Cutting sqaure 'holes' in porcelain - Tile Advice

[hrpuffnstuff]

hi all
well I'm a newbie on here, but have been tiling for a very long time now, but I dont tile every single day, only when its part of my job
(I'm a Kitchen/bathroom installer)

OK....My friend has brought 400mm x 400mm porcelain tiles and I have to cut 8 x double electric sockets in these tiles.
Some of these 'square holes' are very near to the edge of the tiles.

So my question is this...............
How can i cut a hole in a porcelain tile to take a double electric socket.
I have 8 of the 'square holes' to cut

Cheers in advance folks

 

[Time's Ran Out]

:welcome: I doubt that's your real name!

Well Mr puffnstuff have you got an electric diamond wheel wet tile cutter.
If so make your marks on the back of the tile - take off the guard - and place tile over wheel. Works nearly every time for me.
You can of course use a 100mm diamond blade angle grinder.

Have fun.

John.

 

[brian c]

with John on this one or alternatively get one of the guys on the forum to do it for you for a small fee:smilewinkgrin:

 

[hrpuffnstuff]

:welcome: I doubt that's your real name!

Well Mr puffnstuff have you got an electric diamond wheel wet tile cutter.
If so make your marks on the back of the tile - take off the guard - and place tile over wheel. Works nearly every time for me.
You can of course use a 100mm diamond blade angle grinder.

Have fun.

John.

Hi John
Thanks for the reply, yes I have, and didnt think of doing it that way
BUT a question.....WHY MARK THE BACK OF THE TILE??
Why not the front and then I can see what I am doing

Is it because its a PORCELAIN TILE??

Coz maybe I can use an angle grinder with a diamond blade that way

Cheers again

 

[DHTiling]

Angle grinder with a turbo blade....is better if you have not done plunge cuts before....

Plunge cutting next to a tile edge can be fatal for tile if you get the tile skew wiff and it grabs on the wheel causing it to break away...

A controlled cut with a grinder through the face of the tile then turn over and finish from the back the last bits that the grinder wheel didn't get to..

Lay the tile on a bench/platform and clamp it down this will leave both hands free to steady the grinder..

 

[hrpuffnstuff]

Angle grinder with a turbo blade....is better if you have not done plunge cuts before....

Plunge cutting next to a tile edge can be fatal for tile if you get the tile skew wiff and it grabs on the wheel causing it to break away...

A controlled cut with a grinder through the face of the tile then turn over and finish from the back the last bits that the grinder wheel didn't get to..

Lay the tile on a bench/platform and clamp it down this will leave both hands free to steady the grinder..

MANY thanks Dave and to ALL that have answered
I think I will use the ANGLE GRINDER method, with the diamond blade

again...cheers

 

[CJ]

Just make sure it is a good diamond blade.........not lidl's own make.

Oh and not a segmented blade

 

[johnson]

Or the only other way i can really think off is.. where the socket needs to go.. use the edge off one tile.. and the edge of another tile.. and make the square by cuttin out half a square on each side then joinin them up.. Thats a quicker way off doin it.. but hey.. What ever works best for you fella

 

[faithhealer]

hrpuffnstuff, jack wild wasn't it, god I'm old

 

[Time's Ran Out]

If you cut from the back on a wet wheel you can control the length of the cut for the size of the blade. A wet cut will be easier than an angle grinder however Daves method is the safest way.
Unfortunately with other mentioned ways it would be difficult to set up a whole kitchen and 8 sockets so that they all land perfectly on a half tile.

Have fun.

John.

 

[DHTiling]

Very true john.. i do plunge cuts on my rubi wetsaw as it has a removable guard....easy to do and cuts in one go coz you are cutting from the back...but takes practise to hold the tile still so it doesn't jump....

But for newbs...face cutting with a grinder will be better imo...then trim from the back to complete hole...

 

[obobsmith]

hrpuffnstuff, jack wild wasn't it, god I'm old

My thoughts to, where's witchypoo, the freaky trees and the stupid bat thing.......FUNNY as :lol::lol::lol::lol::smilewinkgrin::smilewinkgrin:

 

[obobsmith]

hi all
well I'm a newbie on here, but have been tiling for a very long time now, but I dont tile every single day, only when its part of my job
(I'm a Kitchen/bathroom installer)

OK....My friend has brought 400mm x 400mm porcelain tiles and I have to cut 8 x double electric sockets in these tiles.
Some of these 'square holes' are very near to the edge of the tiles.

So my question is this...............
How can i cut a hole in a porcelain tile to take a double electric socket.
I have 8 of the 'square holes' to cut

Cheers in advance folks

Is there not a better way to set out the job so that you either have a fairly "meaty" bit of tile round the plunge cut or good cuts using two tiles so you dont have to plunge cut near an edge.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

It what comes first - the sockets or the tiles!

There is no way I would set up all the kitchen tiling just to accommodate the sockets.
You've got to many factors with so many different tile types even to think it can be done.
However - you can move the sockets if there is enough cable (not that I would - I'd get an electrician) to make the cuts more even.
After all how many times do we have to straighten sockets etc.

John.

 

[brian c]

thats when the pocket size level comes in handy John.Customers love it when they see there wonky plugs being levelled.