Templates

[newpark7]

Hi all

Any advice on cutting around objects etc?

I have a floor to do in 330 x 330 porcelain tiles with a really awkard horseshoe shaped shower tray. What methods do you guys use for marking out etc and what is the best way to cut the curves on porcelain tiles.

Regards


Mark

[woodie]

try a piece of cardboard and cut slats into it push them up against the tray and transfer to the tile, i cut my curves with a 4 1/2 in diamond blade on a grinder and just follow the line...

[brian c]

cut a piece of paper/MAKE apiece the same size as the tile and use this instead of the tile at the tray and shape then cut out,transfer the cut piece of paper onto a tile and draw the outline or use a scoring wheel to do this then reduce your tile mass then finger cut to your outline and snap off with your nibblers.Repeat this process for all tiles around the tray. Bri

[Dave]

i scribe tiles to fit...its hard to desribe scribing realy so read this and it should help........ http://www.doityourself.com/stry/betterfit

[Fekin]

Cut paper to size of tiles and use as templates

[Dan]

I used to fix the tiles around the cut first and then simply use the tile to mark the main points ( the distance between the object and the full tiles near the cut) then take off a little less and scribe it in... as described in the above link. Meets the shape perfectly then whatever shape it is.

[Ric]

how many points would you mark across Dan?

[Dan]

Depends on the shape. And it's hard to explain.

But imagine for a loo floor for example. You have a few tiles that will need a curve in them, so I'd fit the tiles around the cut first, or dry lay them if I want to mix some adhesive after cutting or whatever.

You would measure where the grout joints will be the distance between a fixed tile and the point it meets the loo, and then transfer that to the tile (I wouldn't actually measure, I'd be using the tile I'm about to cut and would spin it around 180 degrees and use the tile itself to mark the distance) then do that where the other grout joint will fall and you'd then be able to cut a straight cut from joining your two marked points giving you a tile with the corner missing or whatever.

Then offer the tile up to the loo and the distance between each point your marked and the loo will be the amount you'll be taking off the tile to enable you to slide it into position. But you'd not be measuring anything again here, you'll just be using your finger and the pencil to guide your pencil line around the shape of the tile.

I'll try and do something on computer that explains this in a sec mate so subscribe to this thread.

[Dan]

OK,

In the attached file (very simple drawings lol!) you should get an understanding.

Basically, 1 = shows you the object you're going to mark around. 2 = you fix the tiles around the cut you're going to make and mark (red) distance between the fixed tile and the object, then join those up and cut it off. Leaving you with a corner off the tile. Then offer that up again to the object as in 3 and the (green) distance between the object and the cut tile at each end should also give you the amount you need to cut off the tile to form the right shape.

So you get a pen and with your finger you you touch the object, whilst leaving the point of the pen on the tile right as close to the edge as you can near the cut corner and slide your finger around the object and you'll follow the shape and put it on the tile.

Then use the piano keys technique to cut the tile, or if you can and have a good blade you should be able to push the tile sideways a little on your cutter to cut the shape.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS measure twice, cut once, and if you need to, take a little less off as you can always take some more off, but if you take too much off you can't stick it back on... as they say.

[Holohana]

good effort Dan. Did this myself last week on two toilets and two sinks in bathrooms with all cutting gear downstairs in the garage! No shoes on as new carpets went down day b4 i arrived. Twas a long day. No option on taking fittings out either as no play on anything!

[newpark7]

Hi Guys

Thanks again for all the great tips much appreciated.

Mark