27-04-2016, 01:16 PM
Firstly, hand cutting tiles is easy if they are the right tiles!
Floor tiles, thicker wall tiles, vitreous tiles and quarries are too hard/thick for scribe and snap, hire a diamond saw with water feed.
A pair of tile snapping pliers which flexes the tile on the score line at the edge of the tile will result in a clean break.
Bending the whole length of the cut over a fulcrum such as a coat hanger will result in off line breaks or shattering as the tile hits the bench next to the coat hanger wire.
The pattern on the rear of the tile can also cause you problems trying to break them this way.
Tile cutters with the sliding wheel in a lever frame are OK but need to be rigid metal, not flimsy plastic. The wheels soon blunt too.
A solid point carbide tipped cutter is good enough, diamonds are better, but only ever make one heavy score line.
Done thousands of square metres in my time, nice relaxing job, but hated grouting!
Floor tiles, thicker wall tiles, vitreous tiles and quarries are too hard/thick for scribe and snap, hire a diamond saw with water feed.
A pair of tile snapping pliers which flexes the tile on the score line at the edge of the tile will result in a clean break.
Bending the whole length of the cut over a fulcrum such as a coat hanger will result in off line breaks or shattering as the tile hits the bench next to the coat hanger wire.
The pattern on the rear of the tile can also cause you problems trying to break them this way.
Tile cutters with the sliding wheel in a lever frame are OK but need to be rigid metal, not flimsy plastic. The wheels soon blunt too.
A solid point carbide tipped cutter is good enough, diamonds are better, but only ever make one heavy score line.
Done thousands of square metres in my time, nice relaxing job, but hated grouting!
Boater Sam.
