Porcelain File ?

[Alpha Omega]

Hi All,

What is the best for filing porcelain ?.

I have a job where the customer wants an oblong piece of glass to be inset, this will mean the top and bottom tiles need to be cut very precisly in a "U" shape,
As I only have a small wet saw, my only option is to cut out strips, then finish manually, or is it ?

Any tips gratefully accepted,



Gary

[davy_G]

Mmm, i tend to use the diamond wheel in my wet cutter, rubi 200 with marchrist.

I wouldnt fancy too much nipping and filing!

Angle grinder maybe?

[grumpygrouter]

Maybe this is a job for the "rotozip"??

[enduro]

Maybe this is a job for the "rotozip"??

Maybe a job for somebody else.....

[TheWrightTiler]

Maybe a job for somebody else.....

too true mate


in all honesty mate, its a case of a simple tile file using some water to help it and spend some time filing away, make your cuts as accurate as possible, would you not be able to make two cuts doen and run the dry cutter over it to give you clean line and use a rubi rubbing stone to file it also

andy

[david campbell]

would cut out plenty of slithers and nip them out before filing,the smaller the slithers you cut out the easier it will be,also can you work it out so you are cutting out maybe 3/4 tiles rather than 2!

[Alan.P]

I'm with Davey-G on this one, wet saw and or angle grinder, what size tiles and what size U do you need ? Score the U freehand with a cutting wheel set into an old screwdriver handle, very usefull tool for cutting odd shapes, score, cut slithers down to the line ( just ) snap off the slithers and use the wet saw or angle grinder to smooth th U.

[Dave]

Pefect job for the rotozip...or use a hole cutter at either end to get the U shape , then plunge cut the sides to square them off...

[faithhealer]

If all else fails and the result isn't what you would like to achieve have a look locally for 'Waterjet cutting' (example Water Jet Cutting Services - UK - Page 1 of 4 - Suppliers of Water Jet Cutting Services) My local CTD told me of a company that would cut a shape out of a tile for a fiver ish seems cheap enough for a spot on job, just the logistics of getting the tile there and back!
just a thought!

[Alpha Omega]

Thanks for the replies,

Some good tips.

Sorry I didn't explain very well the " U " shape is rectangular, not a true U,

I must admit I didn't try the dry cutter to score as per WrightTiler,
I just cut the slithers on the wet saw and then spent the afternoon filing 1 tile,
I guess I was really hoping someone would say there was an easy way like a magic stone,

I can't move the position of the cuts as they have been chosen for the symmetry. Customer was very specific ?

Dave - I assume you have the circle cutter attachment, I knew I should have bought it !

Thanks again

[Oli]

Use your wet cutter to do the side cuts of the U, then score and snap the top of the U using your tile cutter, then file with a tile file or rubbing stone.

Tradetiler has some files and rubbing stones here .... Tradetiler tilers Files & Rubbing Blocks