I’ll be completing a tile backsplash this afternoon – 16 sq ft total. The tiles are 1″x1″ slate (1 sq ft to a sheet). I have a $99 tile cutter from HD that has served me well the last two projects (it may only have one, maybe two projects left in it though).
Any tricks for cutting small tiles without getting my fingers in harms way?
Replies
If you are using a tile saw there is little danger to your fingers. You really need to hold you finger on a tile saw blade a long time or with a lot of pressure to cut it. The diamond blades on tile saws just do not cut skin very well.
Depending on the type of saw you are using it is holding the small pieces from getting caught on the blade and send a small piece flying in your eye. so fingers not much danger proper eye protection a must.
If you trap your finger or other body part between the blade and something hard like the tile of tray, it will probably get cut.
For those tiny bastards I hold both sides of the tile with a finger on both sides, bridging over the channel in the tray. This keeps the tile under control when it cuts through, keeping it from falling into the channel.
If I can balance most of that small tile on one side of the channel, then that's what I do. The cut off usually won't bind up in the channel if it's smaller than the channel.
That's it.
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Edited 1/20/2008 12:25 pm ET by calvin