How To Cut Tile Using An Oscillating Tool

The installation of shiny ceramic tiles is an important home improvement task that transforms the look and feel of any home. But this task can be a challenge if you lack the right tools for cutting and laying the tiles.

Most people find it easy when it comes to making straight cuts, but when it comes to cutting holes and curved cut, that’s where the problem lies. In today's lesson, we are going to tackle this issue, and at the end, you will know how to cut tile using an oscillating tool.

Is It Possible To Cut Tile Using An Oscillating Tool?

That’s such a good question asked by Ken, my neighbor’s son who lend me a hand when I was tiling my bathroom.

Sure, the tool can be used for cutting tiles and are suitable for making small cuts on tile edges or cutting holes in the center of the tiles. For some DIYers, an oscillating tool is among the best tools for cutting tile.

An oscillating multi-tool can replace a tile nipper (since it also works by cutting the tile edges to shape it) but cannot replace a manual tile cutter or a wet tile saw and other tile cutting tools.

However, there are some reasons you may want to add an oscillating tool to your tile cutting kit, they include:

For making both curve and intricate cut:

Sure, you can rely on a manual tile cutter, or a wet tile saw when it comes to making straight cuts on your tiles, you’ll also have to get other tools such as tile file, tile nipper and sometimes a driller to trim or shape up the tile.

But if you cannot provide all these tools to shape your tiles, simply switch to an oscillating tool.

And the best part of it is that:

You can easily use the tool to file, trim or shape up your tiles and even make holes at the center of your tile (which may be required when tackling some home improvement or remodeling tasks).

It delivers a more accurate result:

When it comes to cutting a tile with a tile cutter, you have to place the tile in the cutter manually and ensure that it is rightly and accurately positioned for you to make a precise cut. Even at that, you may not end up with the perfect result, and that’s where the tile nipper and file comes into play.

But when it comes to using an oscillating tool, you will not only be able to trim and shape up the tile but will also be able to see where you intend to cut so you can direct your tool’s blade to make an accurate cut.

You can also use the tool to make curve cuts or holes in the center of the tile, a task you cannot achieve using a tile cutter or tile nipper.

More affordable:

Using an oscillating tool is a more reasonable and affordable alternative when compared with the function and the cost of getting a tile nipper, and all other required tools. An oscillating tool can be used to tackle other jobs such as sanding, scraping, polishing and cutting different materials such as drywall, wood, fiberglass and much more.

Having considered the importance of adding an oscillating tool to your tile cutting kit, let’s now see how you can cut tile with an oscillating tool.

How To Cut Tile With An Oscillating Tool – Step By Step Guide

1 - Outline the cutout area

Obviously, you have to measure and mark the area that you intend to cut before you cut the tiles. You can mark your outline using a pencil and a ruler.

If you have glossy tiles, using a pencil or pen may not work, and your best bet is to use a permanent marker.

2 - Fix the right blade

Pick up your oscillating tool and install a ceramic cutting blade. You can use the carbide blades for soft tiles and diamond blades for tougher ones.

Read more: How to Choose The Best Oscillating Tool Blades?

3 - Put on your safety gears

Cutting tiles produce a lot of mess, so you have to protect yourself especially your eyes from the chipping tile and your nose from inhaling the dust. So you have to put on your safety goggles, ear plugs, and a respirator.

4 - Check if the tool is working properly

Plug in your multi-tool cord to the main power socket (if you are using a corded tool). Power on your tool and see if it is in a good working condition.

5 - Cut the tile

If you are cutting a wall tile, slowly make a plunge cut along the marked area. If you are however cutting a spare tile, it is better to place it on your workbench and cut slowly along your marked area while holding the tile firmly to achieve the best result.

Proceed little by little (repeating the process to score into the front side of the tile), and stop along the way to clean off the dust till you finished cutting your marked area.

If your tool only scores your outlined area on your tile, gently knock it off to achieve a perfect cut.

Note that you can pour cooling oil over the tile especially in the area you outlined to prevent the blade from overheating while cutting the tiles.

Cutting a Duplicated Tile Scrap

The oscillating tool has a wide selection of accessories and blades that can help you to complete your home improvement task with ease. If you want to customize your tile sizes, shapes or duplicate a tile scrap, an oscillating tool can help you achieve this.

To duplicate a tile scrap or shape, place the tile you intend to cut on the floor or your workbench and place the tile scrap that you wish to duplicate on it.

Bring out your oscillating tool, power it on and use it to trace around this scrap of tile to cut its shape into the piece of tile you placed under the scrap.

Make sure you cut slowly and repeat the cut while holding the scrap down to the piece you intend to cut. In the end, you will get a perfect duplicate of the scrap of the tile you used.

Using The Oscillating Tool As A Tile File

As you file your nails to emphasize its shape, tiles also need to be filed to remove its sharp edges.

Apart from emphasizing the tile shape, filing your tiles will also help to ensure that the fragments around your tiles are removed so it can fit in properly when used. Normally, you would want to get a tile file to file your tiles, but an oscillating tool can also handle this job effectively.

Just install your sanding pad or carbide rasp and quickly sand your tile edges while holding it firmly in your hand. This will help to remove the sharp edges and make your tiles easy to install.

If you are looking for the best oscillating tool to buy for your tile cutting jobs, this top-rated oscillating tool comparison will help you make an informed choice.

Conclusion

I hope this article has successfully opened your eyes to the ways in which you can cut tile with an oscillating tool? As you can see, an oscillating tool has whatever you need to cut your tiles, shape and file them.

You can also use the tool to tackle other home improvement projects like cutting drywall, cutting and sanding wood surfaces, remove old paint, prepare your walls for painting, grout removal, crafting and many more.

Invest in this tool today, and take your profession, crafting hobby or home improvement project and remodeling activities to the next level.

See more: How to Use An Oscillating Tool