First post and porcelain tiles are driving me mad

[DIYer]

Hi guys, its my first post on there though have been gaining useful tips for a while so thanks.

Currently doing the bathroom am stuck cutting some wall tiles.
They are 600x300 10mm porcelain. Smooth matt finish.

I've done it brick pattern and worked it all out so the top tiles were a full tile to save cutting as I knew I'd have to trim them to fit the bath anyway as its not perfectly flat.

I've left myself with what I thought would be a reasonable 35x600 cut on 5 tiles. 3x down the long wall and one at each end. But i'm having problems with them breaking out. To add pressure I've got limited spares and they don't make them any more as been stored for a year or two waiting to get round to it.

I have a Rubi TS-60 and a Plasplugs Contractor plus wet saw.
The Rubi does ok on wider cuts and across but at 35mm it breaks out for me. Tried various tips on here, even putting it over the edge of the cutter bed and stamping on it. Multiple scores, pressure at the other end etc.

Its got a 6mm and 10mm wheel, wondering if worth buying the 8mm as recommended for Porcelain.

The wet saw I replaced the blade with a cheapish one as it had a segmented one on it when I got it, it cuts but isn't straight and has some chipping.

Don't know what to try next, new blade for the wet saw, (erbauer, marcrist) or a different cutter wheel for the Rubi? I reckon a better cutter like a tx700 or sigma would easily do it but thats not an option for just 5 tiles.

Its starting to hold the job up now as need to get some of the cuts done so i know how many usable tiles I have.

Any tips?

 

[WetSaw]

Angle grinder with decent blade will be cheapest.

 

[Spare Tool]

Unfortunately the breaker on the Ts is not great on porcelain, 35mm is still quite a small strip to break off..
Have you got any tile nippers, try two or three quite hard scores on the Rubi remove tile from cutter and place on a table with the cut overhanging and get hold of it with the nippers, use a sort of bending action rather than nibbling and the piece should snap off..
Alternatively try scoring as above remove tile and place on a hard floor surface with a spacer or red wedge under the score and push down both sides of tile.
Or if all those fail, score tile and run down the wetsaw with blade to the waste edge of score, should get a nice chip free edge on the tile you need to use..

 

[DIYer]

Thanks, had heard the breaker bit on the TS wasn't good for larger tiles. Luckily this was one I got cheap ages ago so will keep an eye out for an upgrade. TX or Sigma one day

Got some nippers so maybe give that a go, so just grab it near the end where the breaker would press?

For the floor method, do you mean a spacer running the full length not just at the end ?

Have got an angle grinder but the only disk I have at the moment is the one on the table, its 150mm so may fit not sure. I thought a table would give a straighter line but may be worth a shot for some cuts. If I had to buy a disk for it any recommendations for porcelain?

Just be glad when I get some of them done so at least can make progress

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Get a porcelain cutting wheel for £20 ish and get the job done!
Always have the tools for DIY.

 

[Spare Tool]

Much as an angle grinder is easiest way to go just thought he might already have the gear to try those options, handling a grinder precisely takes some practice too imo..

Grab the piece to cut off with the nippers about an inch or two from one end with other arm holding tile on table down and bend it with the nippers...

Just a wedge or spacer on each end of score is enough..

 

[DIYer]

Cheers, thanks for extra info. Will give it a go

I don't mind forking out for tools if they get the job done as will use them again sometime. Just tiling is one of those DIY areas I haven't delved into much yet. Got enough tools to open a hire shop but not so much on the tile cutting side apart from a couple of Rubis and the plasplugs. Just bought a Rubi rubbing block thing to smooth them as well.
Hoping to get on with it this weekend so if I buy a disk it will have to be local, screwfix, toolstation etc. CTD is half an hour away if they do what I want. £20 for a decent disk is fine if I can work out which one. See some are more like £40 which is a bit steep for a DIY user

 

[Boggs]

I used have the 8mm wheel on a TS60 and could normally get porcelain to cut by scoring 3-4 times first.
But this wouldn’t work on some really hard tiles though.
Might be worth a try.

 

[Unused Account 1]

Need a floating bed for 90%of porcelain,tx made for porcelain ,never go full tile to the ceiling,not going to be level ,porcelain ok once got the right tools

 

[DIYer]

The ceiling was actually level within a mm or so, that's why i did full tile. Without the border its 15mm short of a tile with its 35mm too tall so it was either cut top or bottom, as i had to cut the bottom anyway made more sense to do the 35mm there. Tried getting the 8mm cutter on my way home but have to order for Monday. Will see how cutting goes this weekend first

 

[Andy Allen]

What are the tiles called....??
Wickes are selling some rock hard crap that are impossible to dry cut...

 

[acaciaguy]

I have had some of those to deal with from wickes.

 

[DIYer]

These were from Homebase a few years ago. Called Luna Beige, these are 597x297 then they made them 600x300 later then stopped altogether. Look great up but no chance of finding more and if we did chances are they would be the later bigger version.

All the cross cuts went ok, did 40-50mm the other way no prob, just having a hard time length wise at 35mm. My lack of skill and using the TS isn't helping.

Tile giant let me have a couple to practice on but those were ceramic so like butter compared to these.

Read posts saying shock the breaker handle, but the Rubi tended to spring and absorb a lot of the shock so reduced the effect. Doesn't seem to like these tiles

Tomorrow's task is get some cuts done Picked a disk up for the grinder so got a few methods to try.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Disc or cutting blade?

 

[Sean Kelly]

I've just spent 2 days cutting those Wickes hard as rock tiles with an angle grinder and an ATS continuous rim blade. My Sigma could not cut them without the tiles sharing off in all directions.

 

[DIYer]

Bought a diamond cutting disk, had to find something local and toolstation have an offer on one that looks very close to the turbo ATS one. Even if i don't use it for this job it's worth having one. Will test cut in the morning and see how it performs. Can return if no good so worth a shot.

 

[Andy Allen]

I've just spent 2 days cutting those Wickes hard as rock tiles with an angle grinder and an ATS continuous rim blade. My Sigma could not cut them without the tiles sharing off in all directions.

Same......did a bathroom last week, cut them width way no problem, length way....forget it !!

 

[Dumbo]

To get a cleaner edge when you cut it you can score the tile first then cut beside the score line . Sometimes if you try to cut all the way through on one pass it can still break out at the end so in that situation I cut all the way through first two inches then maybe half depth for the rest then starting at the other end full depth before cutting the rest full depth .

 

[DIYer]

Thanks guys, got some good tips there. Feeling a bit more confident about it now.

Not doing it just hypathetical but what would happen if we scored it and cut the 35x600 strip into say 35x200 by doing side cuts with the grinder and snapping the 3 pieces out or half cutting through from the back and putting it back on the Rubi to break it. Do snapping and grinding not mix well.

 

[DIYer]

Turns out cut was more like 29-30mm. Tried the over the bench method on a scrap piece but just ripped chunks out and took wasn't breaking straight despite a deepens score. These tiles just don't want to play.

Resorted to the new wheel on the wet saw as not confident of cutting straight with a grinder. Plus wet will hopefully last longer. Wow... Ok verrrrry slow but the cut is smoother than the uncut side.. And once tickled with the Rubi block you have hard time telling which side it was.

Two tiles cut, brew then few more to go

Using one of the Abracs Expert diamond blades toolstation are doing for 9.99 just now. Only 115mm but fits the saw and grinder. Thin at 1.2mm but cuts clean with no chipping so far. Even if it only lasts this job out I'd be happy.