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You may be a newbie learning how to cut a tile, or you want to fix some pieces of tiles in your house by yourself. What you need here is a tile saw.
But is that all you need?
No, it’s not. You have to learn step-by-step to control a tile saw, follow the safety rules, and how to cut tiles in the right way. I used to be a beginner in this work. But following these five simple steps to use a tile saw, I could handle any tiles without any hassle. Let’s see what I did!
Table of Contents
What Are The Differences Between A Dry Tile Cutter And A Wet Tile Saw?
The first thing we have to make clear is the difference between a dry tile cutter and a wet tile saw.
You can tell by their names: a “wet” saw uses water, while a dry cutter doesn’t. That’s all! Now let’s take a quick look at how a “wet” saw works.
To cut a hard or dense material, a specialty saw must have a stable and sharp blade made from diamond. This blade spins so fast that it’s getting hot and even causes smoke billowing around it. The water is here to cool down the blade, reduce the heat, and extend the lifespan of the blades.
A dry tile cutter, on the other hand, can only cut through thinner and ceramic tiles. Some cutters can even perform a quicker cut to make the job much faster without using water. Because there is no friction involved, water is of no help with these tools.
A dry tile cutter
In this article, we focus on how to use a wet tile saw as it is widely used for different purposes.
How To Use A Wet Tile Saw For Beginners?
Now we know that not only wet tile saw can cut through tiles, but dry tile cutters can also do this. However, most people use wet tile saws since they can work on a wide range of tiles such as marble, granite, porcelain tiles, and glass tiles. If you are a beginner, follow these steps to use a wet tile saw in the most effortless and hassle-free way.
1. Place the wet tile saw onto a high, steady, and firm surface
As this kind of power machine operates with high capacity, it causes much vibration and noise if you put it on an uncertain surface. It is even dangerous since you can get injured or make a bad cut to the tiles. The surface must be flat, solid, and sturdy enough to stand still when the saw is in use.
2. Fill the tray or trough under the plane with water
Make sure you have adequate water to use for cutting. Blades should be in the water with as many parts as possible to reduce the heat. Remove the trough to refill and replace the old water with the new one before starting to cut.
3. Place the tile onto the cutting position
Carefully mark a cutting line onto the tile with a pencil. Use a fence to align and ensure the tile is fixed in the right place.
For 45-degree angle cutting, use a miter gauge between the tile and the fence. Cut along the diagonal of the tiles. For partial cutting, always keep the tile at the furthest range of the blade and slowly make your desired cut depth.
4. Create a cut
When you are well-prepared for using the tile saw, let’s get into the main part: cutting tiles.
First, turn on the machine, let the blade dip into the water before approaching the tile. Slowly put the tile under the blade. Especially when the contact happens, let the blade naturally cut the tile at a stable speed. Do not force the tile into the blade faster than usual since it can cause breakage.
5. Finish and prepare for the next tile
Perform the cutting step-by-step gradually until the tile is neatly cut into two pieces. Then, pull out those pieces, turn off the machine, and prepare for the next one.
Now you know all the steps to use a tile saw; let’s sum up.
Conclusion
If you want to cut stone, porcelain, or glass tiles; let’s prepare a wet tile saw. Otherwise, use a dry tile cutter. As you can see, using a tile saw is not a big problem if you have knowledge about the machine and how it works. Those are the steps to use a tile saw properly for beginners. If you have any issues regarding the use of a tile saw, leave your comment please and I will reach you as soon as possible.