Question on marking and cutting

[Bathfix Bob]

Just thought I'd ask the pro tilers on here how you measure and mark up your tiles.

I find once I've transfered the pencil marks onto the tile I have to run a strip of brown packing tape against the marks so I have something visible to cut against.

I can't see any of you guys doing that but if I just use pencil it washes off mid cut. I would love to see how quickly you guys can mark and cut a tile. I've ordered a couple of tile pencils from Trade Tiler (along with other goodies!) so I'll try those out.

I work mainly with ceramic and porcelain (80% ceramic) in my bathrooms not much large format.

I use the bulky wet cutter for everything but should I buy a decent manual cutter? Do you guys just use the wet cutter for thick tiles and corner cuts etc.

I do find I have to keep buying tape measures though as the markings wear out.

[david campbell]

either chinagraph or ikea pencils,if yourlucky enough to find an edge that runs true then set up the guide rail on either cutter

[SandyFloor]

A decent manual cutter is what you want IMO. Less mess, noise, it's in the work area and it's quicker. You can also use it to score the tile when you need to do saw cuts which will help reduce chipping.

[Bathfix Bob]

Thanks guys, I do have a cheap diy manual cutter but stopped using it, seemed a bit sloppy. It didn't break the tilies cleanly, I wouls score a few timesand the pull the lever down to break and it would just break the tile where I didn't want it.

I've been looking at proper manual cutters on Trade Tiler, Whats sort of money do I need to spend?

Any recommendations baring in mind I'm only a plumber/bathroom fitter eg/not everyday use. Having said that I do a lot of bathrooms and tiling and boy do I need to save time on the tiling.

[faithhealer]

Deffo need a manual cutter Bob, my Rubi ts50 has dealt with everything I have needed in a bathroom, will knock hours off your jobs

[SandyFloor]

My first was a Rubi TS40 and it still gets used a lot but I find it's size capacity lacking occasionally these days. So I would go for the TS50 just for the larger capacity. Great cutter and easy to use.

It will pay for itself in no time.

[Dave Ramsden]

Sharpie's rock!
Sharpie UK

[Alan.P]

Pencil will wash off, forget the tape and wet cutter for all cuts, invest in a decent dry cutter such as the Rubi TS50 it will handle all your ceramics and porcelain with ease, it will save time which in turn makes you money, the Trade tiler pencils are good but the standard ones that can be sharpened with a normal sharpener will wash off as well, go for the china markers, they will be visible for the duration of the cut but will wipe off afterwards.

[andy allen]

have a look on ebay allways plenty of rubi dry cutters for sale.

must be because peeps are selling them to buy a sigma

[tfs]

I use a big clinker 600mm and a rubi tx 700.

I can honestly say that for 99% of jobs the big clinker is adequate. Great value for money (get at topps as screwfix put the price up). I have cut 30x60 porcelain, 10x10 ceramics and even individual little glass and stone peices of mosaic with my big clinker, it is a big but very versatile and reliable tool.

60x60 poreclain then, its a Rubi tx 700 minimum in my opinion. I have used a rubi ts 60plus on 60x60 tiles and it more often than not it leaves a small tail on your tile (at the opposite end of the breaker)

[Bathfix Bob]

60x60 poreclain then, its a Rubi tx 700 minimum in my opinion. I have used a rubi ts 60plus on 60x60 tiles and it more often than not it leaves a small tail on your tile (at the opposite end of the breaker)

This worrys me, I thought Rubi were a top quality make, could this have been your perticular cutter tfs?

Can anyone else clarify this? I'll be starting tiling on my current bathroom a week tomorrow and I really need a good manual cutter.
I don't want one that leaves a rough bit that needs trimming off, maybe I should just bite the bullet and get one of these Sigmas? If it saves me time then its worth the £200+.

Desicions desisions.....

Edit: Make that £200 - £300 + !!!!!

[Stewart]

This worrys me, I thought Rubi were a top quality make, could this have been your perticular cutter tfs?
Can anyone else clarify this? I'll be starting tiling on my current bathroom a week tomorrow and I really need a good manual cutter.
I don't want one that leaves a rough bit that needs trimming off, maybe I should just bite the bullet and get one of these Sigmas? If it saves me time then its worth the £200+.
Desicions desisions.....
Edit: Make that £200 - £300 + !!!!!

The TS-plus is great cutter for ceramic, but can struggle with the harder porcelain tiles. If you want a recommendation, I would go for the Tx700. I've fixed 1000's of metres using the TX 700 & 1200 and I cant fault it. The Sigma's are good too, but aren't my cup of tea.

[Bathfix Bob]

Thanks for the fantastic advice, I've just had a look at the TX series and I think at £340 its a little steep (unless anyone on here has a decent 2nd hand one?)

I think I'll go for the TS-plus and use my old Plasplugs wet cutter for harder porcelain.

I've spend a small fortune on hand and power tools already this year, so much so that I better write down somewhere exactly what I have so I can replace them incase a nice gentleman decides to take them off me.

[Phil Hobson]

The TS-plus is great cutter for ceramic, but can struggle with the harder porcelain tiles. If you want a recommendation, I would go for the Tx700. I've fixed 1000's of metres using the TX 700 & 1200 and I cant fault it. The Sigma's are good too, but aren't my cup of tea.

I would second that. TX 700 for me, but as stated above, each to their own

[deanotile]

Thanks guys, I do have a cheap diy manual cutter but stopped using it, seemed a bit sloppy. It didn't break the tilies cleanly, I wouls score a few timesand the pull the lever down to break and it would just break the tile where I didn't want it.
I've been looking at proper manual cutters on Trade Tiler, Whats sort of money do I need to spend?
Any recommendations baring in mind I'm only a plumber/bathroom fitter eg/not everyday use. Having said that I do a lot of bathrooms and tiling and boy do I need to save time on the tiling.

if you want to save time get a tiler to do the tiling and you can spend more time fixing the leaks

[Stewart]

if you want to save time get a tiler to do the tiling and you can spend more time fixing the leaks

[Dan]

Thanks guys, I do have a cheap diy manual cutter but stopped using it, seemed a bit sloppy. It didn't break the tilies cleanly, I wouls score a few timesand the pull the lever down to break and it would just break the tile where I didn't want it.

I've been looking at proper manual cutters on Trade Tiler, Whats sort of money do I need to spend?

Any recommendations baring in mind I'm only a plumber/bathroom fitter eg/not everyday use. Having said that I do a lot of bathrooms and tiling and boy do I need to save time on the tiling.

You should only score once, not too much pressure, not too little though. And one clean snap.

The more you score the more lines there are for the snap to follow therefore it'll jump from one to another (not always visible to the eye) and will always leave you with a messy edge.

Very few tiles need scoring more than once, generally tougher tile like porcelain will need more pressure.

Though with ceramics you're only trying to score the glaze, the biscuit will always follow the score in the glaze.

[Bathfix Bob]

I know what you're saying but I did use a tiler for a couple of bathrooms at the begining and he didn't do that good a job to be honest so its put me off a bit, lippage, poorly cut trim, messy grout etc. He was a nice lad but didn't really have his heart in it.

Add that to all the problems I've had with various sparkys with them been unreliable, expensive and shoddy (this comes from my customers not me). I've found a decent sparky now who's very good but still somewhat unreliable.
So I decided to do it all myself as I seem to have bad luck when it comes to getting other trades involved, I would consider myself a good diy tiler but obviously not a pro as I've never worked with slate, trav, marble etc.

I'm not really interested in taking big jobs off the pro's, just want to do that basic stuff in mid range bathrooms.

[Stewart]

I wasn't having a go at you Bob..... I just thought Deano's quote was quite funny. And having read your post's and looked at the pic's of your work, you talk more sense and do a better job than some of the so called "pro-tiler's" do.

[Bathfix Bob]

You're okay Stewart! It was Deano's thread I meant to hightlight!

[tfs]

This worrys me, I thought Rubi were a top quality make, could this have been your perticular cutter tfs?

Can anyone else clarify this? I'll be starting tiling on my current bathroom a week tomorrow and I really need a good manual cutter.
I don't want one that leaves a rough bit that needs trimming off, maybe I should just bite the bullet and get one of these Sigmas? If it saves me time then its worth the £200+.

Desicions desisions.....

Edit: Make that £200 - £300 + !!!!!

Unfortunatly not, I even witnessed this when I was at a Rubi demo day!

Rubi is still a great brand though mate, the tx700 is a beast. Another advantage for me is that you can score and snap with one lever unlike the ts range.

I would rate the big clinker being just as good at cutting as the ts60plus (probably wont last as long as a rubi though)

[deanotile]

You're okay Stewart! It was Deano's thread I meant to hightlight!

i was only having a pop for fun bob but if you get a good tiler it can save you time and money.

[Saltire69]

[QUOTE=Bathfix Bob;428630]Thanks guys, I do have a cheap diy manual cutter but stopped using it, seemed a bit sloppy. It didn't break the tilies cleanly, I wouls score a few timesand the pull the lever down to break and it would just break the tile where I didn't want it.

You should only score the tile once Bob. The more you score it the more likely it will chip.

Sry only read 1st page. Dan beat me to it.

[Sean fsy]

I do find I have to keep buying tape measures though as the markings wear out.

I only use steel rules to measure tiles, be it 150mm/300mm/600mm/1000mm rules. No way is a tape measure accurate enough to a proffesional tiler, remember this amateur saying if the tile doesnt fit fill it up with grout and Sh*t.

[SandyFloor]

I only use steel rules to measure tiles, be it 150mm/300mm/600mm/1000mm rules. No way is a tape measure accurate enough to a proffesional tiler, remember this amateur saying if the tile doesnt fit fill it up with grout and Sh*t.

I use steel rules too. Accurate and easy to use.

[deanotile]

i must not be a professional tiler then as don't even have a steel rule.

[doug boardley]

This worrys me, I thought Rubi were a top quality make, could this have been your perticular cutter tfs?

Can anyone else clarify this? I'll be starting tiling on my current bathroom a week tomorrow and I really need a good manual cutter.
I don't want one that leaves a rough bit that needs trimming off, maybe I should just bite the bullet and get one of these Sigmas? If it saves me time then its worth the £200+.

Desicions desisions.....

Edit: Make that £200 - £300 + !!!!!

I had a ts60 and it did the same, I really would recommend a TX700 Bob, will literally save you hours on every job

[Stewart]

When needed, I use my 10 year old plastic foot rule and it's never let me down......,,,

[tfs]

Cheap tape measures are pants and not accurate. A good tape measure stanley etc is an adequate tool for the job. Cheapo tapes will not measure both inside and outside accuratley where as a decent £10 stanley tape measure will cater for this as the metal peice on the end has 1mm or 2mm play.

[Phil Hobson]

When needed, I use my 10 year old plastic foot rule and it's never let me down......,,,

I have my brand new plastic 2m Wedi rule free from CTD does that mean I am not a pro.