Grinding / Polishing / Small chips - TilersForums.com

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

The disc is perpendicular to the tile (being the workpiece. Tile is held as shown in the images - glaze forms 90 degrees to the disc. If one uses any form of chop/sliding saw you typically set the blade at 90 degrees to your work piece ie perpendicular. I usually hold the blade stationary and move the work piece along it.

" Disc perpendicular to the tile surface, disc touching biscuit and ultimately glaze - outer radius/rim of the disc slightly protruding the glaze "

I will take some images as it will be safer than a video.

I suggested that the axis of the blade could be rotated to allow the front or rear to touch - I hold it so all axis are kept perpendicular to the tile so I grind it flat (seemed logical to me rightly or wrongly).

The way I have used the side of a cutting blade such that it is flat across the face of the tile was purposeful rather than using it at an angle which is a little how I feel the convex blade is behaving. As you can see from my images it works but it's different to what I was used to. How do you keep the cut face of the tile flat with the curved disc?

Moving to the silicon paper / flex backing pads - are these used at an angle to the face of the tile also?

I appreciate your help 3_fall and hope I haven't caused more greyness I am sure it's frustrating reading.

I have been tidying the edge of tiles up as I describe for a lot of years and maybe I have been doing it wrong and now a little confused.

 

[Old Mod]

There’s no right or wrong way ultimately, if your technique works, why second guess yourself and change?
I can only see a benefit in changing methods if it drastically reduces working time.
Other than that, why bother.
As I said, every material is different, working with thin tile this is never more evident.
What blade will give a clean cut on one, generally doesn’t on another.
Bolstering my belief that every manufacturer needs a specific blade for their material, change material and use the same blade, it’ll mostly gives an inferior cut.

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Some images to help.

One image with pencil on the cut face shows the contact area with the 115mm disc on this tile (thickness shown in an image).
I have also shown one image of a miter which was cut (not ground) and had water applied from a small bore pipe application.

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Originally his started out as a concern regarding the single face wear to a cutting blade and then looking to use a flexible paper on a backing pad to do the same job.

Are there any instructional video of how to do the job I am attempting ?

 

[Bill]

The tiles you are cutting have a thin glaze/top layer, chipping will be hard to avoid without a decent wet cutter.

Work smarter not harder.

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Tom - that particular floor tile was a stand out problem from tiles I have cut previously and selected due to the easy chipping and the dark colour to show the effect of the electroplate blade. The original cuts were done with a wet cutter using a Marcrist 180mm blade (Sorry I cant remember exactly which variant - its was from screwfix)

These cuts were done with a battery grinder as a way of showing what effect the new tool (the Electroplate grinding disc).

The close up images of a cut with minimal chips was done wet with a CK650 blade (almost new) in a battery tool. The mitre cut I have shown was done with the same blade which I dont think look bad? Or are they?

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Well I wanted another try at the wet sponge method and also to use a makeshift water lubrication system. I was going to try the Silicone Carbide discs but I incorrectly set up my polisher which destroyed the back pad in less than a second.
First is a dry cut (spanner for scale, yellow paint to help the camera focus).
Second a wet cut using a water flow to the front of the blade.
Third was with a wet sponge. I used a thinner sponge (not a car type, much thinner) and it worked a treat. Make sure you have the guards on properly.

I also tried some Production 120 Wet and Dry paper (a low cost brand), in a flexible sponge wet block. It appeared to remove the glaze (biscuit much easier) slowly but left a nice edge - a patient process.