Ceramic bathroom tiles

[dhookings]

Hope this is the right place.

I have a cnc machine with an adjustable bosch router. I need to cut a couple of 1 1/2 inch holes in two 1/4inch thick bathroom tiles to take a shower mixer. Unfortunately I only have two tiles left of the right colour so can't afford a mistake. I have done some experimenting on similar, different coloured, tiles with various types of cutter. The glass drills seem to cut the surface but any metal cutters glow red at the slightest provocation.
Is there anything I can put in to grind through this material? Time is no problem as I can set it to cut in the smallest steps and leave it, although any lubrication would have to be by hand.

TIA

Dave

[One of Many]

This is normally done with a coring drill/diamond hole saw?

I suppose if you could get past the glazing with a tile spade drill in the center, you might be able to use a carbide coarse rotary file to spiral out from the center. Risky? Rent a coring drill?

If routing is your only option, get some other color tiles for practice. Maybe even route out a nest to hold the tiles in the orientation they will be on the wall when cutting the holes to get them located on center.

DC

[ImanCarrot]

This is normally done with a coring drill/diamond hole saw

Definately, a diamond sintered coring drill.

Stick the tile in a bath of WD40 and peck drill it from the front with a diamond sintered coring drill (like a 1 inch length of copper pipe with lots of little diamonds sintered onto the end).

Take your time and you should get through an eigth of an inch thick tile in 10 mins.

You will get chipping on the break through (the rear surface). To avoid this wax the tile to be drilled onto another waste (spoil board) tile.

Make sure your coring drill has a small hole in its side to let the air out as you push into the tile.

Watch out if you're holding the tile by hand under the oil, if it spins it can give you a nasty cut (from experience coring glass plate).

[Edit]They've moved on a bit since I last used this type of drill! (showing my age now lol). Google "Diamond Core Bit/ Drill" for more info.[/Edit]

[martinw]

Dear dhookings,

Diamond core bits do not come cheap in the UK from regular tool shops. However, cheap and nasty imports are available on e-bay, and if you only have to make a very few cuts, they should do the job. If you buy on ebay, remember to add the additional expense of mandrels etc. for your drill.

An alternative is to buy a blade for your hand hacksaw that is simply a piece of wire with carbide (diamond???) teeth in it. The blade cuts in all directions. The resulting hole may be a bit wonky, but when covered with grout or whatever, you will never give it another thought.

Try Screwfix,Axminster or Toolstation. BTW, Toolstation do not charge for delivery on any orders over £10. How on Earth do they do that?????

Best wishes,

Martin

[jalessi]

Check these out, have had good luck with them and they are very inexpensive.

http://tinyurl.com/djprpn

Jeff...

[martinw]

Check these out, have had good luck with them and they are very inexpensive.

http://tinyurl.com/djprpn

Jeff...

Dear Jeff,

Lummy, lorks, that is cheap. Can you give us a view on their quality? It all looks a bit too good to be true.

Thanks,

Best wishes,

Martin

[jalessi]

Martin,

For cutting the couple of tiles we needed it worked very well.

Just submerged the tile in a shallow tray of water and proceeded to drill.

Jeff...

[jalessi]

Martin,

They have heavy duty models also:

http://tinyurl.com/af6luz

Jeff...

[martinw]

Martin,

They have heavy duty models also:

http://tinyurl.com/af6luz

Jeff...

Dear Jeff,

Thanks. I did my bathroom fifteen years ago, and I have no wish to go back in there with any tools, even if it does look a bit "retro". Hey, the bath isn't avocado colour... I'm cool...

Best wishes,

Martin

[ssoptical]

try soapy / water mixture as a coolant/ lubricant.
it will work better if u could keep the tile wet constantly.
David.

[dhookings]

This is normally done with a coring drill/diamond hole saw?

I suppose if you could get past the glazing with a tile spade drill in the center, you might be able to use a carbide coarse rotary file to spiral out from the center. Risky? Rent a coring drill?

If routing is your only option, get some other color tiles for practice. Maybe even route out a nest to hold the tiles in the orientation they will be on the wall when cutting the holes to get them located on center.

DC

Thanks (and thanks to the other suggestions).
As I only have three tiles of this type left I have decided to make the holes go to the edge of the tile and bought a tile cutter to notch from the edge. I have loads of a different colour so I will experiment with them using the suggestions here.

Dave

[ImanCarrot]

Hold up!

I have decided to make the holes go to the edge of the tile

If you're putting the hole right at the edge of the tile it will chip. 100% definately. It'll chip where the diameter of the circular hole meets the edge of the tile. Beleive me, it will chip. Absolutely. You'll get about a 10mm chip on at least one of the little tooth shaped bits where the circle and edge meet.

Stick the hole in the centre of the tile mate.