How to Saw Ceramic Tile
Sawing ceramic tile with a tile saw is much cleaner and more precise than scoring and breaking with a tile cutter. A tile saw is designed to cut ceramic, marble, granite, and most stones. A tile saw uses a diamond tipped continuous-edge blade. The heat generated by the diamond edge of the blade on glazed ceramic tile will chip the tile and quickly dull the blade. Water is sprayed onto the blade as you cut with the tile saw, cooling the blade and preventing tile chipping. Sawing ceramic tile allows for offset, dogleg, and box cuts. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Place the tile on the sliding tile guide. The sliding tile guide is a table or shelf on which the tile sits securely so that it stays square to the saw blade. The sliding tile guide has a slot for the blade as it cuts through the tile.
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Mark the tile face with a square and pencil for the cut you want achieve.
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Place the tile, face up, on the guide and slowly feed it through the tile saw cutting area.
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Trim small edges by placing the tile along the side of the blade and allowing the blade to grind off a small amount of tile. You can cut pieces as small as one quarter inch with a good blade and slow and steady handling of the tile. Multiple passes will prove more accurate than over-cutting.
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Cut special shapes, like a dog leg or "L". Follow the line you mark on the tile face, cutting in one direction. Turn the tile to cut in the other direction.
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Make a radius cut by holding the tile against the blade and rocking the tile back and forth. Work slowly and watch the mark on the tile face.
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Tips & Warnings
Cutting too fast or with the tile face down can cause chips and breaks. Keep your feed water clean. Cutting tile with a tile saw requires care and patience for a good result.
Wear safety glasses because small tile chips and water will fly into the air. Be careful never to put your fingers, hands or clothing near the saw blade.
