Glazed porcelain cutting issues - Tile Advice

[Sean Kerry]

Hi guys, I've just started a job today with a 60x60 glazed gloss porcelain cararra effect. I'm having a nightmare cutting L-shapes, i have a sigma with new wheel in today and a bench wet cutter and large vitrex wet cutter and rubi angle grinder all with porcelain blades. Every time i cut i am getting a hairline break in glaze or tile either at the end or somewhere down the cut, ive used 8 tiles on 1 cut! I've tried just wet cutting on both saws, score one and wet cut the other, score both then wet cut, and just angle grinder but still getting this hairline, feeling ready to walk off the job, ang ideas? Is the tile at fault?

 

[Qwerty]

Core drill the corner to take the stress out of the tile and then perform the L cuts

 

[Sean Kerry]

Thanks for suggestion but I've got 130 sq.mtr over 9 rooms and various doorways to do, should not be this difficult, its a cheap tile! Don't fancy drilling every time, any other ideas?

 

[Dumbo]

Get yourself some bits for an angle grinder . Drilling holes with angle grinder drill bits isn't a big deal .

 

[Old Mod]

Doesn’t matter if you don’t fancy drilling all those corners, you HAVE to, it’s the right procedure these days. Use a 10-12mm core bit, M14 thread for your angle grinder, it’ll blast a hole through in moments. Drill as close to the intersection of the corner as you can, this way it will help prevent the tension within the tile continuing in a straight line, an arc prevents that, hence drilling the corner.
It used to be an issue exclusively for larger formats, not so much the case these days.
That notwithstanding, your tiles could be just tensioned, full stop!
Then you’re not going to achieve L cuts, the lot will have to be exchanged for a new batch.
No matter what you try, even waterjet cutting won’t work if they’re that bad.
At some point, and if your experienced enough, you’ve gotta say, hang on, it’s not me it’s the tiles.
Drill a couple first and try that, see what happens.
You can also drill them, and cut 10mm in to the tile at the edge then stop and cut from the core hole outward toward the edge.
And if it still happens, last thing is to core a sizeable hole, 40-50mm and seewhat happens then.
Sometimes, it just can’t be done if they’re tensioned too much.
Only experience can tell you at which point to say “enough is enough”
Badly tensioned tiles normally present themselves by having a darker biscuit than normal, flatter backs and can be heavier than a non tensioned one.
Also when it splits, if one side of the split springs up and away as it happens, it’s another tell tale sign. Basically, the two bits won’t fit perfectly together again, it’ll be raised somewhere along the split.

 

[Italy]

Doesn’t matter if you don’t fancy drilling all those corners, you HAVE to, it’s the right procedure these days. Use a 10-12mm core bit, M14 thread for your angle grinder, it’ll blast a hole through in moments. Drill as close to the intersection of the corner as you can, this way it will help prevent the tension within the tile continuing in a straight line, an arc prevents that, hence drilling the corner.
It used to be an issue exclusively for larger formats, not so much the case these days.
That notwithstanding, your tiles could be just tensioned, full stop!
Then you’re not going to achieve L cuts, the lot will have to be exchanged for a new batch.
No matter what you try, even waterjet cutting won’t work if they’re that bad.
At some point, and if your experienced enough, you’ve gotta say, hang on, it’s not me it’s the tiles.
Drill a couple first and try that, see what happens.
You can also drill them, and cut 10mm in to the tile at the edge then stop and cut from the core hole outward toward the edge.
And if it still happens, last thing is to core a sizeable hole, 40-50mm and seewhat happens then.
Sometimes, it just can’t be done if they’re tensioned too much.
Only experience can tell you at which point to say “enough is enough”
Badly tensioned tiles normally present themselves by having a darker biscuit than normal, flatter backs and can be heavier than a non tensioned one.
Also when it splits, if one side of the split springs up and away as it happens, it’s another tell tale sign. Basically, the two bits won’t fit perfectly together again, it’ll be raised somewhere along the split.

that preaches!!! ahah
good answer marc

 

[Sean Kerry]

Doesn’t matter if you don’t fancy drilling all those corners, you HAVE to, it’s the right procedure these days. Use a 10-12mm core bit, M14 thread for your angle grinder, it’ll blast a hole through in moments. Drill as close to the intersection of the corner as you can, this way it will help prevent the tension within the tile continuing in a straight line, an arc prevents that, hence drilling the corner.
It used to be an issue exclusively for larger formats, not so much the case these days.
That notwithstanding, your tiles could be just tensioned, full stop!
Then you’re not going to achieve L cuts, the lot will have to be exchanged for a new batch.
No matter what you try, even waterjet cutting won’t work if they’re that bad.
At some point, and if your experienced enough, you’ve gotta say, hang on, it’s not me it’s the tiles.
Drill a couple first and try that, see what happens.
You can also drill them, and cut 10mm in to the tile at the edge then stop and cut from the core hole outward toward the edge.
And if it still happens, last thing is to core a sizeable hole, 40-50mm and seewhat happens then.
Sometimes, it just can’t be done if they’re tensioned too much.
Only experience can tell you at which point to say “enough is enough”
Badly tensioned tiles normally present themselves by having a darker biscuit than normal, flatter backs and can be heavier than a non tensioned one.
Also when it splits, if one side of the split springs up and away as it happens, it’s another tell tale sign. Basically, the two bits won’t fit perfectly together again, it’ll be raised somewhere along the split.

Thanks for some useful info, drilling wont help as its not just happening in the corners, sometimes its 2 or 3 cm into the cut,

 

[Sean Kerry]

Photo

 

[Old Mod]

Thanks for some useful info, drilling wont help as its not just happening in the corners, sometimes its 2 or 3 cm into the cut,

Yes but that’s the point of coring the corner, it’s unlikely to go past the core hole, if it consistently does, back the tiles, you need a new batch, they’re far too tensioned (over fired generally)

 

[Dumbo]

Instead of going full depth on the cut make a first pass at half depth along the full length of the cut using a sponge to cool the disc and cut . Do drill corner first though . Then cut full depth say first 2 inches each end of the cut then full depth next to corner drill hole say 2inches then cut the rest out .

 

[One Day]

everything Marc has already said - 100% spot on.

out of interest - what manufacturer/brand are the tiles?

 

[Sean Kerry]

Instead of going full depth on the cut make a first pass at half depth along the full length of the cut using a sponge to cool the disc and cut . Do drill corner first though . Then cut full depth say first 2 inches each end of the cut then full depth next to corner drill hole say 2inches then cut the rest out .

Tried doing just a shallow pass with angle grinder but still same, photo above is only 2-3mm into depth if tile and then the split.

 

[Bill]

Do a video @Sean Kerry ... lets see how and what you are doing.

 

[Dumbo]

Tried doing just a shallow pass with angle grinder but still same, photo above is only 2-3mm into depth if tile and then the split.

Try putting some carpet on your work bench to help dissipate the high frequency resoresonance from the cutting of the tile

 

[LM]

As Marc @3_fall has already advised, do the two split pieces warp in any way once they’ve split?