How to cut holes out of tiles for plug sockets electrical bathroom tiles drilling holes diamond core drills drill bits 365

[365Drills]

Project - Cutting plug sockets

Brief: Many tile project need to accomodate a socket. This is fine if the socket is offset and two, three or even four tiles can be cut to fit around the socket. But what if the tile is so big that the socket falls slap bang in the middle of the tile. Or the tile is small, fragile and the socket falls right in the middle. This project demonstrates two ways to remove the centre of the tile. Most important is that both will never break fragile tiles.

Safety note: The plug socket used in this demo is shown as wired but was not connected to any electrical supply. Never handle live wires with water.

Always wear safety googles, ear defenders and gloves when grinding or drilling.

Equipment required:

Professional tiler: 1 x BFKMX. 1x Angle grinder. 1 x drill. 1 x marker pen. 1 x set square.

One off tiler: 1 x BFKMX. 1 x battery drill.

Project Objective: install a socket slap bang into the middle of a tile. Quickly. And without breaking it.

FINISHED RESULT

1) Lets begin...

Mark out your tile to the place where you want your cutout.. You can find the centre using a set square although your socket will probably offset and not always right in the middle. If you can - always try to end up with the socket in the middle to make the job look nice.

2) Use the 16mm drill to drill out the corners

Use a mini angle grinder fitted with a diamond bland to score lines between each 16mm hole. It will get noisy and messy and please be careful with angle grinders because they are vicious things and will spit tile chips everywhere. Make sure its on a firm base. This is a black and decker workmate with a rubber top. As you can see by the tile a fair bit of washing will be needed.

So keep giving the tile a little wash to see where you are and to keep the dust down.

Score out in between each 16mm hole. By using a 16mm hole you should find that the radius of the grinder will clear inside the hole and will not "push on" into the tile. Its easy to go beyond the black lines so that when you fit the socket a little run line is poking out.. Not classy !

Once you ground three sides the Centre piece will "pop" when you have cut 3 sides fully! Lovely!

The result. But did you get the size right?

Pop the socket into the hole and test for fit. Worth doing is keeping an old socket so you dont muck up the customers new one.

Perfect !

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PROJECT TWO

This is for those of you who DONT have access to a mini grinder then you can use the drill bits to grind the lines

Reults are not as neat. But it does the job.

You can grind the back and meet in the middle.

 

Ok so its not elegant but its precission drilling. And it fits. And it didnt break.

On the left is the result without a mini grinder. On the right with a mini grinder

 

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About the tools..

Mini grinders cost £14.99 check out screwfix

Diamond blades cost from £19.99

BFKMX cost £49.99

So pro tilers are in it for less than £100 quid all in.

 

 

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