For any construction project, after determining what you will be working on, you must pick out the tools you will be needing. It is because by now, you know that the tool you settle on plays a significant role in the success of the project. Taking the case of tile/ceramic materials, you will need a good combination of tile saw and tile saw blade. This combination is ideal for cutting tiles because, unlike a wood or metal saw blade, it does not chip or crack the tile beyond repair.
This article is a guide to help you make good choices of a tile saw, and tile saw and blades.
5 Guides to Using and Knowing Your Tile Saw and Blades
1. A tile saw is a powerful tool that allows you to attach a diamond tile saw blade with enough durability to cut through tiles and ceramic materials continuously with precision and accuracy. It does the cutting by grinding down the tile in a fast and rotating motion. The tile saw has different variants, with each more effective for one job than the other. Some tile saws best put to use for home projects while some are adaptable for bigger and larger construction projects.
2. The Handheld tile saws are ideal for doing small tiling and repair tasks. Most of them have a recirculating water system that helps cool the diamond tile saw blade to prevent it from breaking through friction and also keeping dust in control. It’s the best for DIYers and beginners because of its versatility.
3. The Tabletop tile saw is another type of tile saws. You need to mount it on a workbench. It is ideal for a stable work site. They are difficult to carry around, unlike the Handheld. The tabletop tile saw could also be a fixed tabletop tile saw or a sliding tabletop tile saw. They offer greater precision, accuracy, and efficiency than handheld models.
4. Another type is the overhead tile saw. From the name, you need to attach it to a greater elevation so that the tile you want to cut stays in a fixed position, and the tile saw blade grinds it down. Overhead tile saws offer greater flexibility and accuracy because you are in total control. Most of the tile saws are wet saws while some are dry.
5. The tile saw blade is also of two types; the wet tile saw blade and dry tile saw blade. Their differences are underlining their mode of operations. A wet tile saw blades are mostly the choice tool for big construction contractors because they have a longer lifespan by withstanding wear and tear. The wet and dry tile saw blades are not interchangeable as you can only use the dry as wet, but you should not use the wet as dry.
6. In creating this guide, we put a lot of consideration into the specifications you would have in mind when choosing a tile saw, and tile saw blades and why they count.
10 Guides for Choosing the Tile Saw and Blades
Since you are aware of the types of tile, saw there are, here is a list of what to keep in your mind when choosing one.
1. Cutting Volume:
Each tile saw has its cutting capacity. It is why some are for tile repairs; DIY and some are ideal for longer and heavier tasks (professional). Before choosing a particular tile saw, get to know your task details and your desirable cut finishing. Ensuring this will enable you to avoid a few cutting inconsistencies you might come in contact with while using a tile saw not having the right cutting capacity for your project.
2. Horsepower (hp):
Before choosing a tile saw, ensure it has an appropriate speed and torque. It is to allow you to grind the tile fast with no difficulty whatsoever. Tile saws that do not have the necessary power often shatter or crack. Choosing tile saws with enough horsepower and speed ensures that your cuts are clean, thereby giving a brilliant end product.
3. Beveling Capacity:
Choose tile saw with good beveling capability if you want to have an easy time cutting different materials and different tile shapes. Tile saw with beveling capacity capable of cutting different types of tiles at an angle range of 0 to 45° are usually the best.
4. Accuracy and Versatility:
Traditionally, tile saw manufacturers aim for it to create accurate cuts when putting to use, but some tile saws have greater accuracy than others. It is an important factor to consider when choosing the tile saw blade. It is why you should choose the overhead tile saw or the tabletop model if you are not on a budget. It is because they give you greater accuracy while cutting. Also, versatility is one you should consider too. To the beveling capacity, the tile saw versatility allows you to cut through different materials successfully while also enabling you to make L-cuts, U-cut without having the fear that your machine might pull through.
5. Good Water System and Low Dust Generation:
The tile saw you should choose must have a regulatory water system. The saw must have a good conversation of water to keep working for long without you having to fill it more than often. We are all aware of the health risks we get exposed to if we inhale sawdust as it irritates the throat and affects our breathing pattern. So when choosing a tile saw, choose a wet tile saw, especially if you will be cutting tile daily. The water system of the wet saw supply the tile saw blade with water that will eventually minimize the amount of dust given off during cutting operations.
6. Blade Capacity:
I saved this for the last because it is essential. It is because a good combination of a tile saw and tile saw blade gives the best cutting results and experience. A good tile saw with a premium tile saw blade would enable you to have clean, professional results with minimal effort and precision. If you want to buy a tile saw that has a tile saw blade already, it will be best if you go for one with a diamond-tipped circular blade as it has a longer lifespan and does not leave kinks on your cuts.
7. Additional Accessories:
This is the least important, but it can also be put into consideration after you have a tile saw that has the above properties. This accessory could help you in the long run as they can contribute to cooling, visibility, and efficiency. It includes an LED light, an additional water pump, etc.
The tile saw blade also offers an important contribution to the success of your cut when putting to use with a quality tile saw. These are the few guides to consider when you want to choose:
8. Size:
When choosing a tile saw blade, choose in compliance with the tile saw size recommendation. Choose the tile saw blade with the appropriate diameter with the tile saw you want to use. You should also choose the size according to the type of cut you want. Do not choose wrongly. It could damage the blade and lead to some safety risks. The size also determines the depth of your cuts.
9. Match your Tile with Blade Type:
if you have no prior experience before choosing the tile saw, create time to get familiar with the different types of tile saw blades. There are three types of the tile saw blade; segmented, turbo and continuous rim tile saw blade. Segmented tile saw blade operates at high speed, making it ideal for cutting porcelain, ceramic, and terra-cotta tiles without overheating. Turbo tile saw blades are best for limestone and versatile because it can make both wet and dry cuts. Continuous is best for marble, granite materials, and should not put to use for dry cuts, else it overheats. So before buying, ensure you look at the tile saw blade building quality.
10. Kerf and Arbor:
Kerf is an important part of any saw blade. Its size determines how smooth your cutis. Tile saw blade with thin kerf will make your cuts smooth. So if you want a fine detailing tiling work, you should go for a thin kerf tile saw blade. The Arbor is also important; in your tile saw, you will see a metal bar; it is this metal bar that holds the tile saw blade tightly to the tile saw. Carefully check your tile saw arbor size before choosing a tile saw blade.
Following the above guides to choosing both tile saw and tile saw blades would ensure you have the right equipment in your toolbox to complete your tiling project successfully.
Conclusion
Tile saw, and tile saw blades are tools that mirror modern design where speed, accuracy, and versatility are essential aspects of any cutting tools. So when you want to choose, refer to this article as a guide. The best tile saw must be fast, accurate, product quality results consistently and produce minimal chipping. The best tile saw blade should also deliver great, smooth cut with minimal waste. These requirements might seem quite a handful but with not impossible. If you need help choosing or need a place where you will have access to only quality tile saw and tile saw blades be free to consult us on https://www.nccuttingtools.com/, we supply a wide range of professional and offer suggestions to help you choose.
