Whether you’re renovating a bathroom or installing a new backsplash in the kitchen, you’ll likely have to cut pieces of tile. But you don’t necessarily need a tile cutter. For any type of marble wall tile (like ceramic, glass, or porcelain), an angle grinder is best for round cuts whereas a glass cutter can make smaller cuts. And if you have a lot of rustic tile to trim, a wet saw is one of the easiest, quickest options.

Draw the cut line on the front of the tile with a tile marker. The “front” of the marble tile is the side that’s smooth or glazed. If you have a circle template or rounded edge you can trace, your line will be more accurate. If you don’t have a wall tiles design marker, a lead pencil or crayon will work, too. For a dark piece of tile, lay a strip of masking tape on top of the wall tile where you want to cut and draw your line on top of the tape instead of the tile. This way you can see the line and it won’t blend into the samll tile.

Secure the spots tile to a flat workbench using a C-clamp. The edge of the tile that you’ll be cutting can hang off the side of the bench just enough so that the cut mark is not on the bench. This prevents you from cutting into the bench itself. Loosen the clamp by twisting the top screw counterclockwise. Place the clamp vertically against the workbench so that the wood tile and bench are sandwiched between the ends of the clamp. Turn the screw clockwise until the clamp is tightly holding the polished tile in place.

It’s best to do this outside because the process creates so much dust. You can use another type of clamp if you don’t have a C-clamp. You’ll find a variety of types at a hardware store. Get your grinder ready by putting in a continuous rim blade. Using this kind of blade instead of one that’s segmented makes for a much smoother cut. Locate the nut in the center of the blade disc and use a wrench to loosen it. Once you remove the nut, pop the old blade out and set the new one in position. Screw the nut tightly back on over the new blade. Keep the wheel guard down at all times for safety.

Cut through the wood marble tile with the grinder, making several passes. Slowly pull the angle grinder along your cut line. The first time you cut, you shouldn’t try to go all the way through the tile. Simply score it, then use that indent to guide your blade on your second pass for a deeper cut.

Do as many rounds of cutting as necessary. Rushing the process will end up with jagged edges or an inaccurate cut. The harder the material of the only tile, the more cuts you’ll have to make. Wear protective glasses and a dust mask when using an angle grinder as there can be a lot of debris in the air.