Tile cutter is a tool that is designed for cutting ceramic tiles. According to the way they work, tools are divided into two main groups: manual and electric.
Types of tile cutters
The device of a manual tile cutter is quite simple. It consists of a diamond or titanium cutting element, characterized by high wear resistance, a ruler, a floating base and a guide. The ruler is designed for smooth and fine cutting, the floating base is for easy chipping of tiles, and the guide prevents backlash of the cutting part.
The most common manual tile cutter is a tile cutter (or wire cutter). In their appearance, they are similar to ordinary pliers. When working with the tool, first, an incision is made on the enamel with a diamond disc in the right place, and then the tile is broken off using the corner of the nippers.
A manual tile cutter is generally used when it is necessary to cut a small amount of material no thicker than 15mm. It is also worth considering that the tool can be of various lengths, the choice of which depends on the type of material. So, for example, for processing wall tiles, the thickness of which is not more than 8 mm, a tile cutter with a length of not more than 40 cm is taken.
Some manual tile cutters can optionally be equipped with a circular cutter ("ballerina"), which is used to cut circular holes in the tile. Thanks to the "ballerina", you can cut a hole for pipes with a diameter of up to 80 mm.
If it is necessary to process thick tiles, or there is a large amount of work to be done, then it is better to choose an electric tile cutter. When choosing a power tool, you need to pay attention to the following indicators: power, maximum depth and length of cut, circle diameter, table size, weight, machine continuous operation time.
Choosing a manual tile cutter
It is worth paying special attention to the choice of a manual tile cutter. Don't buy the first tool you see. First of all, when buying, you need to consider how the tool holder moves along the guides. If plastic wheels are used in the tool, then the cutting accuracy is far from always ideal. And such a tile cutter will break faster. Therefore, it is better to give preference to a tool in which the tool post moves along the guides on bearings or on self-lubricating o-rings.
When choosing a manual tile cutter, you should also pay attention to the manufacturer, the base of the tool (it must be rigid), guides (must be thick-walled). Another good tip when choosing a tile cutter is to take the tile that will be cut with you right away. And right in the store to test the operation of the tool.
And moreit is worth considering that it is best to choose an electric tile cutter for porcelain stoneware. A manual one is unlikely to be able to cut such a tile, and if it can, the result of the work will not be of good quality.
Thus, a manual tile cutter, despite the simplicity of its device, requires close attention when choosing it, as well as when working with it.
