My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6. Max
size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut, rather
than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these machines.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any other
models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

Bertie

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...
My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6. Max
size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut, rather
than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these machines.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any
other models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

Bertie


I have a Screwfix one which works very well. About the only thing I would
say is that they are messy to use, as the cooling water tends to fly around
a bit, taking tile-dust slurry with it, and slow compared to a scorer. I
must admit that for all 'straight' cuts, I just use a bog-standard tabletop
'score 'n' snap' tile cutter. My daughter has just bought one such from B&Q
and it was just 15 quid. Very well made and does the job a treat on the 8mm
thick tiles she is using. I am only using the electric for very thin cuts
where score and snap is impractical, and when just a blade-thickness needs
taking off an edge. At a pinch, if you take it slow and are not doing too
many like that, you can get away with doing that dry.

It's also useful where you need to take out a 'corner' - around the top of a
door frame for instance. Rather than scoring both edges and 'nibbling' the
unwanted bit out, you can cut the shortest edge on the electric, and score
and snap on the longest. Or cut both.

If you are going to be using an electric a lot, I would also recommend
safety goggles as, with the best will in the world, you are not going to be
able to make some cuts, with the guard right down, and then little shards of
glaze tend to fly ...

Arfa

Arfa Daily wrote:
"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...
My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6. Max
size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut, rather
than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these machines.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any
other models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

Bertie


I have a Screwfix one which works very well. About the only thing I would
say is that they are messy to use, as the cooling water tends to fly around
a bit, taking tile-dust slurry with it, and slow compared to a scorer. I
must admit that for all 'straight' cuts, I just use a bog-standard tabletop
'score 'n' snap' tile cutter. My daughter has just bought one such from B&Q
and it was just 15 quid. Very well made and does the job a treat on the 8mm
thick tiles she is using. I am only using the electric for very thin cuts
where score and snap is impractical, and when just a blade-thickness needs
taking off an edge. At a pinch, if you take it slow and are not doing too
many like that, you can get away with doing that dry.

It's also useful where you need to take out a 'corner' - around the top of a
door frame for instance. Rather than scoring both edges and 'nibbling' the
unwanted bit out, you can cut the shortest edge on the electric, and score
and snap on the longest. Or cut both.

If you are going to be using an electric a lot, I would also recommend
safety goggles as, with the best will in the world, you are not going to be
able to make some cuts, with the guard right down, and then little shards of
glaze tend to fly ...

Arfa



IME a saw comes in handy for maybe half a dozen cuts in a whole room
and, since these are mostly hidden behind switches and sockets, they
don't have to be perfect. I get by with a mini grinder and diamond
cutter, though I must say it's the bit I least look forward to.

In article ,
Bertie Doe wrote:
My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6.
Max size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut,
rather than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these
machines.

Any tile cutter like this will give a clean cut so it's down to other
features. Personally I'd go for one with a bigger bed - makes handling
large tiles so much easier.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any
other models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

I've had all three sizes of Plasplugs ones and they are all ok in their
various ways - although the middle sized one had a poor system of clamping
the guide.

--
*Shin: a device for finding furniture in the dark *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6. Max
size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut, rather
than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these machines.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any other
models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

I had a Plasplugs until a few weeks ago (all tiling now finished).

It's done conservatory floor, bathroom floor and walls, kitchen floor and
walls, study floor, hall floor. It's cut perhaps 100 - 150 *very* hard
floor tiles! Behaved itself perfectly well, only used one replacement disc
which cost about £10-£12 from memory. Recently passed on through the local
freecycle.

Couple of things I found, the straight edge guide was ever so slightly
bowed upwards in the middle. It was held in place with small serrations
along front and back edges, and had a tendency to come adrift if you
weren't careful. The straight edge guide wasn't much use with large (300mm)
tiles. I found myself marking all tiles with a crayon and cutting freehand
along the line. Works quite well coz the length of blade keeps you on the
line as you cut into the tile.

It's extremely messy, water and slurry goes everywhere. I used mine in the
workshop or outside to minimise the mess. A plastic apron helps, together
with the oldest of clothes, and an old beanie hat (as I said, the water
goes everywhere!).

It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're cutting upto
a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to come off under the
spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a totally diffent colour to the
reddish slurry. I used green, and it worked well.

--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
IME a saw comes in handy for maybe half a dozen cuts in a whole room
and, since these are mostly hidden behind switches and sockets, they
don't have to be perfect. I get by with a mini grinder and diamond
cutter, though I must say it's the bit I least look forward to.

That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are slower
than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for removing small
bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like porcelain.

--
*Eschew obfuscation *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
The Wanderer wrote:
It's extremely messy, water and slurry goes everywhere. I used mine in
the workshop or outside to minimise the mess. A plastic apron helps,
together with the oldest of clothes, and an old beanie hat (as I said,
the water goes everywhere!).

I'd suggest you didn't have the guard set properly. It should only just
clear the tile to minimise splash. So saying this may not be possible if
cutting freehand - you have to see the line.

--
*Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
IME a saw comes in handy for maybe half a dozen cuts in a whole room
and, since these are mostly hidden behind switches and sockets, they
don't have to be perfect. I get by with a mini grinder and diamond
cutter, though I must say it's the bit I least look forward to.

That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are slower
than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for removing small
bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like porcelain.


I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers. Useful for the odd thing but usually not worth the hassle of
setting them up. It's not a case of being more reliable. I know in
advance what a snapper can do and what it can't. Sometimes I curse not
having a saw but obviously I haven't cursed often enough to bother
buying one, and lugging it around, and clearing up, and having to go
outside to use it etc

stuart noble wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
IME a saw comes in handy for maybe half a dozen cuts in a whole room
and, since these are mostly hidden behind switches and sockets, they
don't have to be perfect. I get by with a mini grinder and diamond
cutter, though I must say it's the bit I least look forward to.

That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are
slower
than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for removing small
bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like porcelain.


I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers. Useful for the odd thing but usually not worth the hassle of
setting them up. It's not a case of being more reliable. I know in
advance what a snapper can do and what it can't. Sometimes I curse not
having a saw but obviously I haven't cursed often enough to bother
buying one, and lugging it around, and clearing up, and having to go
outside to use it etc

Just on steam wallpaper removers. I bought one to remove paper with the
intention of painting the plaster, so it had to be thorough. Saved me
*days*.

Rob

On 30 Sep, 11:33, "Bertie Doe" wrote:
My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6. Max
size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut, rather
than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these machines.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any other
models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

Bertie

I tiled my bathroom with a 200mm tile that looked like 4 x 100mm
tiles, and corresponding wasn't glazed all over and wouldn't break
with a scriber. The Plasplug machine was great and also doesn't
rust. You can also mitre edges with it.
Rob

Huge wrote:
On 2008-09-30, stuart noble wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
IME a saw comes in handy for maybe half a dozen cuts in a whole
room and, since these are mostly hidden behind switches and
sockets, they don't have to be perfect. I get by with a mini
grinder and diamond cutter, though I must say it's the bit I least
look forward to.

That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are
slower than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for
removing small bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like
porcelain.


I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers. Useful for the odd thing but usually not worth the hassle
of setting them up. It's not a case of being more reliable. I know
in advance what a snapper can do and what it can't. Sometimes I
curse not having a saw but obviously I haven't cursed often enough
to bother buying one, and lugging it around, and clearing up, and
having to go outside to use it etc

BTW, I used a carbide grit blade in a jigsaw for the first time a
couple of weekends. Excellent, much cheaper than a tile cutter &
ideal for off jobs.

What make?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:48 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.

Typically, where'd you get 'em? I used to have a ready supply when I was
working, but those days are long gone.

--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Rob wrote:
stuart noble wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
IME a saw comes in handy for maybe half a dozen cuts in a whole room
and, since these are mostly hidden behind switches and sockets, they
don't have to be perfect. I get by with a mini grinder and diamond
cutter, though I must say it's the bit I least look forward to.

That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are
slower
than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for removing
small
bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like porcelain.


I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers. Useful for the odd thing but usually not worth the hassle
of setting them up. It's not a case of being more reliable. I know
in advance what a snapper can do and what it can't. Sometimes I curse
not having a saw but obviously I haven't cursed often enough to bother
buying one, and lugging it around, and clearing up, and having to go
outside to use it etc

Just on steam wallpaper removers. I bought one to remove paper with the
intention of painting the plaster, so it had to be thorough. Saved me
*days*.

Rob

Mine's in the loft because, to my knowledge, it's never saved me any
time at all. Cold water soaking works just as well IME

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:48 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.

Typically, where'd you get 'em? I used to have a ready supply when I was
working, but those days are long gone.

--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net



An 'indelible' felt tip works ok. Stays on there ok throughout the cutting
process, but wipes off the glaze easily afterward.

Arfa

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are
slower than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for
removing small bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like
porcelain.


I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers. Useful for the odd thing but usually not worth the hassle of
setting them up. It's not a case of being more reliable. I know in
advance what a snapper can do and what it can't. Sometimes I curse not
having a saw but obviously I haven't cursed often enough to bother
buying one, and lugging it around, and clearing up, and having to go
outside to use it etc

You don't have to use it outside or clear up much in the way of mess - not
really any more than from a score and split type.

--
*I have a degree in liberal arts -- do you want fries with that

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Huge wrote:
BTW, I used a carbide grit blade in a jigsaw for the first time a couple
of weekends. Excellent, much cheaper than a tile cutter & ideal for off
jobs.

Try cutting porcelain tiles with one. And they are very expensive if you
take their life into consideration.

--
*7up is good for you, signed snow white*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

The Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:48 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.

Typically, where'd you get 'em? I used to have a ready supply when I
was working, but those days are long gone.

They are tricky to find, good art shops have them.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 30 Sep, 14:48, stuart noble wrote:

I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers.

So would I. Cheap and dead handy (I've got two of each!)

Thanks guys, I printed out your replies and showed them to my nabe' We'll
get kitted out for water and splinter showers - thanks AD and TW. We'll also
have a look at the Screwfix Arfa.

Both keen on the electric, because of the 'L' shaped tiles around corners.
It can sit in a gravel tray, which should help to keep the workbench dry.
Then we saw Huge's post on the carbide j/saw blade. Cheap is good, what sort
of an edge does the blade give?

Only expence so far is a fine tipped permanent marker from Morrison's @ 99p.
Will clean off with white spirit. Someone mentioned 'bevel edges', in what
context would you use a bevel?

Bertie

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:35:34 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
That's because you obviously don't have a wet tile cutter. They are
slower than score and snap but far more reliable - especially for
removing small bits. And well nigh essential for hard tiles like
porcelain.


I've used them, but I put them in the same class as steam wallpaper
strippers. Useful for the odd thing but usually not worth the hassle of
setting them up. It's not a case of being more reliable. I know in
advance what a snapper can do and what it can't. Sometimes I curse not
having a saw but obviously I haven't cursed often enough to bother
buying one, and lugging it around, and clearing up, and having to go
outside to use it etc

You don't have to use it outside or clear up much in the way of mess -
not really any more than from a score and split type.

Agreed. Furthermore there are several other reasons for having a powered
cutter.

1) Increasingly tiles may have textures on them which prevent score and
snap.
2) You can cut thin strips if that is what is needed. (OK, You should plan
not to go there but...)

3) You can cut a 'comb' and knock out all its teeth so as to make a U
shaped tile for electrical and other flush mounted accessories.

4) Some tiles are very thick making score and snap a serious challenge.

5) Tiles are on average becoming bigger thus making where complex cuts
more frequent.



--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

The message
from The Wanderer contains these words:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:48 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.

Typically, where'd you get 'em? I used to have a ready supply when I was
working, but those days are long gone.

Far better using a Stabilo "Write-4-All" available from any commercial
stationer though I don't know if they sell them individually. I buy
mine in packets of ten. Write on anything. I use fine ones for
countersigning passport photos.

In article ,
Ed Sirett wrote:
You don't have to use it outside or clear up much in the way of mess -
not really any more than from a score and split type.

Agreed. Furthermore there are several other reasons for having a powered
cutter.

1) Increasingly tiles may have textures on them which prevent score and
snap. 2) You can cut thin strips if that is what is needed. (OK, You
should plan not to go there but...)

3) You can cut a 'comb' and knock out all its teeth so as to make a U
shaped tile for electrical and other flush mounted accessories.

4) Some tiles are very thick making score and snap a serious challenge.

5) Tiles are on average becoming bigger thus making where complex cuts
more frequent.

I can quite understand a skilled pro tiler preferring score and snap for
speed - and time is money - but for ocassional DIY an electric one beats
it hands down. I've recently just done a very complex bathroom using 450 x
300 mm porcelain tiles which cost several quid each and not one spoilt.
When I used to use score and snap I'd be near in tears at the amount of
wastage - and the fact that complex cuts would always break at the last
little bit. And it can't just be down to my lack of skill seeing the
number of split tiles you see round switches etc in pro jobs.

--
*You! Off my planet!

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:22:47 +0100, Appin wrote:

The message
from The Wanderer contains these words:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:48 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.

Typically, where'd you get 'em? I used to have a ready supply when I was
working, but those days are long gone.

Far better using a Stabilo "Write-4-All" available from any commercial
stationer though I don't know if they sell them individually. I buy
mine in packets of ten. Write on anything. I use fine ones for
countersigning passport photos.

I use CD/DVD marker pens for marking tiles for cutting. Very fine line
and almost instant drying.

--
Frank Erskine

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:57:46 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

Thanks guys, I printed out your replies and showed them to my nabe' We'll
get kitted out for water and splinter showers - thanks AD and TW. We'll also
have a look at the Screwfix Arfa.

Both keen on the electric, because of the 'L' shaped tiles around corners.
It can sit in a gravel tray, which should help to keep the workbench dry.
Then we saw Huge's post on the carbide j/saw blade. Cheap is good, what sort
of an edge does the blade give?

Works OK if you're using cheap thin tiles. If you have large tiles or
especially floor tiles forget it.

Only expence so far is a fine tipped permanent marker from Morrison's @ 99p.
Will clean off with white spirit. Someone mentioned 'bevel edges', in what
context would you use a bevel?

I've tried all sorts of markers over the years. Once you get the slurry
coming up onto the tile, they all start to fade away.

Wax crayon or chinagraph pencil is the way to go.

I've never found the need to cut a bevel on an edge.

Also FWIW, take a few minutes to think about how you're going to apply the
tiles. Don't forget to allow for spacers when measuring. You will always
get a far better look if you have part tiles on each side of the wall,
rather than a whole tile on one side and a half tile on the other side. The
same also applies to top and bottom of the wall. Work from a level line
drawn on the wall, your nice square walls can be a mile out in reality, so
if you start with a whole tile down in one corner, the error can magnify by
the time you work diagonally upwards across the wall.

If the wall is say 10 and 1/4 tiles wide, you can finish up either with two
end tiles that are 1/8 wide, or two tiles that are 5/8 wide. Much easier to
cut a 5/8 wide tile! Depends whether you put a tile across the centre line
of the wall or each side of the centre line. A little bit of planning will
give you a far better job.

Remember also that even using an electric tile cutter, you'll not be able
to cut extremely narrow (1/4") strips of tile. That width just breaks off
the edge of the tile in short pieces; I've found that out when cutting that
much wste off a whole tile, IYSWIM.

--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

The Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:57:46 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

Thanks guys, I printed out your replies and showed them to my nabe'
We'll get kitted out for water and splinter showers - thanks AD and
TW. We'll also have a look at the Screwfix Arfa.

Both keen on the electric, because of the 'L' shaped tiles around
corners. It can sit in a gravel tray, which should help to keep the
workbench dry. Then we saw Huge's post on the carbide j/saw blade.
Cheap is good, what sort of an edge does the blade give?

Works OK if you're using cheap thin tiles. If you have large tiles or
especially floor tiles forget it.

Snip excellent advice

The Wanderer is spot on, layout & planning are crucial to a good tiling job,
his advice is excellent.

Wickes do a 'Good Ideas' leaflet on tiling which offers some more advice on
layout.

You can download a copy here & print it off or get one in store
http://www.wickes.co.uk/pcat/37ceramictiles



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
The Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:57:46 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

Thanks guys, I printed out your replies and showed them to my nabe'
We'll get kitted out for water and splinter showers - thanks AD and
TW. We'll also have a look at the Screwfix Arfa.

Both keen on the electric, because of the 'L' shaped tiles around
corners. It can sit in a gravel tray, which should help to keep the
workbench dry. Then we saw Huge's post on the carbide j/saw blade.
Cheap is good, what sort of an edge does the blade give?

Works OK if you're using cheap thin tiles. If you have large tiles or
especially floor tiles forget it.

Snip excellent advice

The Wanderer is spot on, layout & planning are crucial to a good tiling
job, his advice is excellent.

Wickes do a 'Good Ideas' leaflet on tiling which offers some more advice
on layout.

You can download a copy here & print it off or get one in store
http://www.wickes.co.uk/pcat/37ceramictiles


Thanks guys that's good stuff. Indeed our tiny 2 up/down mid ter circa 1840
house, has no true walls. There's a half inch gap at one corner of the
shower tray, which suggests the bathroom corner is say 95 degrees.

My wife wants the existing 760mm sq, corner entry shower replaced with a 760
sq bi-fold, because the sub tray, wooden platform is rotting. There are 2
layers of tiles in the bathroom, 6 x 6", which have been overlaid by 10 x
8". I'm going to remove the lot and start afresh with 10 x 8 and 6 x 6's in
the kitchen.

One of the previous owners, left a box of tile odds and ends, including a
pack of about 200 spacers (mentioned above). There's a castle-wall edged
grout spreader and a 'tile float'. Am I right in thinking that the float is
for applying the final grout, to fill in the 2mm gaps between the tiles?

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Ed Sirett wrote:
You don't have to use it outside or clear up much in the way of mess -
not really any more than from a score and split type.

Agreed. Furthermore there are several other reasons for having a powered
cutter.

1) Increasingly tiles may have textures on them which prevent score and
snap. 2) You can cut thin strips if that is what is needed. (OK, You
should plan not to go there but...)

3) You can cut a 'comb' and knock out all its teeth so as to make a U
shaped tile for electrical and other flush mounted accessories.

4) Some tiles are very thick making score and snap a serious challenge.

5) Tiles are on average becoming bigger thus making where complex cuts
more frequent.

I can quite understand a skilled pro tiler preferring score and snap for
speed - and time is money - but for ocassional DIY an electric one beats
it hands down. I've recently just done a very complex bathroom using 450 x
300 mm porcelain tiles which cost several quid each and not one spoilt.
When I used to use score and snap I'd be near in tears at the amount of
wastage - and the fact that complex cuts would always break at the last
little bit. And it can't just be down to my lack of skill seeing the
number of split tiles you see round switches etc in pro jobs.


I've a feeling your score and snap experience may be based on the old
Plasplugs tool where the snap bit was separate from the score bit.
Having to reposition the tile and judge by eye where the score was made
it an unpredictable affair. The slightly better versions where the arm
does both are twice as fast and an absolute doddle to use.
Not for porcelain of course but "several quid each" ain't my style :-)

The message
from Frank Erskine contains these words:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:22:47 +0100, Appin wrote:

The message
from The Wanderer contains these words:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:48 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:


It's also handy to use a waxy crayon to mark tiles when you're
cutting upto a wall or into a corner. Pencil or marker pen tends to
come off under the spray of water. Also, use a crayon that is a
totally diffent colour to the reddish slurry. I used green, and it
worked well.

Chinagraph pencil works a treat and gives a thinner line.

Typically, where'd you get 'em? I used to have a ready supply when I was
working, but those days are long gone.

Far better using a Stabilo "Write-4-All" available from any commercial
stationer though I don't know if they sell them individually. I buy
mine in packets of ten. Write on anything. I use fine ones for
countersigning passport photos.

I use CD/DVD marker pens for marking tiles for cutting. Very fine line
and almost instant drying.

Agreed. Same sort of thing and I use the Stabilo Write-4-Alls on CDs
and DVDs too.

In article ,
Huge wrote:
BTW, I used a carbide grit blade in a jigsaw for the first time a
couple of weekends. Excellent, much cheaper than a tile cutter &
ideal for off jobs.

What make?

Wickes blade in a B&D jigsaw.

Presumably cutting pretty soft tiles?

--
*I brake for no apparent reason.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
I can quite understand a skilled pro tiler preferring score and snap
for speed - and time is money - but for ocassional DIY an electric one
beats it hands down. I've recently just done a very complex bathroom
using 450 x 300 mm porcelain tiles which cost several quid each and
not one spoilt. When I used to use score and snap I'd be near in
tears at the amount of wastage - and the fact that complex cuts would
always break at the last little bit. And it can't just be down to my
lack of skill seeing the number of split tiles you see round switches
etc in pro jobs.


I've a feeling your score and snap experience may be based on the old
Plasplugs tool where the snap bit was separate from the score bit.

No - I bought an expensive one from the local decent tool shop. Cast base
and roller cutter slide.

Having to reposition the tile and judge by eye where the score was made
it an unpredictable affair. The slightly better versions where the arm
does both are twice as fast and an absolute doddle to use.

I found it fine with 'cheap' tiles - apart of course from removing
slivers. And cutting out curves or notches, etc. Once I'd got a power one
and discovered it would do everything the snap one wouldn't I've not used
it since.

Not for porcelain of course but "several quid each" ain't my style :-)

--
*Virtual reality is its own reward*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
I can quite understand a skilled pro tiler preferring score and snap
for speed - and time is money - but for ocassional DIY an electric one
beats it hands down. I've recently just done a very complex bathroom
using 450 x 300 mm porcelain tiles which cost several quid each and
not one spoilt. When I used to use score and snap I'd be near in
tears at the amount of wastage - and the fact that complex cuts would
always break at the last little bit. And it can't just be down to my
lack of skill seeing the number of split tiles you see round switches
etc in pro jobs.


I've a feeling your score and snap experience may be based on the old
Plasplugs tool where the snap bit was separate from the score bit.

No - I bought an expensive one from the local decent tool shop. Cast base
and roller cutter slide.

Having to reposition the tile and judge by eye where the score was made
it an unpredictable affair. The slightly better versions where the arm
does both are twice as fast and an absolute doddle to use.

I found it fine with 'cheap' tiles - apart of course from removing
slivers. And cutting out curves or notches, etc. Once I'd got a power one
and discovered it would do everything the snap one wouldn't I've not used
it since.



But if you had to cut 50 tiles in half, I guess you might

"stuart noble" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
I can quite understand a skilled pro tiler preferring score and snap
for speed - and time is money - but for ocassional DIY an electric one
beats it hands down. I've recently just done a very complex bathroom
using 450 x 300 mm porcelain tiles which cost several quid each and
not one spoilt. When I used to use score and snap I'd be near in
tears at the amount of wastage - and the fact that complex cuts would
always break at the last little bit. And it can't just be down to my
lack of skill seeing the number of split tiles you see round switches
etc in pro jobs.


I've a feeling your score and snap experience may be based on the old
Plasplugs tool where the snap bit was separate from the score bit.

No - I bought an expensive one from the local decent tool shop. Cast base
and roller cutter slide.

Having to reposition the tile and judge by eye where the score was made
it an unpredictable affair. The slightly better versions where the arm
does both are twice as fast and an absolute doddle to use.

I found it fine with 'cheap' tiles - apart of course from removing
slivers. And cutting out curves or notches, etc. Once I'd got a power one
and discovered it would do everything the snap one wouldn't I've not used
it since.


But if you had to cut 50 tiles in half, I guess you might

I reckon that I could cut maybe 10 tiles in half in the time it takes to
plug in a power cutter and fill it with water.
So any more or less than that and its easier and quicker to score and snap.

On Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:22:15 +0100, stuart noble wrote:

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
I can quite understand a skilled pro tiler preferring score and snap
for speed - and time is money - but for ocassional DIY an electric one
beats it hands down. I've recently just done a very complex bathroom
using 450 x 300 mm porcelain tiles which cost several quid each and
not one spoilt. When I used to use score and snap I'd be near in
tears at the amount of wastage - and the fact that complex cuts would
always break at the last little bit. And it can't just be down to my
lack of skill seeing the number of split tiles you see round switches
etc in pro jobs.


I've a feeling your score and snap experience may be based on the old
Plasplugs tool where the snap bit was separate from the score bit.

No - I bought an expensive one from the local decent tool shop. Cast base
and roller cutter slide.

Having to reposition the tile and judge by eye where the score was made
it an unpredictable affair. The slightly better versions where the arm
does both are twice as fast and an absolute doddle to use.

I found it fine with 'cheap' tiles - apart of course from removing
slivers. And cutting out curves or notches, etc. Once I'd got a power one
and discovered it would do everything the snap one wouldn't I've not used
it since.



But if you had to cut 50 tiles in half, I guess you might

I had a 'quality' slide type of tile cutter. More or less useless on floor
tiles.


--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Bertie Doe wrote:
My neighbour and I are going halves on an ETC. Both planning to re-tile
kitchen and bathrooms and a lot of cutting will be involved.

Local choice at about £34 is Plasplugs Compact Plus or Clarke's ETC6. Max
size of tile will be 10" x 8". We're looking for the cleanest cut, rather
than fancy gimmicks. Anyone had any experience with these machines.

Work will start in 2 weeks, so no immediate rush, so will consider any other
models, which may be available on-line. Thanks.

Bertie



I've come into this thread a day late, however, in my limited experience
(floor tiling a kitchen and bathroom), I can say that the Plasplug will
adequately do the 5% of cuts that a straight score-and-snap can't. The
Plasplug "Contractor" score-and-snap is a good companion to it.

My experience, with pretty hard floor tiles, is that the various
tile-files, abrasive coping-saw blades, and jigsaw blades are utter crap
- but that will be biased against 8mm hard tiles. I did try a diamond
disk in a angle-grinder (well, got my old man to), but without cooling,
and against a hard floor tile, the heat destroyed both tile and disk.

I started my jobs trying to avoid spending money (this was a few years
back when money was rather more scarce for me), and going from cheap
tools - which hit the bin - to increasingly expensive tools (making the
whole job cost 2x the cost of just buying the right tools in the first
place). The score-and-snap gives you 95% of the cuts, in record time
(and we only cracked one tile inadertently, and on hind-sight we were
being optimistic (tapered cut to the edge of a tile)), and the
tile-cutter (rotary) does the remaining real buggers of a cut with ease
(as others alluded - you can cut complex shapes, if you really want to -
I formed the outline of the toilet base to avoid having to raise the
toilet - just tiled around - a kludge, I know, but at the time...)

So... (trying to summarise...) think about which cutter you can maintain
easiest (i.e. getting a replacement blade at 3pm Sunday afternoon), and
go for that. I wouldn't advise using it as a generic tile-cutter - for
straight cuts dealing with more than 1" of tile width, the 1-action
score-and-snap cutters (probably another £20) will make the whole job
easier.

News has spread along the terrace and another neighbour has joined the
syndicate. The consensus is to go for the electric, rather than score and
snap. Ed Sirett's comment about cutting comb patterns to facilitate curves
was a decisive factor. With the extra member, we can even budget in a spare
disc, if needs be.

No decision yet on whether to go for the plasplug or the two all metal
Clarkes ETC or the Titan SF180T (Screwfix). Thanks for all your info and
tips.

As mentioned earlier, in addition to replacing all the bathroom tiles, my
wife would like a new 750 x 750 shower enclosure. Talking to salespeople,
the enclosure is supported by two 180 x 3cm box sections. These half box
sections, need to be rawlplugged to the (breezeblock) walls first. This
suggests you install the shower first, then tile afterwards.

Has anyone tried tiling first? This would reduce the number of cuttings? I
guess it depends on your tile laying ability, or whether there would be any
tile movement, post shower install.

On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 16:55:27 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

As mentioned earlier, in addition to replacing all the bathroom tiles, my
wife would like a new 750 x 750 shower enclosure. Talking to salespeople,
the enclosure is supported by two 180 x 3cm box sections.

180 x 3 cm? Sure it wasn't 18 x 30mm?

These half box
sections, need to be rawlplugged to the (breezeblock) walls first. This
suggests you install the shower first, then tile afterwards.

No I tiled first and then fitted the shower enclosure after tiling. I think
that's pretty much standard.

I suggest you talk in a bit more detail to the sales people.

--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 16:55:27 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

As mentioned earlier, in addition to replacing all the bathroom tiles, my
wife would like a new 750 x 750 shower enclosure. Talking to salespeople,
the enclosure is supported by two 180 x 3cm box sections.

180 x 3 cm? Sure it wasn't 18 x 30mm?


180 x 3 cm is correct. The glass side panel and bi-fold door panel is 180cm
tall. So you have one box section bracket for each panel. Each BSB is fixed
to the wall with 4 rawl-plugged screws. Each glass panel has a 180cm box
section, which slides into the box section mounted on the wall. You then
screw the box sections together making a permanent shower enclosure. The
other ends of the panels,have similar sections which are then screwed to
each other.

I like the idea of tiling first, as you suggest, but my only concern is the
possibility of tile movement in future, if the shower enclosure, suffered a
severe jolt. I assume you need to make the holes in the tiles, large enough,
to allow entry of a hammerdrill bit, so that I can rawlplug the breezeblock
behind.

The old existing shower enclosure, is fixed to the wall and has then been
tiled. I don't like this idea, as it means loads of extra tile cuts. BTW I
may be wrong with the terminology with the use of box section, but if you
imagine a 'U' shaped 180cm long section, which fixes the shower to the wall.
Obviously the 'U' is squared at the bottom.

On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 21:36:35 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 16:55:27 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

As mentioned earlier, in addition to replacing all the bathroom tiles, my
wife would like a new 750 x 750 shower enclosure. Talking to salespeople,
the enclosure is supported by two 180 x 3cm box sections.

180 x 3 cm? Sure it wasn't 18 x 30mm?


180 x 3 cm is correct. The glass side panel and bi-fold door panel is 180cm
tall.

Ah, got you.

I like the idea of tiling first, as you suggest, but my only concern is the
possibility of tile movement in future, if the shower enclosure, suffered a
severe jolt. I assume you need to make the holes in the tiles, large enough,
to allow entry of a hammerdrill bit, so that I can rawlplug the breezeblock
behind.

Yes that's exactly how I did it, and how the instructions for my shower
enclosure said to do it. The whole job is finished off with a bead of clear
silicone each side of the support channels. Never had any problems with
tile movement.

I did make one mistake, however. The shower is on a plinth to allow for
waste water outlet. It's a quadrant enclosure on a square plinth, and I
used wall tiles to cover the plinth sides and bit of the top that projects
beyond the enclosure, IYSWIM. The wall tiles were quite hard, so there
wasn't a problem with durability, but they are quite smooth and glossy, and
the step so formed is lethal as you step out with wet feet! I cured the
problem by putting some of that non-slip drawer lining you tend to find in
caravan stores on the step.

--
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 21:36:35 +0100, Bertie Doe wrote:

"The Wanderer" wrote in message

Ah, got you.

I like the idea of tiling first, as you suggest, but my only concern is
the
possibility of tile movement in future, if the shower enclosure, suffered
a
severe jolt. I assume you need to make the holes in the tiles, large
enough,
to allow entry of a hammerdrill bit, so that I can rawlplug the
breezeblock
behind.

Yes that's exactly how I did it, and how the instructions for my shower
enclosure said to do it. The whole job is finished off with a bead of
clear
silicone each side of the support channels. Never had any problems with
tile movement.

I did make one mistake, however. The shower is on a plinth to allow for
waste water outlet. It's a quadrant enclosure on a square plinth, and I
used wall tiles to cover the plinth sides and bit of the top that projects
beyond the enclosure, IYSWIM. The wall tiles were quite hard, so there
wasn't a problem with durability, but they are quite smooth and glossy,
and
the step so formed is lethal as you step out with wet feet! I cured the
problem by putting some of that non-slip drawer lining you tend to find in
caravan stores on the step.


Thanks, you've answered my next question, ref 'how do you seal, the gaps
between tiles and channel, if the tiles are uneven' - I guess silicone is
the only option. We would love a quadrant, being less claustrophobic than
the 760 sq, but the space available limits us to a max of 800. The narrowest
quads I've seen are 900mm.

Bertie