few chips.
Combined elements. Used for wet and dry sawing. Continuous life is longer than a solid, but shorter than a segmented disk. The quality of the cut is better than that of the segment one, but worse than that of the solid one. Disadvantage: they quickly become clogged with dust. It is more difficult to clean them than analogs: for this you need to cut the silicate.

Criterias of choice

When choosing which circle of steel to cut ceramic tiles with a grinder, take into account three important points.

The thickness of the tooling is not more than 2 mm, but preferably about 1 mm. This will give a smooth, defect-free cut.
The rotational speed indicated on the wheel matches the rotational speed of the tool.
The height of the diamond coating is greater than the thickness of the cladding.

How to cut a tile with a grinder

Cutting off a fragment with an angle grinder will become easier if you follow a few rules.

Rules for working with angle grinders

The cladding should be cut from the front side.
You need to cut off a fragment in one go. The number of chips increases with each pass.
The maximum number of chips on the ceramic plate appears in the area where the wheel comes out. Therefore, at the end and beginning of the cut, the speed is reduced. If the machine has such a function.

The angle grinder is noisy and very dusty during operation. Nothing can be done about the first, but the second can be minimized. For this, three techniques are used.

How to reduce dust while working

Turn on construction vacuum cleaner... To manage it, you need an assistant.
Supply water to the cutting area. Sometimes it is simply poured from a bottle or hose, but then an assistant is needed. If you attach the water supply device to the casing, you can saw without dust alone.
A shallow seam is cut into the tile plate, then the part is broken along it. The glaze is almost not dusty when sawing, so the technique is effective. But it won't work on unglazed models.

Straight cut

The easiest and most common way is ceramic. The operations are performed in the following sequence.

We mark the plate. The cutting line must be drawn with a bright pencil or felt-tip pen so that it is clearly visible. Be sure to leave a grinding allowance. It is impossible to cut the ceramics perfectly exactly, so if the facing is completely visible, we make an allowance of a few millimeters. We'll take it off later grinding attachment cylindrical. For an edge closed, for example, by a skirting board, no allowance is required.
We lay the tiles on a flat, solid surface. So that it does not move, we fix it with clamps, a vice, or simply press it with our foot. We remove all unnecessary, nothing should interfere with the work.
We start cutting. Most often, it is not necessary to completely saw the part, it is enough to make an incision on the base, in order to then break off a fragment from it. When inserting the cutting edge into the ceramics, reduce the tool speed. We hold it perpendicular to the plate, try to keep it straight, at the same speed in the direction away from us. We adhere to the cut line as much as possible. Before removing the edge from the material, we reduce the speed again.
Place the cut facing plate on the edge of the table or workbench. With a sharp precise movement, break off the edge of the part.

This is how a right angle cut is made. Sometimes it is necessary to cut ceramics at an angle of 45 °, for example, for decoration. Experienced craftsmen can perform such an operation with a grinder. It is better for a novice veneer not to take risks. The part is sawn off at a right angle, the excess is cut off by the grinding attachment.

Craftsmen advise to soak the tiles for 35-40 minutes before cutting. Supposedly after that it will be easier to cut it. This does not apply. It is not soaked. To obtain the most even cut along the marked line, a ruler or a steel plate is fixed with a clamp. Be sure to comply with all safety requirements, wear protective clothing and glasses. The dross from the disc can injure the eye.

Notched neckline

Performed by a grinder along a curved path. Sequencing.

Mark the base with a marker or pencil.
We lay the workpiece on a flat surface and fix it securely.
We turn on the angle grinder, at low speed we introduce the cutting edge into the ceramics. We make small through cuts, the length of which depends on the shape of the cut.
We remove the fragments remaining along the cut.
We put an abrasive wheel in place of the cutting wheel, grind the resulting cutout.

Round or oval hole

The technology is similar to a curly cut, only the notches are made in a circle. Sequence of operations.

We mark the future hole with a grinding allowance, since the edge will not work out even. We outline with a felt-tip pen or marker. Draw two lines connecting in the center of the figure, defining its center.
Turn on the tool, carefully make cuts along the outlined border of the hole.
We make straight cuts along the markings to the center of the figure.
Carefully knock out the resulting sectors.
With a drill with a grinding attachment, we process the edge of the opening to the desired smoothness.

The rectangular hole is made a little differently. After marking, steel limiter plates are laid on the line, secured with clamps. Start sawing off from one of the corners, gradually leading the tool to the limiter. In this way, the entire contour is processed.

So that there are no questions left, we suggest watching a video on how to cut without chips with a grinder.

Prepared by: Inna Yasinovskaya

How to cut tiles with a tile cutter? This is a natural question of a person who for the first time decided to lay ceramic tiles at home with his own hands. The technology of such an operation is very simple and is usually described in detail in the instructions for the instrument, but nevertheless, before buying a device, you should understand how it works and what can be provided with it.

The question of how to cut a tile with a tile cutter correctly is decided depending on the type and design of the tool, but the basic principles underlying them are similar, and the devices differ in shape and design. Tile cutters in many ways resemble glass cutters in their work, that is, when choosing them, you need to be especially careful about the cutting element. In general, any person can cut tiles with his own hands at home.

Tool features

In general, the tile cutter is a cutting tool for shaping and dimensioning ceramic tiles. It is able to cut the wall or floor tiles in a straight line or with a given curvature. Such a device can be manual or have an electric (possibly another, mechanized) drive.

Figure 1. Schematic of a manual tile cutter.

Schematic diagram manual tile cutter is shown in fig. 1. The basis of the design is made up of a bed with a working base, a carriage with a cutter in the form of a roller and a control handle. The principle of cutting with such a device is very simple: the tile is clamped on the base, and with the help of the handle, the carriage is set in motion, the roller of which cuts the glaze layer, after which the tile is broken off by hand. To receive the right sizes and the quality of cutting, guides are installed, and the size control is controlled by a ruler (see Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of a manual tile cutter, where 1 is a working base, 2 are racks, 3 are guides, 4 is a carriage, 5 is a swing axis, 6 is a rocker arm, 7 - cutter, 8 - breaking knot, 9 - control knob, 10 - stops, 11 - substrate, 12 - ruler).

Simple tile cutters are designed to cut tiles in a straight line. In more complex designs, the kit includes special "ballerinas" for the curvilinear movement of the cutting element. Most devices provide cutting of ceramic and porcelain tiles up to 12 mm thick. The cutting tools are rotating diamond or carbide rollers of different diameters. The electric tile cutter works like a circular saw. It usually performs a so-called wet cut, that is, water is supplied to the cutting zone to cool the blade. At work cutting tool installed permanently, and the tile itself moves.

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General rules for the use of hand tools

The entire cutting process can be conditionally subdivided into several stages: preparation of the tool, preparation of the tile, correct fixing of the tile, cutting the tile. Before starting work, first of all, the tool is prepared, for which it is necessary to clean it well work surface, check the condition of the cutter wheel and radial bearing. The roller must have a strictly round shape without potholes and burrs, and its rotation must be free.

Figure 2. Shaped tile cutter can be useful if you need to cut the tile in an arc.

Tile preparation includes marking the surface with a construction pencil strictly according to the specified dimensions. It is recommended to pre-soak the tiles to be cut in a container with water. A few drops of machine oil on the cutting line can also make cutting easier.

The tile is fixed on the base in such a way that the marking line strictly coincides with the trajectory of the roller on the carriage. In this case, the cut line should be at a distance of at least 1 cm from the edge of the tile.
The carriage moves along the marked line with slight pressure. This force should be optimal, that is, it should be able to form a slot of the required depth, but not crush the material.
The movement of the roller during cutting is done once to eliminate unevenness of the cut.
The fracture of the tile after the cut is made using the handle of the tool, for which it is rotated into the working position.

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Tool required for work

When cutting tiles, in addition to the tile cutter itself (manual or electric), you will need the following tools:

Bulgarian;
glass cutter;
file;
nippers;
emery wheel;
mallet;
construction pencil;
pattern;
protractor;
corner;
metal ruler;
pliers.

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Rules for working with an electric tool

When cutting tiles with an electric tile cutter, specific recommendations should be followed:

The tiles on the work surface must be fixed flat. Any crumb falling under it will cause unevenness in the cut end and may lead to cracking.
The introduction of the cutting disc into the tile should be started with minimal effort, the pressure is increased as the disc plunges into the material. In this case, press and guide the tile with both hands.
Cutting begins only after water is supplied to the working area.

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Tile cutting process

The quality of cutting depends on the correct fixation of the tile, the accuracy of the alignment of the roller with the markings and the force applied to the carriage. The entire cutting process includes the following operations:

Installation of tiles: the tiles are laid on the working surface with the glaze layer upwards and fixed with stops. Hold the tiles with one hand while cutting.
The alignment of the cutting roller is strictly on the marked line at the very beginning. The roller is in contact with the tiled glaze surface.
Cutting: when you press the handle with one hand, the required pressure is provided and the carriage moves along the marking line so that the roller cuts into the ceramics strictly along the marked line. At this time, the second hand should hold the tile from any movement. The movement of the carriage should be steady and slow.
The elements are separated by breaking: the wings of the lever (they must first be pasted over with tape to prevent damage to the surface of the product) are set at the level of 1/3 of the bottom plate; then, fixing the tile with the hand in the desired position (lightly pressing the lever with the thumb of one hand), a sharp blow is made on the lever with the palm of the other hand (if the break does not occur, then the impact force should be increased).
Cut processing: cut irregularities are eliminated with a file, emery wheel or sandpaper; you can use a grinder. To remove larger irregularities, special tile nippers are used.

For cutting tiles along a curved line, making curves, various ceramic figures, a universal manual tile cutter is used.

Figure 2 shows the construction of such a tool. It has a wider base and guides that can move the carriage with the cutting roller in an arc (see Fig. 2. Shaped tile cutter). The process of cutting tiles with curly tool includes the following operations:

Carrying out detailed markup using a piece.
Installation of tiles on the base and fixing them with stops.
Aligning the roller with the beginning of the cut line.
Moving the carriage with the roller along the cut line, while providing light pressure with the rotary knob.
Repeating the cutting operation with increasing pressure, adjusting the immersion depth of the roller with a screw clamp.
Cutting along the entire length of the marked lines. After that, the tile is removed from the device.
Separation of the elements is done by carefully tapping the tiles with a wooden mallet, ensuring the split along the desired curved line.

What are the features electric cutting? Most often, cutting tiles on an electric tile cutter is carried out by moving the tile itself, and not the cutting roller, as when using hand tool... First, the tile is laid on a perfectly flat work surface along the guides.

After it comes close to the cutting blade, water is directed into the working area. The disc is introduced into the tile material. It is important, however, that the initial embedding is done with very light pressure. When a lot of effort is created, chips appear that spoil the tile. After the disc has entered 3-5 mm, the pressure gradually increases. The movement and direction of the tile is done with two hands.

It has already been briefly described and shown on this site.

At first glance, there is nothing complicated about this. But in any business, there are details. The devil, as you know, is in the details.

Cutting in a straight line is not particularly difficult. Having to cut the tiles with the letter “G” is somewhat confusing.

So usually you have to cut tiles on slopes and around various hatches and doors.

Step-by-step cutting of a piece of tile.

Previously, using a square and a marker, it is necessary to mark 3 corner points of the cut piece. Sometimes a short wedge and a pencil are enough for marking. (VIDEO AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE).

TILES MARKING

Draw the cutting wheel of the tile cutter along two lines, according to the markings.

Cut a short cutting line with a grinder. The cut-off wheel must be designed for cutting ceramic tiles(this is always indicated on the disc packaging). The cut-off wheel, when cutting, should not be located along the line marked by the tile cutter, but along the edge, on the side of the cut (unnecessary) piece.

All these difficulties are needed so that the cutting wheel does not leave chips on the enamel.

If the tile is “very budget option”As in the picture, the enamel bounces off even when cutting with a new wheel and an expensive tile cutter.

Part of the cut made by the "grinder"

After a short cut has been made with a grinder, the tile must be installed with the long side on the tile cutter, exactly along the line previously drawn with the wheel, and broken off with the handle-lever of the tile cutter.

The lever (with a cut-off roller) for breaking tiles, must be installed at the beginning or at the end of the tile, 2-3 cm back from the edge of the tile.

setting the lever of the tile cutter when pressing on the cutting line

In this way, tiles up to 12-15mm thick can be cut. But not with every tile cutter.

Cheap tile cutters, with two pipe guides, bend and cannot break, often, ordinary porcelain stoneware. The tool shown in the photo can cut tiles up to 18mm. Only in this case, it is necessary to make cuts on both sides of the tile.

Broken piece

After a piece of tile is broken off, it is necessary to refine the corner with a cutting wheel.

The whole process is completed by sanding the cut edges with a float with sandpaper... This operation is especially important when the cut part of the tile is not covered with anything.

When it is not possible to install the tile cutter on a table or workbench, then they work directly on the floor. With a significant amount of undercutting, the knees begin to hurt. This can be avoided by placing a 5 cm sheet of styrofoam next to the tool. This will not only create comfort for the knees, but will also help to trim large tiles.

"LITTLE TIPS" when cutting tiles with a tile cutter

A short video on how to mark and cut a tile with the letter "G"

Questions and consultations in skype:

1. How to cut corrugated tiles?

An electric tile cutter is most suitable for trimming corrugated tiles. This is the case when it is superior to mechanical (my opinion).

With a slight tuberosity of the tile, the last version of the tool is also quite suitable.

But the more relief the tile has, the more difficult it is to break with a lever along the cut line of the roller. Therefore, the cutting wheel should draw as much of a line of irregularities as possible. Then there is a chance that the tile will break along the cut line.

And the smaller the cut piece, the less chance for a successful cut. The video below shows that half of the tiles always break successfully.

Even with the most careful planning and layout, cutting the tiles is unlikely to be avoided. Moreover, it may be necessary as cutting in a straight line, as a rule, the trims are glued symmetrically at the edges of the walls, and cutting holes of various shapes - to skip utilities. Depending on the volume and complexity, the methods of cutting tiles also differ.

Tile cutting methods

Tiles can be cut in a variety of ways, from a simple glass cutter to a powerful electric tile cutter. Depending on the equipment used, the following types of tile cutting are distinguished:

using a glass cutter. It can be recommended for cutting a small volume of thin tiles, it has an increased percentage of rejects, not suitable for cutting thick tiles;

You can try to cut thin tiles even with a nail 120 - 150 mm long. A deep scratch is scratched on the front side, then the tile breaks. But this method can only be used out of despair, when there is not even a glass cutter at hand.

using a manual tile cutter. The cutting principle does not differ from the glass cutter, but due to the design of the device, thick tiles can also be cut;

using a grinder and cut-off wheels for stone work. The advantages include high productivity, but cutting is accompanied by strong dusting in the room, the edges of the tiles are sloppy and crumble. You can recommend for work on outdoors with a large front of work;

using electric tile cutters. The working body of these mechanisms is a diamond wheel rotating at high speed. In addition to high performance, such mechanisms use water to cool the disk and dedust. Due to this, the cut is perfect, requiring no additional processing. But the use of electric tile cutters is justified only when large volume works;

in some cases, it is necessary to make a round through hole in the tile. The use of a manual or electric tile cutter is not possible in this case. For this, it is recommended to use a special ballerina drill bit. You can also try to make such a hole with a glass cutter. You can also cut the tiles with a jigsaw.

The choice of cutting tool also depends on the tile itself. A regular glass cutter is also suitable for thin tiles. But cutting thick porcelain stoneware tiles with a glass cutter or a small manual glass cutter will be extremely problematic. For such material, it is recommended to use a grinder or an electric tile cutter.

How to cut tiles with a tile cutter

The tile cutter allows you to cut a strip at least 10-15 mm wide from a tile (depending on its thickness). The wheel is much larger than the glass cutter. For convenience, the tile cutter is supplied with a ruler, some models contain cutters for cutting round holes in the tile.

Some models are equipped with swivel mechanism which makes cutting much easier.

Before cutting, the tiles must be marked, then they are laid in such a way that the wheel does not move from the intended line when moving. When the lever is lowered, the wheel is pressed against the tile surface. Then, with constant effort, you need to move the wheel along the tile in the direction away from you, a deep groove should remain on the tile. One pass is enough.

Do not apply excessive force to the lever. The tile may just break.

Then the tile must be broken along the cutting line. This can be done in two ways:

place under the break line, for example, a long nail and press on both halves of the tile;

put the tiles on the edge of the table so that the break line falls exactly on the edge. Then, holding the tile, press sharply on the hanging part.

If one of the tiles breaks off crookedly, you can try to save the rest by biting off the excess tile from the fracture line with pliers.

When talking about how to properly cut tiles, mention should be made of tile soaking. It is believed that keeping the tile in water makes it much easier to cut. In fact, this is not so, and cutting a damp tile is no easier than cutting a dry one.

Cutting tiles correctly will significantly reduce waste and reduce tile consumption.