Help - cutting glass mosaic tiles

[ps2user]

I have brought a cheap Perfomance power tile cutter PPDWW100 from B&Q and wondered if i need to replace the diamond cutting wheel to cut the 2cmx2cm glass tiles (3mm thick) i'm using for a border. The glass tiles are from a 30cm x 30cm sheet of mosaic glass tiles stuck on a mesh. I have cut them into 2 tiles high to make a nice border but am stuck when i get to the end of the wall when a tile doesn't fit :mad2:

I know i can just try using what i've got but would like some advice by the experts before i make a mess

 

[White Room]

Try your wet cutter you won't be cutting that many, If they have a colour on the the back of the mosaic be careful not to chip it. Also you can use tile nippers

 

[D TILER]

tile nips TradeTiler.Ltd Nippers or wet cut but its a bit fiddley wet cutting them 😀

 

[Alberta Stone]

If they are stuck using a water based adhesive the water from the saw will loosen the pieces.
I just unplug my water pump in that case or I use an angle grinder with a glass blade which has finer diamond grit and cuts slower and nicer. Use a glass blade if you wet cut them.
Use a diamond file, you can get some fairly cheap ones made in asia which are a metal plate with diamond electroplated on. I bought a cheap set of 3 which are coarse, medium and fine grit for about $20 and the are about 5" x 2.5".
After you cut a glass tile you need to file the back edge smooth and straight so that any little chips aren't visible, which they will be if they are there.
Use an adhesive which is specified for glass tiles and use the proper notch trowel so you don't have lots of goop to clean off the face and grout lines.

 

[ps2user]

Re: Help - cutting glass mosaic tiles and fixing them

Thanks for the info. Think i might invest into some of the Hoffmann Extra Large Straight Nippers hopfully they be long enough to cut a complete 2cmx2cm glass tile.

Can anyone tell me what adhevise i should be using for the glass tile as i tried to put a strip up and the tile adhesive just went through the mesh and into the grout lines 🙁 Took it off straight away and washed the adhesive off 🙁 Luckily the tiles still remained on the mesh - so the glue used isn't water soluable.

Since my normal wall tiles are about 7mm thick and my glass tiles are 3mm i but some long strips of hardboard onto the wall to make up the difference. But have noticed that in some areas on the wall the padding is still not enough - is this because i'm using bumpy wall tiles?

 

[Alberta Stone]

Use a white SPF and a 2 or 3 mm round notched trowel.
Mix just a small batch of thinset.
Mix it well according to the directions on the bag.
The final consistency should be like thick mayonnaise, not too thick and not too soupy.
Too thick and it will not spread well and won't bond well, too soupy and it will slump and also not bond well.
You don't need a lot of thinset on the wall to bond the mosaic tiles properly, but it needs to be combed well so that there is a uniform amount with nicely formed ridges.
That way even when you slap them down into place with a grout float the thinset will not come out between the grout lines, and even if it does, don't panic, just have a scrub brush handy and carefully clean the thinset from the joints before it is set, maybe use a well wrung out sponge to clean any residue from the face, but don't fuss with them too much until they are set.
You can always take a white synthetic scrubby and use some water and clean the joints of any mortar when it has cured (the next day)
If you have somne leveling problems just use a small bit of thick thinset to flush up the low spots.
No troubles, just a bit of work.
Good luck.

 

[The D]

Leponitt glass mosaic cutters - £25.00 : Mosaic Workshop, The Art of Mosaics