How to Use Tile Nibblers

Choose tile nibblers, also called tile nippers, when making irregular or curved cuts in tile. You may need to produce these cuts to fit tiles around sinks and toilets or an arced transition between tile and carpet. Cuts made with nippers do not come out as smooth as those made with wet saws or tile cutters. Try to use them where the cut part of the tile will be concealed.

Tile
Wax pencil or marker
Safety glasses
Heavy-duty work gloves
Glass cutter or utility knife
Waste can
Rubbing brick or sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Trace the cutout line on a piece of tile with a wax pencil or a marker.
- 2
  Protect your eyes from flying shards of tile by wearing safety glasses. Wear at least one heavy-duty work glove on the hand that will be holding the tile on which you’re working.
- 3
  Score the cutout line with a glass cutter or a utility knife. Take your time, and follow the line exactly. The scored mark helps remove some stress from the tile so that nips will not extend past the cutout line.
- 4
  Hold the tile firmly in your gloved hand while keeping the tile above a waste can that will collect the pieces that fall as you cut.
- 5
  Position the nippers on the tile, and squeeze the handles together, taking very small pieces of waste tile, about 1/8-inch or less. This requires some force on the handles so that the nippers will break off small chunks. Taking too large a bite will crack the tile, and you may need to start all over again.
- 6
  Repeat the process until you reach the cutout line. This can be slow work depending on how much material you must remove.
- 7
  Smooth the cut with a rubbing brick or a piece of folded sandpaper. Wear a glove on the hand performing this operation. The tile has sharp edges where it has been nipped.

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