A nipper or tile nipper (like a pair of

scissors Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutti ...

pliers Pliers are a hand tool used to hold objects firmly, possibly developed from tongs used to handle hot metal in Bronze Age Europe. They are also useful for bending and physically compressing a wide range of materials. Generally, pliers consist ...

) is a

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

used to "nip" or remove small amounts of a hard material, such as pieces of a

tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...

, which needs to be fitted around an odd or irregular

shape A shape or figure is a graphics, graphical representation of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material type. A pl ...

For tile that requires a straight cut a tile cutter is used. This is a small mechanical device where the tile is placed, aligned and clamped on a platform; lightly "scored" with a cutting wheel and snapped in two with a handled slicer (blade similar to a paper cutter in appearance). For larger jobs an electric tile saw or wet saw is used; this saw is similar to a small

mitre saw A miter saw or mitre saw is a saw used to make accurate crosscuts and miters in a workpiece by positioning a mounted blade onto a board. A miter saw in its earliest form was composed of a back saw in a miter box, but in modern implementation ...

except that water is distributed on the saw blade to lessen the effects of heat and friction. A rail nipper is used in

rail transport modelling Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced Scale (ratio), scale. The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, ...

to cut rail tracks.

References

* Reader's Digest Book of Skills & Tools Cutting tools {{tool-stub

See also

References