How cut marble mosaic squares without crumbling? - Tile Advice

[Jock McG]

Just staring to cut marble mosaic tile squares – and need to cut them without crumbling, chipping and shattering - if possible?.

These are 300x300 sheets of 50mmx50mmx10mm squares cut into 3 sections of 2 (100mm wide) squares x 6 (300 long) @ 22.5 degree cut with factory plastic mesh on rear. Cost £10.00 a sheet so not cheap (or are they???).

I’ve got 30 cuts to make so need a solution.

I’m using a Vitrex wet saw (yeah I know...buy in haste repent at leisure.....) with a 180mm solid blade.

Before cutting I am wrapping the sections in masking tape to stop movement and also using a wooden guide on top to hold them down flat and help with pushing through saw (slow feed). In addition to this they are all being fed in shiny side up so the cutting direction is downward. Despite all this I’m still getting chips/fracturing and for 6 cuts made so far had had 2 of them fall apart once tape removed.

Is this what we have to live with when cutting these or is there a foolproof way of cutting?

 

[Time's Ran Out]

You may find a good thin blade in an angle grinder more successful!
Use a straight edge to keep your line.

 

[Jock McG]

Done that - not happy with results - blade is a 1.8mm in both grinder and wetsaw. The saw is getting a good cut using a guide it's the crumbling thats killing me.

 

[Old Mod]

Looks like they are breaking along the fissures, you'll be hard pressed to stop that if they're that brittle.
You can get grinder blades at 1.2mm
Failing that, maybe you can polish them down to size instead of cutting them.
That's often how I'll deal with cutting small glass mosaic, polishing them rather than cutting.
Have to watch the piece doesn't overheat tho.

 

[Blunt Tool]

Try wrapping tile to be cut with masking tape tightly wound round a couple of times, then pencil mark tape where to cut. Then use wet cutter with plenty of water and don't push hard, let blade do its job.

 

[Blunt Tool]

Also don't use a guide, just hands as puts pressure on one side of tile

 

[Ttt1601]

Pushing them through by hand isn't ideal, try wrapping them as mentioned above and use an off cut of thin ply, mdf or similar to rest them on and use that to push them through on so your not pressuring the Tile if that makes sense, and £10 a sheet for marble is cheap mate!!

 

[Old Mod]

nd £10 a sheet for marble is cheap mate!!

Haha agreed!

 

[Ttt1601]

Currently pricing a marble mosaic bath , £150m2 and they want mitred corners so I will be feeling your pain when I'm doing that dude

 

[CJ]

Few water jet cutter companies that would do it......depends if u can find one local-ish to you.

 

[J Sid]

remove from sheet, do one tile at a time, let the wet blade do th work, pushing lightly

 

[Dumbo]

Currently pricing a marble mosaic bath , £150m2 and they want mitred corners so I will be feeling your pain when I'm doing that dude

Screams day rate to me

 

[Ttt1601]

No mate, price it right and all is good

 

[Dumbo]

No mate, price it right and all is good

As per your recommendation in an earlier thread I've been wearing skater shoes . Getting on well with them , they are wearing well but getting a bit warm no though

 

[Ttt1601]

Yea they do get a bit hot but the nice thick padded tongue is so comfy on the top of your foot when kneeling it's worth it to me, glad I could offer some useful advisadvise mate