# Need help on cutout!



## bpcpainting (Aug 1, 2011)

I'm laying 18inch ceramic tiles and one tile falls over a vent in the floor (3x12ish). No problem, I break out the rotozip with my diamond wheel and start cutting. Everything is going great until.... crack... the tile splits down a weak line. Unlucky break I say, so I try another one... same thing. I'm doing thin cuts with the wheel but when it goes all the way through its cracking the tile. Any suggestions or other method to make a cutout in the middle of a tile?? Thanks guys!!!:clap:


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

bpcpainting said:


> Any suggestions or other method to make a cutout in the middle of a tile??


1. Wet saw.
2. Angle grinder
3. try to chew through it
4. pray, real real hard for the exact dimension to magically fall out
5. dremel/roto type tool.


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## astor (Dec 19, 2008)

This is how I do with wet saw:. Mark face and back side.Start long side on the face, cut close as possible to corner and flip the tile and cut off to the corners and short sides, really slow..vent cover has a lip that covers the edge.I aim perfect, may take couple tiles to reach to that.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Take luon and duct tape it over the tile both side. Then grind back side first just scoring. Then finish with wet saw on top side the wood absorbs alot of the vibration. Worth a shot.


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## WildWill (Jun 6, 2008)

I pull the tray out of my saw and hold the piece under the blade being very careful not to get it in a bind with the blade else bye bye tile.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

If he's using a dremel/zipper, I don't think he has a wet saw or an angle grinder.

*may we have a moment of silence for prayer....* 

OK....set it on a solid surface, but one that will help absorb vibration and just keep scoring it, over and over, a leetle beet at a tiempo. I've never used a dremel/zipper, but think that should work.


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## Terrorron (Nov 7, 2008)

Cry me a river...20" x 20" x 11mm (7/16") Grade V porcelain; 4 1/2" pot lights, center is about 8" back from the end. Cut with 4 1/4" continuous rim on angle grinder, from the back side...resonant vibration factor VERY high.

Patientce exhaustion factor? Also VERY high...

One at each end, the only two "full" stones on a 48/36 ceiling. 

And yeah...I broke a couple (or three).

Buy a grinder...it's well worth the minimal price of admission. The pawn shop is your friend.


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## Evan1968 (Dec 5, 2010)

Mark the tile where the vent is,set the tile,come back tomorrow and cut it out. :whistling


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Evan1968 said:


> Mark the tile where the vent is,set the tile,come back tomorrow and cut it out. :whistling


Ding ding ding we HAVE A WINNAH :thumbsup:


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## Evan1968 (Dec 5, 2010)

Didn't think it would take till caller #7.


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## Terrorron (Nov 7, 2008)

As to a pointer, I've found that resting the tile flat on a scrap of 1/2' drywall does wonders to absorb the resonant energy that so often leads to breakage when grinder cutting. Cutting close to the end on the bias (45, like those in my picture) changes the way that the tile resonates...dramatically. On thick tile the resonance gets pretty amplified and the overcut on the outside of the circle is also huge (5/8")...hence the "cut from the backside" thing. Trim rings (Halo's) are stingy on these ones...
First time I'd ever wished I had a 4 1/2 holesaw..._just about _went and bought one too...

...here's the ones that didn't make it:whistling

I got it, I got it, I...crap!


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## Evan1968 (Dec 5, 2010)

Terrorron said:


> resting the tile flat on a scrap of 1/2' drywall does wonders to absorb the resonant energy


Stack of wet cardboard also works. 
Even used bubble wrap under the tile before.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Mark it and mail it to Angus!


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Terrorron said:


> resonant vibration factor VERY high.
> ...Buy a grinder...The pawn shop is your friend.


I have a junk grinder (dewalt) from a pawnshop that was given to me as payback in some sordid construction deal. It was new, but it's still a junk one because it vibrates so much. I have a makita and metabo that just purr along, no vibration. I'm too cheap to throw the pawnshop dewalt away, but really won't feel too bad if someone steals it.


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## bpcpainting (Aug 1, 2011)

I do have a wetsaw, but figured the rotozip wheel would be quicker... thinking about it tonight I wondered if setting it first and cutting it later would work, sounds like the way to go for this one! Thanks for all the ideas.. I'll let you know how many tiles (and beers) this takes:whistling


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## Evan1968 (Dec 5, 2010)

bpcpainting said:


> how many tiles (and beers) this takes


Anyone want in on the over/under on this?


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## Terrorron (Nov 7, 2008)

Evan1968 said:


> Anyone want in on the over/under on this?


:thumbsup:


CO762 said:


> I have a junk grinder (dewalt) from a pawnshop that was given to me as payback in some sordid construction deal. It was new, but it's still a junk one because it vibrates so much. I have a makita and metabo that just purr along, no vibration. I'm too cheap to throw the pawnshop dewalt away, but really won't feel too bad if someone steals it.


I picked up my Makita (pawn shop) for ~$40 ten years ago...indestructible. Still running a tight as the day I bought it...:thumbsup:


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## jarvis design (May 6, 2008)

Angle grinder and 4" blade has worked for me for years! If the cutout is near the edge, I go halfway through the front side, then finish from the back.
Heck, I can make a 1" square cutout on a floor tile with my grinder if I have too


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Terrorron said:


> I picked up my Makita (pawn shop) for ~$40 ten years ago...indestructible. Still running a tight as the day I bought it...:thumbsup:


There are some good deals at pawnshops, but you gotta luck out, be informed, and the pawnshop employee/mgr be willing to get rid of it/be stupid. 

I got a new in box hole hawg for $150...because they didn't know it was gear driven. :laughing: Long but funny story. Most of the time I see either junk or beat up tools and they are asking almost full price for and are somewhat offended when you lowball them.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Evan1968 said:


> Mark the tile where the vent is,set the tile,come back tomorrow and cut it out.


Humor time--how many of us either forgot to cut it out the next day or....while you're laying out another room, talking, etc, the helper comes in and starts grouting the room? Or...  I try to stay to my rule of: "never work so you have to go back", but in those rare times, I've found it's handy to also mark the walls to give you a hint at where the marks used to be.


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## Evan1968 (Dec 5, 2010)

CO762 said:


> how many of us either forgot to cut it out the next day


Guilty as charged. 
Its usually an electrical box we forget. :wallbash: We had a 25ft long wall that had 18 single and double outlets on it. Got all cut except one. Sparky reminded us! 

Another where the sparky forgot one. He marked it and we cut it out after the tile was set and grouted.


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Mark it and mail it to Angus!


I think I will start doing that... :laughing:


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Evan1968 said:


> Mark the tile where the vent is,set the tile,come back tomorrow and cut it out. :whistling


:no:

Then when you break it you have twice the mess! :whistling:


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## Evan1968 (Dec 5, 2010)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Then when you break it you have twice the mess!


If you break,it your not doing it right.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Evan1968 said:


> If you break,it your not doing it right.


That was the original premise of this thread.


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## bpcpainting (Aug 1, 2011)

Sooooooo should I not set it first? Should I see how many I can break with the wheel? Orrrrrrrr should I set it, then crawl into the ductwork and break through from the backside like the Kool Aid guy?! Speaking of Kool Aid... I want some more Festool! lol:laughing:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

If you set it properly, it won't break when cutting.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Tech Dawg said:


> I think I will start doing that... :laughing:


Great way for me to get some free tile :whistling


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

That's gotta be some cheap-ass tile. If it's really ceramic, it shouldn't have a weak line.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

bpcpainting said:


> Sooooooo should I not set it first?


? Ain't you through with that dad gum cut yet? By this time you could have even had a target wet saw out of your vehicle, and with 8 people, got it up to the house, set up and cut that thing already.


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## NK Flooring (Aug 21, 2008)

When using wet saw or grinder do not take full cut depth at once. Making stress cuts will reduce cracking and breakage.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

NK Flooring said:


> When using wet saw or grinder do not take full cut depth at once.


I think he still may be marking the cut--sheet metal can be wobbly.


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## bpcpainting (Aug 1, 2011)

I set it and cut it... no problems. Sorry for the non-update, but you guys already knew it was going to work Thanks for the tip!:thumbsup:


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