Tile cutters. Tile nippers. Ceramic tile saw blades. And your arsenal for a ceramic tile-cutting job is more or less complete. Considering that ceramic tiles make for durability and a graceful appearance you would want to indulge in some ceramic tile remodeling job once in a while. So have your tile cutting gear handy.
While tile cutters are the smallest and the lightest, you will need professional standard tile saws for more than simple, straight cuts. Though tile cutters are the safest tools that are around and also the least expensive, they are slow and cannot work upon all kinds of tiles. So for some heavy-duty tile cutting it is best to go for tile saws.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need sharp ceramic tile saw blades to do a better cutting job. Sharp blades tend to break the tile or else get so heated that the whole cutting process stops automatically.
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Wet tile saws are the most popular means of cutting ceramic tiles. The ceramic tile saw blades on these cutting tools are wide, comparatively blunt-edged with no raggedness. And the key to those neat and clean cuts is the sharp sand crystals or diamonds that line these ceramic tile saw blades instead of some sharp metal. The round-shaped blade is fitted with a plastic pipe that douses the blade and the tile with cool water to prevent too much heat from building up.
These diamond coated ceramic tile saw blades are made from the finest grade stainless steel to ensure a longer life. Many feature an anti-stick coating to prevent rusting of the blade surface and also makes cleaning easier.
You can also use rod saws to cut ceramic tiles. These saws constitute a type of hacksaw-blade, made from a permanently bonded tungsten carbide surface on a steel rod. As the blade is circular in shape, it can cut in any direction. They are more expensive than other blades but can retain their sharpness for longer periods than the standard steel or high-speed steel ones.
However, the diamond-tipped ceramic tile saw blades are the best of the lot. After all, diamonds are known to pierce even a woman’s heart!
When you go out to get ceramic tile saw blades, you have to keep in mind that the maximum depth that your saw can penetrate depends upon the capacity of the blade. The larger the blade, the deeper is the cut. However, saw blades with less blade capacity weigh less and are easier to control. So if you are a novice at tile cutting it would be best for you to work with a smaller blade.
With the right ceramic tile saw blades at your disposal, a tile cutting job will ease out. But you need to keep your ceramic tile saw blades in peak working order with regular filing and resetting. So along with your saws, keep a saw set handy.
Working with ceramic tile saw blades speeds up your tile installation process. Take good care of your saws and blades and be patient during the installation process. After all, you are not a bad workman and you won’t need to blame your tools either.
by Manuel Kupka
