If you have ever been involved in ceramic tile wall or floor surfaces, you should know how to use the tile cutter. With this tool you can fit the product to the desired size. This method is the most common and high-quality, and the manipulations are silent, exclude the formation of a large amount of dust and do not imply the need for a master to have professional training.
The need for a tile cutter
In rare cases, laying tiles without cutting the material, much more often professionals and home craftsmen have a tile cutter, which they can use at any time. If you are already engaged in similar repairs or just planning to improve the surface with tiles, you should choose the most suitable model and learn how to use the tile cutter.
As you know, ceramic glazed tiles are made of baked clay, and on top it is covered with glaze. The production technology is very simple: clay gets a certain shape, is dried to fix the volume, and then glaze is applied to the surface. In the manufacturing process, the product is fired under the influence of high temperatures, due to which it acquires strength, aesthetic appearance and durability. When finished , the tile does not undergo bending and deformation, but remains brittle and easily breaks. These qualities are at the forefront of choosing a cutting method.
Instructions for using the electric tile cutter
If you have a question about how to use an electric tile cutter, then you can be sure that this tool with diamond blades allows you to get a high-quality result and achieve high productivity. Using it, you can cut any tile, granite or stone, each of these materials can have a certain hardness and shape.
Using an electric tile cutter, you get smooth rounded edges that differ from the sharp ones formed during the application of a traditional tile cutter.
Additionally, you can use this equipment with nippers, this will allow you to make high quality curly cuts. This device cannot be left unattended, just like in the process of troubleshooting. The master must use safety glasses and personal noise protection. If you notice sparks or malfunctions as well as loud noise, stop using the tile cutter. Before using a water tile cutter, you should analyze whether the working disk rotates freely. The bath with coolant should be filled with water, and the disc should overlap by three centimeters.
Tool components
The main elements of the electric tile cutter are:
- cutting disc;
- platform;
- bath with water.
In the process, water will flow to the knife, extending its life and reducing the amount of dust. The cutting force will be affected by the pressure force, which depends on the composition of the blade material and the density of the tile. When you first touch the disk to the tile, the pressure should be light. Next, you should increase it, and by the end of cutting reduce it again.
The nuances of using
It is important to fix the product well before starting, this will eliminate vibration and prevent the blade from seizing. If you are concerned about the question of how to use the tile cutter and extend its life, then you must remember that the tiled chips will enter the tray and mix with the liquid. As soon as the water becomes dirty and gets on the cutting disc, this will reduce the life of the machine. Therefore, the replacement of dirty water is of great importance for quality work.
If during the work you notice that the tile has rolled over on one side, this can cause chips. Sometimes the tile is completely pulled under the working disk and thrown to the side. In order to eliminate this, experts press on both sides of the tile. Sometimes this helps to avoid jamming of the blade in the cut.
Additional recommendations for using the electric tile cutter
Many novice masters wonder how to use a tile cutter. If you have already started using the tool, you will notice that the disc is able to withstand a certain number of wet sections. Due to the fact that ceramics get onto the work surface, it provides for periodic cleaning. This can be done by sawing an old sandy brick mold. The blade should be removed and turned over, ensuring its rotation in the opposite direction. This method cannot be used when there is a stamped direction indicator on the blade. As soon as the blade is completely worn out, it is possible to replace it, and in order for the disk to have a long life, it is necessary to choose the blade depending on the material to be sawn.
Using a Manual Stationary Tile Cutter
The most popular tool for cutting tiles and porcelain tiles is a manual tile cutter, which includes:
- lever;
- bed;
- carriage with a cutting wheel.
To use the equipment on the tile surface with a pencil, marking should be done. Next, the tile is located on the surface of the bed, so that the marking coincides with the direction of the cutting cutting wheel. An incision should be made under slight pressure. It is important to feel its strength so that the tile is not crushed, and the groove is deep enough. This will allow the product to break into a notch. These movements must be made once, otherwise the edge may turn out to be uneven.
What to look for
How to use a manual tile cutter should know every master who is planning to do tile laying. At the next stage, the handle should be brought into an active position in order to break off the edge of the product. With a confident movement, the tile should be broken after an incision. The cut off parts must have a width of 10 mm or more, otherwise high-quality cutting will not work.
Specialist recommendations
When using a manual tile cutter, it is necessary to pay attention to the fastening and condition of the roller, it must rotate freely and be even. The movement of the carriage with the cutting roller should be as smooth as possible, while jerking should be excluded, for this this element is equipped with a bearing. The bed should be flat and clean before starting work, while the handle should be checked for mechanical damage.
Before using the manual tile cutter, you should moisten the product in water, simplify cutting and a drop of machine oil, which should be applied to the line of the future section. The use of a stationary stationary tile cutter is advisable for thick and durable ceramics with medium volumes of work.
Recommendations for the use of roller tile
Not quite convenient and the most primitive is the roller tile cutter, which is intended for not too dense and hard ceramics. If you have a roller tile cutter, how to use it, you should find out before the start of work. The technology provides for drawing a marking line on the surface of the product, for this you should use a soft pencil. The tile is located on the board or plywood, after which you can make one cut. The master should press evenly on the tile cutter, trying to create a deep groove from one edge to the other. To divide the tile into two parts, it is necessary to place it on the nails and apply a little pressure. It is not difficult to find out how to use a manual tile cutter correctly, you can purchase this tool at the lowest cost compared to peers, but it is suitable exclusively for cutting piece materials.
Instructions for using the tile cutter-tongs
On sale today you can find tile cutters, how to use it, will be described below. Using this device you can make simple cuts. The device has a low cost and small size, and with it you can perform a certain amount of work at home without any difficulties. As in the cases described above, the manipulation must begin with the marking, which should be carried out by a cutting wheel mounted on the tool. If we compare this element with a similar one on a conventional glass cutter, then it has large dimensions, this allows you to get a deep incision in the ceramic tile.
In order to break, forceps are drawn to the edge of the product. Forming a small angle, a wide plate should be placed on the front surface of the product, while the central part must be placed along the fold line above the furrow. The master should carefully squeeze the tiles with forceps, breaking off the excess area. Now you know how to use the tile cutter-tongs, but you should know that such a tool does not allow you to cut thin strips.
Features of cutting with the help of slatted tile cutter
Before using a rack tile cutter, you should familiarize yourself with the design features of the tool in more detail. If we are talking about a professional model, then you can remove the cutting device during operation and check its sharpness. This tile cutter has a base and tubular skids on which the cutting element of hard alloy will move. Do not go through the same cutting place several times, as the result will not be positive. In order to get high-quality tiles after cutting, you should be able to correctly break the material. On the base there is a tubercle with which the edges of the ceramic product are raised above the surface. Thanks to this addition, you can break the product by laying it on a ledge. Among other things, ceramics can be broken by using a T-shaped heel, which is located in front of the roller. This heel is installed in the center of the cut, so that while pressing the lever, it presses on the canvas. Using this tile cutter, it will be possible to cut through the material diagonally.