I have removed old slide in stove and the new one requires a slightly larger opening. The countertop consists of 4″ tile over 1 1/2 inches of plywood. The new size is roughly 3/4 inch larger on all three sides. Can anyone suggest a good way to cut the tile and plywood?
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Sounds like a perfect job for a Multimaster.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=multimaster+tool&sprefix=multimaster
Clamp a straight edge to the counter for a guide
"Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
Edited 7/2/2009 8:16 pm ET by dedhed6b
Thanks, that Multimaster looks like a good tool but out of my price range for one job.
That's 4' of tile that needs to be cut (2' each side). I have a multimaster, but I've never used it for cutting tile. That seems like a tall order for a multimaster. Have you done this?
I'm thinking that an angle grinder with a tile cutting blade might be easier. It would also be harder to cut a straight line, but it's a slide in stove so I assume there's a lip that would cover the cut anyway.
Edited 7/2/2009 8:26 pm ET by DonCanDo
Would that be a diamond blade on the angle grinder? Would it work OK dry ? What would you use to cut the plywood underneath the tile?
Yeah, a diamond blade. There a 2 types (that I know of). One is for masonry and the other is for tile. You can use the blade dry, but it works better wet. If you can get a helper with a spray bottle to spritz it as you cut, it works even better. Be sure that you BOTH wear eye protection.
Cutting the plywood is the easy part, but don't try to cut the tile and plywood at the same time. Once the tile is cut and removed, you can just use a circular saw, jig saw, sawzall or even a hand saw.
One potential problem I'm envisioning is cutting the last inch or 2 of tile where it meets the backsplash. An angle grinder won't get close enough without cutting into the backsplash. Blades for hand-held saws are available such as tile coping saw blades, but I've never used one.
Thanks for the input, I believe I can do it now. I will duc tape a small piece of tin on the backsplash to keep from accidently hitting it-you are right, it will be close.
For those hard parts of the tile to get to there are diamond discs for the dremel we have had great success with - detailing outlet cuts in ceramic tile walls, etc. As mentioned by others we have had great luck cutting straight with a 4 inch grinder with a diamond blade. Due to the thinness of the diamond blade I have to add a thick washer, and since the hole in the washer is a little oversized I use a "o" ring to keep my shim washer centered so it doesn't vibrate.
Done this several times Dutch. Grinder with a continuous rim diamond blade (you can use a cheap HF blade if this is the only time you will use it). Draw a line with a sharpy or wax pencil, or use a piece of wood as a straight edge(don't use metal, there is a good chance you will destroy it). Make a couple of shallow passes to cut the tile with a helper, if you have one, with a spray bottle and a shopvac hose. Pop off the excess tile with a flat bar. Cut the ply with a jigsaw. Don't worry about getting a straight smooth finish as there is a bit of play with slide-ins, also don't cut only to the listed minimum in the specs the unit will be a PITA to install.
Best of luck,
Day
I'm happy to report that the project is a success. The tile and plywood were cut just as everyone suggested. I appreciate all the input.
Thanks for the update. It's always nice to know how things turned out.
Cut the tile with a dremel or other grinding wheel tool -- then then ply is easy. It's messy though.