Mitre cutting ceramic wall tiles.

**Gazebo** · 05-07-2009

Hi all,
Hope you have all had chance to enjoy our recent spell of good weather,
Just a quickie a customer has asked me to mitre cut the ceramic wall tiles on a vertical join, is this possible to do without the glaze chipping.? I have always used trim for this and if it was travertine or limestone it would be ok but I am not sure about ceramics.?

If anyone has undertaken this kind of thing before and has any photos or tips i would be very appreciative.

Many Thanks
Gary

**simplythebest** · 05-07-2009

yup , All you do is take your grinder and hold the tile vertically running the grinder down below the line of the glaze doesnt matter if not a perfect 45 . you will be able to but them together fine . always leave a 1mm grout joint.

**Gazebo** · 05-07-2009

Thanks for the speedy response, I use a Durator diamond blade from screwfix in my mini grinder, about £35 if i remember but when i use it to cut/trim tiles it seems to chip the glaze, i must be doing something wrong or the blade might be blunt.? not sure, do you score the tile 1st then snap cut and just grind the 45 out of the back of the tile, how do you hold it when doing it.? tried the angle thingy on my plasplugs but its not that accurate. Maybe there is a reasonably priced table sliding cutter that would help.? any more ideas.?

Cheers
Gary

**simplythebest** · 05-07-2009

never score the tile first you will make it very difficult not to chip and leaves a sharp edge. always use the bevel of the glaze for your mitre hold the tile vertical and run the grinder back and forth closer to the bevel on each pass , it takes practise but achives a very nice result . a table saw could achieve the same but much more costly.

**peckers** · 05-07-2009

I use a rubi wet tile cutter to do my mitres with, If it is a full tile you want to do the mitre on then just run the tile threw the saw on the mitre just removing the biscuit and keep the blade about a 1mm away from the glaze. there for not getting any chips atall..
If you havent got one of these cutters then just grind the biscuit away with an angle grinder being careful not to touch the glaze.

If you need the mitre on a cut tile then you can scribe it and snap it with a dry cutter, and then remove the biscuit with an angle grinder being careful not to touch the glaze, then using a carborrondon stone(cant spell lol) with water you can rub down the edge of the tile making the glaze smooth

When installing the mitred tiles leave a joint of approx 1mm to allow you to fill with grout
Works fine for me

**Gazebo** · 05-07-2009

Thanks again,
So when i am setting out will i have to make sure that is a full tile up the vertical joint.?
otherwise i will have a cut tile against a full field tile which may not look so good.?
They are pillars being made in front of the window reveal if that makes sense.

Will try the method you have suggested 2morr at work and see how i get on.?

**Gazebo** · 05-07-2009

Cheers peckers, great tiling by the way, this is where i am getting confused as i have never use a carbononaraythingystonemajig to get a nice edge on a cut, now i understand and will have to get one and practice a guess.
Cheers

Gary

**peckers** · 05-07-2009

Originally Posted by Gazebo

Thanks again,
So when i am setting out will i have to make sure that is a full tile up the vertical joint.?
otherwise i will have a cut tile against a full field tile which may not look so good.?
They are pillars being made in front of the window reveal if that makes sense.

Will try the method you have suggested 2morr at work and see how i get on.?

If when setting out it works with a full tile on the edge and it looks the best way to go then fine, If however it dosen't then you can put a cut tile on the end as a mitre if you are doing the mitre the way i described then mitre the cut edge and rub down with a carborrondon stone..
Practice makes perfect

**Gazebo** · 05-07-2009

Cheers peckers,
I just wish we could cut out the practice part.
I guess thats not gonna happen.

**timeless john** · 05-07-2009

Gazebo -

1) If you take your ceramic tile on your knee with the glazed side facing you.
2) Have a small panel pin hammer and gently tap the back edge of the biscuit away - being careful not to chip the glaze.
3) Take a rubbing stone and gently smooth this back edge at a 45degree angle up to the glaze.
4) Fix tiles with small gap for grout.
OR
1) Go and buy a wet saw with mitre slide worktop - works every time circa 1980.

Timeless John.

doug boardley · 05-07-2009

I mitred these using my rubi wet saw

**Gazebo** · 06-07-2009

Nice work Doug,

Guess I'm gonna get myself a wet saw, any advice.?

p.s i like timeless johns approach also but maybe thats gonna take some time to master.

doug boardley · 06-07-2009

these were done on my dw200lp (rubi) the rail tilts through to 45 degrees to do the mitres

**Smithy153** · 06-07-2009

I use the norton clipper 200em for my mitres. The whole table will tilt to achieve the angle and works well. Much better than the flimsy ramp thing on the plasplugs. It's a relatively cheap cutter but is performing really well so far.