OT: Tile saw

[AL]

Ok, one looks like a small table saw, and another looks like a radial arm saw. Do they both do the same thing? Which is better?

[Joe AutoDrill]

Do they both use water as a lubricant? If not, the one that does is better. :)

[No]

The quality differences should be obvious when looking at them. price will be a good indicator too.

The table saw ones are sold at the blue and orange stores for $99. They actually do a fine job for the home owner. They will be pretty worn out by the end of a largeish job. The radial type are more heavy duty, can accommodate things like bricks, etc. They cost 5 to 6 times the price.

[WillR]

I just got a table saw style -- $79 $CDN -- $56 USD???

Did some great ceramic work -- simple and effective -- even at cutting=20 the "weird W's" that some closet corners required.

It's near the bottom of the page on this link... KING KC-3003

7 in. Portable Tile Saw

must be able to get a similar one near you at your local hardware... =

It may be a different brand, but I found Home Depot expensive

They also have the sliding style.

KING KC-3008

7 in. Sliding Tile Saw with Laser

--=20 Will R. Jewel Boxes and Wood Art

power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those=20 who have not got it.=94 George Bernard Shaw

[clutch]

I like the radial arm version but on the table version, you can flip the tile and cut with back side up.

Wes

[LRod]

I do that all the time on my MK370 (radial style).

I've had some experience with tile saws. I rented a MK101 once (a BRUTE of a saw--about $800 to buy one). Then I saw this 370 at Woodworkers Warehouse and bought it. I've used it a lot. Check the house remodel section of my website. In addition to that, I did a porch in our former condo and my cousin used it to tile his bathroom.

It's a lot more expensive than what you're talking about (around $400) but you never know what tile jobs are going to sneak up on you and this thing is the perfect home handyman's saw, but I acknowledge it's pretty steep for one-time use.

I get free 1" granite cutoffs from the local counter top fabricator (Scary Sharp(TM)!) and I've even cut them with it. The biggest problem is the weight in that application. A 1' x 2' piece of granite weighs a LOT, and it's tough to maneuver on the 370. But it was never intended for that kind of job, anyway.

[Mike in Arkansas]

I have one of the little cheap table saw models. Usied it enough to wear out the original blade. Ive cut tile and brick. Have to flip the brick and even then it's not cut all the way through but breaks easily enough with a little tap. It does tend to be messy because the blade slings off the water from the tub under the table.

[World Traveler]

I bought a table-saw style from HD, and have used it for paving blocks (2

1/2" thick). This requires fliipping the bricks to complete the cut, but works OK. I've used it a lot -- probably about 8 pallets of pavers -- and gone through about 5 diamond blades in 2 years in the process (HD has a Dewalt 7" diamond blade for US$17, which is a good deal). As I recall, I paid about $80 for the saw.

The responder who mentioned that they throw off a lot of water was correct -- and before long the water will have silt from the work and leave spots around the work area (use it outside) that will need to be cleaned up. After a day's session my shirt is soaked, and my arms and shirt are covered with drying mud from the spray. Use eye protection.

Regards --

[Patriarch]

"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I've used both kinds, plus dry cutting with a diamond blade in a low angle grinder, and trimming with a carbide blade in a Fein Multimaster.

There are no 'neat' ways to cut tile on site. Score & snap is as close as it gets, and that works for only a portion of the cuts you need to make.

We finished grouting the last of the bathroom renovation this morning. Amen.

Patriarch

[Tyke]

It depends on the job requirements.

The "tablesaw" style is less expensive, and normally has a smaller blade, which means a limitation on thickness of tile/stone which can be cut. Whatever you buy, make sure it is a wet saw style. The dry saw style creates huge amounts of dust. The wet saw style creates no dust since the water captures the particles and keeps the saw cool.

The "radial armsaw" style is much more expensive and normally has a larger motor and can accomodate a larger blade which means thicker tile/stone.

I recently purchased the inexpensive "tablesaw" style from Home Depot. I only needed to cut 1/4in tile. For my purposes this worked out well. I was able to cut the complex cut-outs for my kitchen back splash with very little breakage.

I may never use this again, which is why I went the inexpensive route.

Dave Paine.