Best tips/technique for cutting mitered corners and funky angles?

[claycarson]

Seems to me like lots of people have different techniques for cutting miters and measuring them. I've seen some setters use plastic triangles with degrees listed on them, others that use contour gages for odd shapes, and some use templates out of cardboard.

What do you folks use to make sure your miters look sharp?

[John Bridge]

Clay,

If it's something like bullnose, eyeball the first piece, mark and cut it. Use it to trace the cut on the opposite piece.

[prashster]

I'm no pro, but my technique worked for me:

I only ran into 2 situations where miters were needed:

1) At wall intersections. In this case, the angle isn't 100% critical. You can use an angle gauge ($7) to transfer the angle to the tool, and then divide by 1/2 and cut each piece that angle. The gap is grouted or caulked anyway, so if it's slightly off, you won't notice it as you do with wood trim.

2) For wall face miters (like for inlays or niches), My designs were MADE to be square, so the miters were all 45 deg or whatever.

The trickier part about miters on tile (IMHO) is cutting them. Unless you have a great miter gauge (the one with my TM75 sucked) then I suggest cutting a block out of a piece of 2x6 wood that is the exact angle you need. Hold or even clamp it to the deck fence, and then use that as the guide for your cut piece. You really have to hold it well if you don't clamp/screw to the deck bkz the blade may cause the jig and yr cut piece to wander, giving you a bowed miter.

At least this worked for me.

Learned it here:

http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/18144/

[pitterpat]

prashster, good site link.

[Richard Tunison]

WARNING: The modifications I made to this saw are NOT recommended and could kill you.

That said, we all put 115V pumps in water most everyday and work with large machines of wet iron and steel with electrical motors attached and I have taken every precaution to make sure this saw that I use for intricate and odd angled cuts is safe.

[Trask]

I cut pieces of granite slab into triangles or 22.5, or whatever. The granite is nice because it won't swell like wood and you can "overcut" your moulding piece or run your cut into your guide and it won't affect the blade.

[Scottish Tile and Stone]

Just buy the Dewalt and be done with it..

[claycarson]

Scotty - DeWalt what?

They make lots of tools. I just got one of their angle grinders and have a continuous rim blade. Is that what you mean?

[Trask]

Clay your better off not knowinig about their tile saw.


I've resisted for along time..I don't like the thing.But part of me is wondering if it would work once in a while...

[the tiling Machine]

Hi
I'm new to this forum but I already sense it a good feelings

check it out these gauges.
From the pictures it hard to recognize them:
The one in the first picture helps you trace cuts around walls when you install field tiles in diagonal format.
The second one is to trace holes or openings for elettrical outlets when a tiled wall covering is installed.

Let me know what do you think.
The Tiling Machine

[lou432]

I have to go with Old Scotty, just get the Dewalt Yea I know,this that & the other thing has been said bout it & I resisted as you are Trask for a while . I used MK`s 101 pro for years & still do when I`m on more than one job but after using the Dewalt & getting use to its lack of torque ,just means I gota go a bit slower ( which aint a bad thing!) but its mitering capabilitys are fantastic and I aint had no problems with it at all !!!!! I`ve prolly done 3-4 K ft limestone + at least 6-8 K porc with the blade that came with it.

[Richard Tunison]

Hi Machine. If it weren't for the holidays you would have gotten OFFICIAL welcomes from the wonderful crew here. I'll just say hello and welcome.

As far as the tools for marking cuts...... anything that helps you do a better job works for me. They do look flimsy though and might not stand the test of time in your work truck/ job site etc. I do know that a "stick" cut to the proper length for your tile and a measuring tape can do the same thing and probably with less hassle.

Have a great weekend..........

Richard

[Scottish Tile and Stone]

Dewalt tile saw.. C'mon Trask, come on over to the dark side..

I have to admit, I would rather use my dewalt, than my target..

[Scottish Tile and Stone]

Oh Yea. tiling machine.. Welcome aboard..

[the tiling Machine]

Tank you guys for the warm welcome.....
have a great holidays.