using the tool

these photos show how to hold and use the modified tile plier. the tool was not designed to be used the way that i use it, and it has no spring mechanism to return it to an open position, which would facilitate repeated squeezing action. so, you have to completely control the opening/releasing for each closing/squeezing.

at first, the tool may feel kind of awkward... that is because it really is awkward. very quickly, though, you will get past that. as you can see in the photos, i hold the tool with my thumb on top of the top handle, my 2nd and 3rd fingers between the handles, and my 4th and 5th fingers on the bottom, underneath the bottom handle. i use my 3rd finger to push the bottom handle out/down and pivot the plier open. then, i use my 4th and 5th fingers to bring the bottom handle back in and close the plier.

because i score the entire tile before i break, i am making one break after another. i also score many tiles before i start breaking. you should find that you will develop some speed with this kind of score, score, score.... break, break, break kind of process.

scoring and breaking triangles

(refer to my previous post artcraft cutting for complete scoring and breaking instructions.)

here, i am illustrating scoring a tile for 8 triangles. i start at the bottom corner, and score upward diagonally toward the opposite top corner. you just have to eyeball it... some scores will be more exact than others... some will even curve out a bit... not to worry. your accuracy is also completely dependent on how square your tile is to begin with.

i have found that it is best to break starting at the corner, instead of breaking the tile in half.

scoring all the way to the corner is a bit tricky. if you score too hard, you will chip the corner. if you don't score enough, your corner may not break cleanly... especially with thicker glass. it is a bit of a crapshoot, if you pardon the expression. you will work this out. i have found the van gogh glass to be thicker in recent years, and more stubborn to break. it is not unusual for the triangle corners, in particular, to not break cleanly. just use your wheeled nippers to clean up the point, and keep going.

people always... and i mean always remark to me how perfect my pieces are. i admit, they do look pretty perfect, but they are not! they do not need to be, even if you are going for a precision look like i do. you will be amazed at how perfect yours look after you grout. i like to use black grout, as it really gives the pieces definition and seems to best bring out the color... and it is amazing at how perfect the pieces look.

scoring and breaking short strips

these photos show scoring and breaking short strips. i have scored the tile lengthwise into 4 long strips, turned the tile 90 degress, and am scoring up the middle.

break in half along the most recent score line, then in half, and half again.