cutting round lines on ceramic tile

wombosi

hi there,

i have the shower drain base and clamping flange installed on a cheap ABS drain i bought with a round strainer.

i'll be using 2X2 ceramic tiles on the floor.

i have a super crappy wet saw that barely manages straight cuts.
just wondering if it's worth figuring out a way to cut the tiles around the round strainer, or just buy another drain assembly and screw in a square strainer (it will take a few days online and slow the project a bit).

what is the tool i would need to cut the tiles to fit around the drain?

thanks.

Bud Cline

The 2x2's you will be using will likely be porcelain. That particular porcelain is very hard and brittle. You can do a fair job of cuting the radius using a pair of tile knippers. Don't get doscouraged when a few of the nibbles take off in the wrong direction.

If you have a 4" right angle grinder and a diamond blade it is a little easier but the drain fixture itself will be slightly less than the 4" blade will want to follow, so you have to work at it.

wombosi

thanks,bud.i appreciate that.

one more question:

when thread in hte final part of the drain with the strainer, do those threads need tehplon and/or pipe dope or anything?

thanksagain.


edit:
is the threaded partof the drain meant to come out easily? or does it get packed tight with the deck mud with no looking back unless you demolish it someday? (that's how i did itin the lastshower i built).

Bud Cline

No. Just screw it in and forget it.

The deck mud should more or less lock the strainer fitting in place. Thread it to the proper elevation to create the needed slope. When the mud is packed around it be sure to pack the mud surface to within about 1/4" below the drain cup edge so as to allow for tile thickness and thinset.