I have a number of nice transferware older ceramic or china (not sure which is the correct term) dinner plates (Stafforshire- could be ironstone- whatever that means in terms of pottery and materials?) that I would like to reshape into various sizes. I didn't want to smash the lot (though many have edges that are chipped, and so can't really be used as crockery anymore) the way you do when you want random tiles. Instead, I would like to pinpoint some part of the plate, ie, the middle 3 inches, that has a complete picture to it. I would like to cut it out and then make an oval or round shape to it, and if possible, do this to other parts of the plate that have nice designs on them.
My questions are: How do you actually cut into the plate to get to the various parts you want to- do you saw into and around it roughly, like a piece of wood, and then sand down the edges to refine it? Do you use a hacksaw? Or is breaking the plate the only way to divide it? Is there any way to control the breakage if you can't saw your way into it? Also, if you want to make tiered plates with good dinner plates, what kind of a drill bit would you use and other preparations would you have to make to ensure you didn't crack the plates when you drilled the center holes? What would be the widest diameter you could drill?
Thanks for any input on this.