FAQs for Tile Saw Blades

1) What is a tile saw blade?

A tile saw blade is a kind of saw blade which can be mounted on a tile saw to cut tile, granite, marble and other stone products. In most cases, tile saw blades refer some types of diamond blades.

2) How many types of tile saw blades are there?

According to their usages, tile saw blades can be categorized into to wet blades (e.g., continuous rim diamond blades), which cuts companied with water for cooling; and wet or dry blades (e.g., segmented diamond blades, turbo diamond blades and turbo wave diamond blades), which can cut with or without water. Most projects can be completed with just wet blades.

If categorized by their shapes, there are dozens of types. The main difference is their diamond segment’s shapes.

3) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a wet tile saw?

Advantages:

• Allows for smooth, accurate cuts because the saw is not hand-held.

• Doesn’t require much physical strength for continued use.

• Wet ceramic tile saw blades last longer because the water keeps them cool when in use.

• Safer to use because continuous rims will not cut through skin as easily as other blades.

Disadvantages:

• Wet ceramic tile saw blades MUST be used with water, so you will need a water source.

• Depending upon the quality and style of your wet saw you could easily get wet, too.

• There may be a longer set up time.

4) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a dry tile saw?

Advantages:

• Fast and easy to set up because all you need to do is plug it in.

• Can also be used to tear out old tile.

• Backer board can also be cut with it.

Disadvantages:

• Since the grinder is hand-held, you will not have consistent control over the quality of your cuts.

• Your edges may not be smooth and even.

• Ceramic tile chips and dust will fly, so be prepared!

• Very difficult to use as your only tile saw on large projects.

5) How can I tell when the diamond blade for a tile wet saw needs to be replaced?

You’ll know when it needs replacing. It’s just won’t do the job. Most people don’t know the correct way to use wet saws. You should never run the diamond blade back and forth on the tile or bricks. Feed the material slowly into the blade and keep going in the same direction. Don’t force it; let the blade do its job. By racking it back and forth will loosen the tiny diamonds on the blade, and will wear it out fast. The blade will last twice as long if used right. Also keep plenty water on the blade to keep down the heat.

6) My wet tile saw blade stops cutting as well as usual but still has a height of continuous rim.

You can use a dressing stone to “wear down” the blade a little so more diamond chips are exposed. You may just not have a perfect match between the hardness of your tile and the softness of the continuous rim. You can even try removing the blade and reattaching it backwards so the blade will cut from the opposite direction. Of course, this would only work on continuous rim blades and on blades that are not marked with a directional arrow!

The “softer” the blade, the harder the surface it cuts. This is because a soft continuous rim will wear down faster and expose the sharp diamond chips sooner to keep cutting the hard surface.

References:

1) C.J. Westrick. Your Resource for Ceramic Tile Saw Blades

2) Yahoo! Answers

3) Tim Carter. Ceramic Tile Saw