for the oldies who could not afford tile cutters

[Alberta Stone]

Once.
Was stuck with no snapper an used a glass scribe and then laid the tile on a metal rod and applied pressure with my hands.
They all snapped nicely.
But I wouldn't do it again.
When I am doing stone veneer or cultured stone I use a hammer and nippers and a few other similarly primitive tools, but I have the wetsaw and grinders set up if they are needed.

 

[cornish_crofter]

Did it recently a few times with the porcelain floor and ceramic wall tiles my customer wanted me to fix. It was either that or get the wet cutter out again.

TBH I used the T60 plus scribe but the Procelain was too thick to break on a sharp angle using that cutter, so I used a hammer resting the tile on the rail, as someone here suggested.

When finishing off and boxing in, I needed to cut a corner out. I used a 365 drill bit to give me the corner then scribed away from this to adjacent sides, then scribed diagonally accross. Tapped it away and used a pair of grips to nibble. It worked a treat. Again, didn't want to set up the wet cutter for one cut

 

[CBTC]

Oh yes, many many quarries cut / shaped this way

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I know this is an old thread, but I have just stumbled on it. I know there are a few members on here, that remember the old ways of cutting. scriber for walls, pin hammer and tungsten tip chisel, for floors. No machines in the dark ages:lol: I had to spend hours in my early days trying to achieve the perfect cut. Glad we have the Rubi's etc now, but at least my early training, taught me the way the Romans/ Greeks etc tilers worked. So if 2012 comes true, at least I can still make a living

 

[albyshellshear]

I am interested in the old ways I sit in me shed with a scribe and a pair of kniblers and practice shapes supose I am just sad, also love chiseling stone there is something soothing about the sound of a hammer and chisel on a piece of stone. Anyway I have to go back to me shed now its lock up time, on with me pj's funny how the arms tie up at the back and me shed is all padded and comfy.:rolleyes5:

 

[richie b]

alby i think u need to seek some help :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[Andy Allen]

when i started tiling my tool kit contained
a pencil scibe
spirt level
rod saw
a grouter (not a float but a piece of wood with a piece of rubber wedged in i think you can still buy them)
sponge from the petrol station (they were useless)
floor tiles were cut with a tofee hammer or grinder
and a 6x8 tile was massive!

 

[jamie B]

when I started as an apprentice the firm gave us all 'superior' machines (american I think??) I still use the small one for 6" as it's faster than a rubi...they did give us a scriber, but I didn't ever really use it...always used car seat foam for washing off as well..I really remember the first time we got grinders..no one would use them for ages!..too much of a quantum leap..ahh the bad old days!

 

[Perry]

you forgot to mention matchsticks as well Jimmy! (used ones, I wasn't allowed live matches, condition of my bail and all that!)

i still use em Doug model making matches find them easy than spaces to pull and you can squash em a bit as well :8:

 

[DHTiling]

I remember the first time i was showed how to cut a hole in a tile , only using a pin hammer..:lol:.. that was fun..


New invention came along..... we all got excited....

The lochboy...:smilewinkgrin:...

 

[Spud]

i am not at all nostalgic using the old tools, give me a wet saw and some diamond core bits any day of the week lol i still remember grouting with a solid rubber pad that bal used to have for grouting before the marshall town floats came on the scene

 

[andy-p]

when I started as an apprentice the firm gave us all 'superior' machines (american I think??) I still use the small one for 6" as it's faster than a rubi...they did give us a scriber, but I didn't ever really use it...always used car seat foam for washing off as well..I really remember the first time we got grinders..no one would use them for ages!..too much of a quantum leap..ahh the bad old days!

God , i remember that , you would get a big block of it and cut it into sponge sizes using a panel saw. and you could get all your tools into the boot of a car and have room for tubs of sticky, now you would need a horse lorry to pack all your gear!!

 

[jamie B]

the car seat foam actually wasn't bad for washing off!..but then again it seemed all we fixed for ages was 6" in either white/pink/blue!!:lol:
I used to get picked up every morning by one of the tilers in a 'mini' van:lol::lol::lol: I was 6'4 even then!..had to be doubled up to get in it!..and we always had labourers on site...oh for those days again!

 

[mikethetile]

I was taught to cut the old way too

handy to know how to do it even if you never have to