I have ten 4x4 ceramic tile that I cannot find new. What is an easy way to clean the backs off so I can re-use them?
you need to use a chisel and gently tap off the old grout with the sharp end.
With Acid easily available in the market. And I am it is HCL. Thats the only way to bring the original shine of ceramic tile.
There are two different ways i know if to set ceramic tile, one is essentially to use a grout, the second is to use a glue. I suspect the hardened glue would present more of a problem than the grout. Someone has already mentioned a chisel, which is worth a try but you have to be gentle and have the front of the tile clamped on a surface such as a newspaper to protect the face of the tile from abrasion. The second might be the use of a high speed rotary tool. Since I owned one of those I have found innumerable uses for it. Usually you can get a bag of bits that includes a small sanding drum with sanding sleeves that go on the drum. This is also worth a try and would not risk breaking the tile. Avoid sanding to the point where the tile gets real hot though to avoid breaking it with thermal stresses. If it is a glue on the back you could still try the chisel or the rotary tool, but if that didn't work you could try a few high end solvents like acetone or xylene to see if that would soften the hardened glue. Perhaps even soaking them in oil for a week or so would soften the glue. good luck
