Cutting circles in tile?

[GMul]

Hi Gang,

Just my luck. The toilet flange is located such that a 7.5" circle has to be cut in a ceramic tile.

What do you folks do in this case? I have a Roto-Zip - is there a suitable bit available for it?

Thanks, Gary.

[doitright]

Hi Gary, Welcome!

Use a wet saw, or angle grinder with diamond blade. More than likely you'll just fry the bit on the rotozip.

[Mike2]

Hi Gary, welcome aboard.

Royston, that be somewhere up there near Comox eh, if I remember right?

Using your wet saw or a grinder with a 4" diamond blade like John say, mark your circle on both sides of the tile then start cutting out an octagon shape. After making the cuts on both sides of the tile, the remaining pie shape pieces should snap right off. Might have a little clean up work to do afterward but shouldn't be all that difficult.

[tileguytodd]

Nice graphic Mike.Where did ya steal it from??

[Rd Tile]

Here ya go.

[opiethetileman]

Why do you guys cut pie pieces. I just cut the hole thing out. I keep an extra flange on the truck for a temp plate so she fits nice and tight and no guess work. Not to mention 5 out of 10 times I tile a bathroom they buy a new toliet and the base is different on all of them. Rotozip that thing should be called roto drok when it comes to cutting tile. Its only good for wall tile very soft wall tile.

[GMul]

Thanks for all your rapid and helpful replies. I'm off to get a 4" diamond blade for my grinder.

For Mike2,

"Royston, that be somewhere up there near Comox eh, if I remember right?"

Yes indeed. Comox is two miles across the harbor as the crow flies.

Regards, Gary

[John Bridge]

Welcome aboard, Gary.

Mike,

Maybe we should sequester this thread in the Liberry. I mean make a link to it in the Liberry. That way we'll have your very nice graphic and Rich's excellent photo for the next person who screws up and lays out his floor so that he has to cut a hole dead in the middle of a big tile.

[Mike2]

Whadawe call it JB? How to make a Rich Hole like RD do?

I'll go looking for a place to put the link.
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Edit P.S. It's in the Liberry John. For the first person who finds it,
lunch for two at my house - fried Spam sandwiches on Wonderbread.

[Marge]

Wondering why it is so important to get a "perfect" hole around the toilet opening. If there is enough tile laid for the toilet to rest steady and accommodate a future toilet base of a different size, is that not enough? Just wondering if there is a technical versus aesthetic reason. Thanks.

P.S. Very impressive hole cutting in the above posts!

Marge

[Mike2]

You are right Marge, there is no real need for a perfectly round hole. One like RD shows in his picture will work just fine. But you have to be reasonably close because you don't have a lot of space between the flange edge and outter base of the potty.

[Dave Gobis]

You sure you didn't use a Beaver to chew that hole RD?

[Rd Tile]

I use Beavers on porcelain only, saves on blades.

This hole was done fast, just to show someone it could be done, on a thin wall tile without breaking it.

[Westie]

Mike2 I'm surprised anyone even knows where Comox is. You must have been up there fishing at some time? I spent about 15 years in Comox since my Dad was in the airforce before he retired and bought a fishboat.

[Mike2]

Hi Westie and Gary as well.

Tell you what; there aren't too many places on Vancouver Isl. I haven't been. I luv that place. Driven the Island Highway many times pulling a boat, mostly up to Telegraph Cove or Port McNeil to fish the Blackfish Sound area. Sometimes hang a left and head on over to Gold River then down the "chute" to Nootka Sound. Tahsis once, never again. Or maybe peel of at Parksville and head on over to Port Alberni and down to either Bamfield or Uculelet. Can't say that I ever stopped in Royston but in Comox I have. Fanny Bay around there too isn't it. Luv them oysters.

Two of my really good friends were high school teachers in Parksville, retired now, avid sportsmen as well so over the past 40 years they have drug me all over that rock.

You still live on the Island Westie?