Tile pliers - an essential tool for every project(2)

Many tilers also prefer to have only part of the pliers touching the tiles as this helps you to maintain greater control and may allow the body to crack or break further away from where you are cutting. Generally speaking, soft body materials are easier to handle, whereas glass body materials like many outdoor tiles require more perseverance.

It's best to remember that you don't need to cut straight through the entire body of the tile; using a prying motion when you are close to cutting will give you a cleaner cut. With practice, you will be able to master the amount of each bite off, the best jaw position, and the faster removal of excess material.

In addition, wearing sturdy gloves will help prevent cuts to your fingers and hands as the edges can be very sharp. Safety glasses are also a good idea to protect your eyes if pieces of tile are thrown out while cutting.

How to use a tile cutter in your project

Fortunately, for many smaller jobs you can sometimes just buy a tile cutter and pliers and be done with it. Straight cuts can be done with a cutter and irregular cuts can be done with pliers. Often the simpler cuts are made by first marking the desired cut shape on the surface of the tile with a pencil or marker, scribing the line with a scribing wheel and then biting down with the pliers in small jaws until you are as close as possible to the mark throughout the area to be removed.

Using a rubbing stone afterwards will help to smooth out any rough or broken edges. For larger projects or more complex curved cuts, a tile saw and pliers are the best partners. Mark the cut, scribe a line on the tile and then use your tile saw to cut a bunch of straight, parallel lines as close to the mark as possible. Then use your tile pliers to remove the tabs left by these saw cuts to reach your marks.

You can use an angle grinder or tile grinder to smooth out the edges, or use a rubbing stone. When dealing with mosaics, the process is very simple. You need to first remove any excess tiles from the sheet with a hobby knife. And afterwards use the scribing wheel of your tile cutter to score the lines, and then your pliers to cut each piece individually. And of course, don't forget the rubbing stone.

Irregular cuts are a normal part of any project. With a tile cutter, there's no need to fear them. With a little time, the advice mentioned above, a little practice and patience, you'll soon be able to conquer those curves and complex cuts with ease!