I am installing porcelain tile flooring and need to use a jigsaw to cut special cuts. The blade I have (recommended by the hardware store guy) isn't working (its edge looks a little like sandpaper). The book I have said to use a tungsten carbide blade. If a jigsaw blade (the one that came with the saw) cuts metal, will it work for porcelain tile and make a decently clean cut? The edges will be covered with quarter-round shoe molding so it's not vitally important, but would be nice.
2007-02-13 11:35:43 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
PS: I have the jigsaw...I just need the actual blade. They are the little skinny ones...not the rotary ones...the ones with the saw are about 4-5" long each.
2007-02-13 11:46:47 · update #1
Also...I have a coping/hand saw. If I have to resort to that (holy manual labor) will it work?
2007-02-13 12:14:21 · update #2
The last few times I cut tile, I just paid the guy at Lowe's to make the cuts. At $.50 a cut, it saved me a lot of money on tools and time! If you make a few marks on the bottom of the tile with a sharpee, he can get most of the cut done then you can use nippers to finish it up. Using a saw is the tough way to go; I have done it that way and I ended up sore with an hour invested in one lousy tile (but it was a beauty! It goes around a pipe and nobody can even see it).
If you go this route, take some earplugs; the saw he's got cuts through tile like butter but makes one hell of a racket.
2007-02-13 14:22:10 · answer #1 · answered by n0witrytobeamused 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
After installing THOUSANDS of sq. ft. of tile, and with no offense to others, I suggest it's a bad idea.
First of all the RPM/speed of the saw will not be as fast as usually needed. Second: just the action of the saw alone will NOT promise NO CHIPPING.
Without knowing at all, how much tile you actually have to cut, and knowing that even porcelain can chip in cutting, though often the pattern runs through the thickness, I offer this.
Certainly you can rent equipment/ WET SAW made for the purpose, but you can also make EVERY cut with a decent diag. grinder and cutting blade, assuming you have a good steady eye hand coordination. I use a Dewalt all the time, and have most recently done 4000 sq. ft. with edge, corner and column cuts as part of the task.
Steven Wolf
2007-02-14 02:19:38 · answer #2 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are trying to do this without using a wet saw(to save some money.) It would be better if you used a 4in angle grinder and cheap dry-cut diamond blade (about $15 at Home Depot.) If you don't already have a grinder you can pick a cheap one up for about $20. Last solution: lay all of your full tiles, then go rent a wet saw. I thing they rent for about $40 a day, and it will be alot faster. The jigsaw will be way more trouble than it's worth and it will take forever. Good Luck
2007-02-14 03:01:05 · answer #3 · answered by knel320tyler 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like the blade you are using is correct by the way you are describing it. It probably is carbide.
You will not be able to use a metal blade though. It will go bad quickly.
A jigsaw is not the best thing to use on tile but it will work. You may want to get a better quality blade and make sure it is tungsten.
2007-02-13 11:52:37 · answer #4 · answered by Obsean 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the guy did tell you to use the correct blade, it should look like sand paper at the end, thats what you use to cut tile or fiberglass, however the heat is the problem if they get too hot it will crack the tile and ruin your blade quickly, also it might be hard to start the cut but once you get into the material it shoudl work, a wet saw woudl be the best, there are cheap ones out there for about 80 dollars or cheaper, you could rent a nice one for about 40 a day at home depot
2007-02-13 11:48:32 · answer #5 · answered by sevenout7 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Porcelain is a very tough material. The best way to cut it is with a flat bed tile cutter-
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/tiling/tile_cutter.htm but these will often not work on textured porcelain tiles unless you spend a lot of money on a professional make such as rubi.
Your best bet is probably to get a diamond wheel cutter, these are vey cheap now!
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/tiling/diamond_wheel_cutter.htm
2007-02-14 05:02:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just use nippers if it's going to be covered. If it's a straight line, use a manual tile cutter. They cost about $20. It scores the tile like a glass cutter and then snaps it. I've never seen a tilesetter use a jigsaw.
2007-02-13 13:55:12 · answer #7 · answered by normobrian 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only reason I can think of that you would need a tool like a JigSaw is if you need to cut the tile other than in a straight line.
Rent a tilecutter! It looks like a paper cutter but it's for tile.
2007-02-13 12:27:14 · answer #8 · answered by billy brite 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You must be installing glazed tile,I discovered this little secret after about three unsuccessful cuts.Take a zizwheel and just score the pattern you want then take nippers and make small bites the rough edges can be smoothed with a grinder or rough sandpaper.
2007-02-14 03:10:23 · answer #9 · answered by Rio 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I use a rod saw, which is a round wire impregnated with abrasive and fits on a hacksaw or coping saw frame for making curved cuts manually.
It is inexpensive, even if you have to buy the saw frame.
A jig saw runs at such high strokes-per-minute that I believe it would be difficult to control.
Wood or metal-cutting blades will not work at all.
2007-02-13 12:03:02 · answer #10 · answered by I am, I said 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋