Need to cut some tiles around a curve in a fire place, any ideas how to go about it, reckon it’ll just crack the tiles if I try and use my electric tile cutter.

Needs to go around a curve a bit like in this link:

example

Cheers

I just cut a series of straight cuts very close together with the tile cutter (so the bit to come off looks like a comb) and then just snap each bit off in turn.

If you get a tile nibbler you can neaten the ends up.

Nibble it with your cutter or buy a tile blade for your jigsaw.

Cheers, sounds like a plan, just need to get a profile of the curve and copy it on the 4 or so tiles it’ll run across, sounds like patience is the name of the game to get it looking neat

ohh, didn’t realise you could get a jigsaw blade, that might work well…

waswas has the correct answer. The Jigsaw or hacksaw blade ides sometimes works but more often than not results in a broken tile

depends on the tiles and cutter you have . In an ideal world remove as much as you can by running straight cuts into the tile with a blade and then cutting in at an angle to reach the cut you have made . then finish the curve with a nibbler . score the tile as deeply as you can with a scribe along the curve first to reduce the chance of splintering into the bit you aim to keep. practice with the nibbler on a broken tile first. I have tiled to a very bad standard only once in my life but by the time i finished i had got quite good at cutting odd shapes. Have plenty of spare tiles and expect to fail a lot with the first few.

A great big frikkin lazer.

waswas has the correct answer. The Jigsaw or hacksaw blade ides sometimes works but more often than not results in a broken tile

Really? My first ham-fisted attempt at tiling saw me trying this on 8 tiles and I managed to do all of them without a problem or cracking. Far harder to do 90 degree cuts IME, as they create sharp points for cracks to start from.

Use a dremel or similair flex drive on a drill, with a bur it will cut through the tile.

I am an antique restorer and use 1 every day and you cant go wrong.

I have also used it to cut kitchen floor tiles perfectly to any shape.

I had no probs using a small tile drill and a tile saw. Drill the holes, join the dots and finish-off with a tile file.

perfect excuse to buy an angle grinder which will do the job perfectly

Needs to go around a curve a bit like in this link

What curve are you referring to exactly…?

A great big frikkin lazer.

Although I to make many spelling mistake I can’t let this one go.

Laser, its an acronym.
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Back home now, here’s the actual fireplace I’ll be tiling!

Think I’ll have a go at the jigsaw blade and see how I get on.

The curves not that great and i imagine on that fireplace you ll be using 4 inch tiles. Use a round bladed tile saw will be safer than a grinder which often chip the edge. The jigsaw blades in my experience either dont cut quality tiles or break cheap rubbish ones. Hand powered is the way forward

waswas has the correct answer. The Jigsaw or hacksaw blade ides sometimes works but more often than not results in a broken tile

Really? My first ham-fisted attempt at tiling saw me trying this on 8 tiles and I managed to do all of them without a problem or cracking. Far harder to do 90 degree cuts IME, as they create sharp points for cracks to start from.

Really, er yes! But what do I know, I only tile for a living….

OH top tip make a cardboard template of your curve and use it as a marker its the best way to make the curve run smooth across your tiles

Yeah was thinking of making a carboard template to copy across on to the tiles. Have to admit I’m a tad confussed as to what to do now! Hand saw/ jigsaw/ angle grinder/ cut in to it and nibble it clean!

Thats how I would do it but what do I know

Really, er yes! But what do I know, I only tile for a living….

Well blow me, I must be ace then as I’m not even a professional tiler and managed to do it faultlessly 😉 I presume different tiles are harder or easier to cut this way. I must have picked easy ones.

I think Zulu had it if only we could spare the sharks.

Scroll cutter?

Another vote for a dremel type tool and the tile cutting bit. Used one to great effect when tiling the bathroom.