Porcelain Tiles is hard and wear-resistant, but also brittle and easily broken. Improper cutting pressure can cause chipping on the edges or back. Therefore, cutting porcelain requires specialized diamond cutting blades.
What type of blade to cut porcelain tile
Continuous Edge vs. Segment Edge Saw Blades
This type of saw blade features a continuous, unnotched diamond tip with a continuous ring.
Advantages: Provides the smoothest, chip-free cutting surface, high cutting accuracy, and minimal vibration.
Disadvantages: Slightly poor heat dissipation, making it more suitable for wet cutting to prevent burning.
This type of saw blade features turbine-shaped slits on the edge.
Advantages: The notched design greatly improves air circulation and heat dissipation, making it suitable for dry cutting and offering high cutting speeds.
Disadvantages: The cutting surface is slightly rougher than with continuous edge saw blades, potentially leading to chipping.
Diamond grain quality of saw blade
In fact, the lifespan and cutting efficiency of a saw blade depend on the quality of the diamond particles and the hardness of the bond.
High-quality, high-density diamonds ensure longer-lasting and faster cutting.
Soft bond: Ideal for cutting hard materials.
Hard bond: Suitable for cutting soft materials, but not suitable for cutting porcelain. They wear slowly, causing slippage and difficulty cutting.
Purchasing advice: Choose a tool clearly labeled “For tiless” or “For Porcelain/tiless.” Saw blades. These blades use a bond technology that matches the hardness of porcelain.
Make sure the saw blade size matches the shaft diameter and maximum allowable size of your cutting machine (angle grinder, tiles cutter, table saw). Common sizes include 4.5 inches (angle grinder) and 7 inches.
How to Properly Cut Porcelain Tiles without chipping
Safety first! Always wear safety goggles, a dust mask, cut-resistant gloves, and hearing protection.
1: Preparation
Clean the tiles surface and clearly mark the cut line with a ruler and a marker. For smooth glazed surfaces, you can use tape to mark the line. This will effectively prevent slippage and chipping during the initial cut.
Secure the tiles to the workbench, ensuring the cut line is suspended.
2: Setting the Cutting Depth
Lower the saw blade to the tiles surface and adjust the depth, ensuring the blade is only about 1/8 inch (about 3 mm) deeper than the tiles thickness. Cutting too deep will waste time. This can cause blade wear, dust, and increased resistance, creating a dangerous situation.
3: Start Cutting
Start the machine, wait for the saw blade to reach full speed, and then slowly and steadily lower the blade to the leading edge of the tiles.
Adjust the saw blade along the marked line, but don’t push too hard! Let the weight of the saw blade and the machine do most of the work. Pushing too hard can cause overheating, blade wear, and cracking.
Maintain a steady speed. If you hear the cutting sound becoming labored, you may be advancing too fast or the saw blade may have lost its edge.
4: Grinding the Edge
The cut edge may be sharp or have minor burrs. Use a diamond grinding wheel to gently polish it to smooth it.
FAQ
Q: Can I use a regular diamond saw blade to cut porcelain?
A: Not recommended. The bond of regular stone saw blades is harder, making them inefficient when used to cut porcelain. The excessive heat generated by cutting can also damage the tiles and saw blade.
Q: Which is better, dry or wet cutting?
A: Wet cutting is best. It’s good for both the porcelain and the saw blade.
Q: Why does my new saw blade struggle to cut?
A: This may be because the bond on the blade’s surface coats the diamond particles. Cut through old concrete blocks or sanded bricks several times until you see a complete, shiny diamond edge on the metal base. This is when the blade reaches optimal cutting performance.
Q: The back of a tiles cracked while cutting. What caused this?
A: This is usually caused by improper support, which results in uneven force on the bottom of the tiles during cutting, causing it to break. Ensure the tiles is evenly supported and that the cut line aligns with the gap in the support. Using a high-quality tiles cutter guide can also effectively prevent this problem.
