[amakarevic]

i wonder if i even need a wet saw if i'm dealing exclusively with 1" mosaic tiles. it looks like i should be able to make all adjustments with a pair of nippers.

 

[mustangmike3789]

it easy to shatter 1" tiles with nippers. a good tile installer can make nice smooth cuts with nippers but the small 1" tiles can be really dense and hard to cut without breaking them. i like to trim them up with the edge of the wet saw blade as if it were a belt sander.

 

[amakarevic]

OK... so no way of getting out of buying a wet saw for me

 

[Bud Cline]

amakarevic,
How much tile are you dealing with?
What is the tile exactly?
With nippers you will probably ruin more tile than you care to.
You don't have to buy a wet saw necessarily either.

How about a little teensy tinesy itty bitty bit more information about what you are doing?

 

[amakarevic]

i have to do TWO bathrooms in my house with 1" mosaic, ONE 15 sq ft boiler/waterheater alcove with 2" mosaic, ONE powder room with 1" mosaic, and ONE small kitchen with 1" mosaic.

the alcove and the powder room come first.

 

[amakarevic]

Hey Bud -- can you please check out my other thread:

http://www.diychatroom.com/f5/wet-saw-recommendation-105001/

thanks

 

[mustangmike3789]

i would suggest one of the cheap table top saws in this case. it will do all of your straigt cuts, corner cuts and trimming. kind of an all in one tool.

 

[amakarevic]

i would suggest one of the cheap table top saws in this case. it will do all of your straigt cuts, corner cuts and trimming. kind of an all in one tool.

thanks. what qualifies as a "cheap table top saw"? i submitted two MK proposals in the other thread, one for 4.5" blade one for $99 and another 7" one for $160.

 

[Bud Cline]

Okay now we are getting somewhere!

If the tile doesn't fit within the wall confines that's a lot of tile to cut. That particular type of tile is probably going to be porcelain and it is very hard to cut and hard to deal with with just tile nippers.

For a lot less money you could buy a 4" right angle grinder and a diamond blade to fit it and dry-cut and score the tiles then use the nippers to make a clean break.

I will also warn you that some of those tiles are glued to their backing with a water-soluble adhesive. If using a wet saw you must make your cuts then quickly dry the tiles front and back before they begin coming loose and dripping from the backing. They aren't all made like that but many are. Why they do that is beyond me.

Dry-cutting may be your best bet.

Those cheap $80 wet saws probably aren't powerful enough to cut that much porcelain conveniently anyway.

 

[amakarevic]

Dry-cutting may be your best bet.

you mean using a grinder with a diamond blade or a manual snap cutter like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/NATTCO-PC1818-Snap-Cutter-Steel/dp/B000KKT7FO/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b

 

[Bud Cline]

A snap cutter won't work! Are you kidding me?

 

[amakarevic]

A snap cutter won't work! Are you kidding me?

OK. so what do you mean by dry cutting - a grinder?

 

[amakarevic]

Bud - in short, do you think if i buy this thing, it will solve all my problems:

http://www.amazon.com/MK-Diamond-157222-MK-170-3-Horsepower/dp/B0000TN120/ref=pd_cp_hi_1

 

[Bud Cline]

Nope.

 

[amakarevic]

OK but what will, considering the application described earlier? and why won't this cut it?

from all that's been said, sounds like the situation for me is hopeless for cutting tile and i have a hard time reconciling with the idea that, in this day and age, i can't find a inexpensive tool that will do it...

if i'm dry cutting with a 4.5" grinder and a diamond blade, will i need a vise to hold the tile while cutting? i can't imagine it's doable holding it in your one hand while using the grinder in the other.

scratching my head...

 

[Bud Cline]

OK but what will, considering the application described earlier? and why won't this cut it?

Here's the deal. That saw is an entry-level saw. I can't tell if you push the tile through the blade or if the table moves on that thing. The type of tile you are using may drag the motor down considerably. If you have nothing but time then maybe that's okay with you. The bigger problem is trying to push the tile if that's the case. The slower you go the more tile you are going to wreck because it will separate from the backing when it gets wet. Tiles hanging over the ends of table is a big nuisance.

from all that's been said, sounds like the situation for me is hopeless for cutting tile and i have a hard time reconciling with the idea that, in this day and age, i can't find a inexpensive tool that will do it...

NO IT'S NOT!!!
And inexpensive isn't always the answer.

if i'm dry cutting with a 4.5" grinder and a diamond blade, will i need a vise to hold the tile while cutting? i can't imagine it's doable holding it in your one hand while using the grinder in the other.

You are making this way harder than it is. You would lay the tile on a work-surface to cut it, you wouldn't hold it in your hand. Lay it on a table and cut it, that's all there is to it.

scratching my head...

Got an itch?
Try Head & Shoulders.

 

[amakarevic]

You would lay the tile on a work-surface to cut it, you wouldn't hold it in your hand. Lay it on a table and cut it, that's all there is to it.

OK, i will try to do it like that and get back to you if i have more questions...

 

[oh'mike]

To drycut the mosaic with an angle grinder---lay the sheet on a thin rubber mat (like a shelf liner for a cupboard)

Lay another square of plywood on top,along the cut line--press down--then cut.