On 10/12/2010 12:12 PM, chaniarts wrote:


I'm going to hijack this thread slightly.

I've got some 18" ~3/8" granite tile I need to cut for a counter top.
I'm planning on renting a tile saw.

Almost everything is straight cut. But there are a few places that
aren't. What cuts that?

Jeff

Heathcliff wrote:
I'm installing 12X12 ceramic tile in the basement. I've been doing
the whole tiles first, but to finish the job I will need about 100 cut
pieces for around the edges, doorways, floor drains, etc. I tried the
scribe and snap method but that does not work well for me on these
tiles. So I think I need a saw. I am leaning toward buying rather
than renting since I don't think I can (or want to) do them all in one
session.

I have checked around at a couple big box stores and at Harbor
Freight, which has a store in my area. There seem to be two main
kinds: the kind that's like a small table saw, where the blade is
fixed and you move the tile; and the kind where the blade moves back
and forth along rails above the work. The latter are more expensive -
are they worth it? -- H

do you want to resell it after the job, or keep it for a bunch of years and
use it when you tile the rest of the house. do you ever see a need to cut
bricks or stonework when you do the bbq outside?

a rail saw is usually more stable, will last longer, make a longer diagonal
cut, and can cut thicker things because it's a 10" rather than 7" blade. it
can be hard to find replacement 7" blades, depending upon the arbor size.

look for the 20% off coupon in the sunday paper for HF.

On Oct 13, 8:05*am, Jeff Thies wrote:
On 10/13/2010 7:44 AM, jamesgangnc wrote:

On Oct 13, 7:29 am, *wrote:
Jeff Thies wrote:
On 10/12/2010 12:12 PM, chaniarts wrote:

I'm going to hijack this thread slightly.

* I've got some 18" ~3/8" granite tile I need to cut for a counter top.
I'm planning on renting a tile saw.

* *Almost everything is straight cut. But there are a few places that
aren't. What cuts that?

You mean curved? *Carbide rod blade in a hacksaw frame or on a saber saw;
tile nibbler (sort of like pliers with cutting edges).

Carbide then? I didn't know if this had to be diamond. Diamond jigsaw is
$60+ dollars online.

I don't have to be exact as there will be either a lip or a backboard
sitting on it. I do have some molding and such to cut around.

Your Google is broken, it seems - a diamond jigsaw blade can be had
for ~$10. I wouldn't want to use my Festool jigsaw cutting stone,
though. Stone should be cut wet. It's easier on the stone, tool and
blade/bit, not to mention your lungs.

In your situation most pros would just use their tile saw to make a
bunch of straight cuts 1/4" apart, break off the tongues, and then use
a side to side seeping motion with the tile against the blade to clean
up the cut edge. You have to angle the stone up at the front to allow
the blade to contact the stone at more of a right angle so the cut
will approach square to the face of the tile.

You could also use a diamond hole saw, if you need a truer curve, and
then use the tile saw to work the profile to what you want. Make a
plywood jig to hold the hole saw and keep it from skating, if the hole
is on the edge of the tile, use lots of water and go very slowly.

R

"Jeff Thies" wrote in message
...
On 10/12/2010 12:12 PM, chaniarts wrote:


I'm going to hijack this thread slightly.

I've got some 18" ~3/8" granite tile I need to cut for a counter top. I'm
planning on renting a tile saw.

Almost everything is straight cut. But there are a few places that
aren't. What cuts that?

Care and precision. You can use a round small blade on a right angle
grinder, and they do make a saber saw blade. Sometimes, you can just eat
out what you want to cut out by putting it into the blade at different
angles, cutting off a little at a time.

Steve

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