Tile saws for cutting glass

[Alma Rands]

I have been considering getting a tile saw for cutting my dichroic glass tiles into small pieces in order to get uniform sizes for cabochons. I have heard that one can use a tile saw. I checked them out and found that some are very very expensive---far beyond what I want to spend for the small amount I would be using it for. I would be using it for cutting glass tiles which would be about 1/4" thick===maybe a bit thicker.

I checked Home Depot and found they have a Tile wet saw, for $49.

It is Called the QEP Cut 3/5 HP. Direct Drive wet tile saw wit.h 7" blade for ceramic tile. "

Would I be able to use this for cutting my glass tiles which would be about 1/4" thick====maybe a bit more?

I will appreciate any suggestions regarding my getting a tile saw. Alma

[JestersBaubles]

You'll need to buy a different (diamond) blade used for cutting glass. If you're cutting dichro, you'll want as little waste as possible, so make sure you buy a blade that cuts neatly and thinly.

Check HisGlassworks for a blade. You'll need to know the arbor size of the saw.

Diamond blades are not cheap; expect at least $75.

Dana W.

[GuyKass]

Why don't you do a simple search of the board?

I would bet there are more threads on this topic than on if you should you a lubricant when cutting glass.

Or for that matter on the question of the ages "should I use Bullseye or System 96?"

C'mon be adventurous, live a little.

[Alma Rands]

GuyKass. I did check the board about saws, and read them through. However, there was nothing about the particular saw that I was inquiring about. Alma

[Barry Gitelson]

The reviews at Home Depot were good for cutting tiles with this saw. No mention in the specs of the arbor size. Price is right.

[Alma Rands]

Thanks Barry,
I will drop by Home Depot and talk to them about it. Hopefully they will have a diamond saw that can be used for glass cutting and fits the saw I am interested in.
Alma

[Barry Gitelson]

I would listen to the advice above about getting a good blade. Money well spent.

[Morganica]

Alma, a tile saw is probably my most-used piece of equipment in the studio (outside of a kiln, anyway). However, if you're just buying it to cut up the dichroic mentioned in your other post you'd probably be better off doing score-and-break--it's faster and doesn't waste so much glass (since there's no saw kerf to contend with).

That said, if you do buy a tile saw, a 7-inch saw like that one is fine for smaller items like jewelry or trims on 2/3-layer glass pieces. If you're going to be doing a lot of continual cutting, or plan to cut a bunch of stuff thicker than maybe an inch, a 10-inch saw is probably the better choice.

And I'd agree--a good blade is essential, so that your cuts don't wind up looking like they were made with a Cuisinart. But count on spending more for the blade than you do for that saw.

[Jodi Longobardo]

A blade called the Hot Dog Blade was recommended to me for use in a cheaper tile saw to cut dichroic, etc. I haven't bought my tile saw yet, so no reviews though.

[dee]

do NOT use the hot dog blade! i use an mk diamond 303 professional or 215gl blade - mostly the 303 professional as it is faster than the 215gl and a slightly thinner kerf - .032 i get them from kingsley north lapidary supplies

D

[Laurie Spray]

Thought I would add this here......i got this saw a week ago and I am loving it!!! Price was great too!




http://www.amazon.com/QEP-61024-24-Inch ... s+tile+saw

[RHunter]

Hi All,

an alternative to large-ish tile saws is to look on lapidary sites....they have small saws which use diamond blades for rocks and minerals...further Craigslist is a treasure trove of used tile saws.

http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/cat ... catID=1036

Randy

[Morganica]

Hi All,

an alternative to large-ish tile saws is to look on lapidary sites....they have small saws which use diamond blades for rocks and minerals...further Craigslist is a treasure trove of used tile saws.

http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/cat ... catID=1036

Randy

Yep. I start trolling for barely used lapidary equipment January to about April. People get really nice setups for Christmas, try them a couple of times and discover they're too much work, and then get rid of them about the time they need to clean out the garage....

[haleybach]

do NOT use the hot dog blade! i use an mk diamond 303 professional or 215gl blade - mostly the 303 professional as it is faster than the 215gl and a slightly thinner kerf - .032 i get them from kingsley north lapidary supplies

D

Why do you say not to use a Hot Dog blade?
I'm not sure if there are various grades of Hot Dog or if it is one thing. I bought a used MK 101 for a song, it had a fairly new Hot Dog blade on it. I cut up an old broken shelf for furniture and to dress the blade.
It has worked well for me, but I am new at working with glass so maybe I don't know what I am missing.

The only thing I wish I could do that I can't is make really thin slices.

I get very little to no chipping, and the cut edges are really smooth and even. I'm pretty amazed at how fast it cuts through a pattern bar. Is speed a trade off with kerf?

[dee]

haley, the hot dog blades are really not the best for glass. the 303 professional or the 215gl are much better. the 215gl will be the slower of the 2 blades. there is the issue of chipping and chewing out the under corner at the end of a cut, the 2 blades i use minimize that. kinglsy north lapidary has the 303 professional in the 8" .032 kerf size for a very reasonable price, try that, i think you will see a huge difference between cuts made with that blade and cuts made with the hot dog blade. when you say you have little chipping, it's all relative. for cutting thin slices you will need at least the 303 professional and maybe the 215gl.
D

[Marian]

The 303 blade suggests using oil as the coolant, not sure if that just means adding oil coolant to the tank or it is all oil. Also the 303 blade is 8 inch diameter and the tile saw has a 7 inch blade. What is your experience ? I have a Husky Home Depot box type tile saw with a coolant reservoir that the blade spins through. The 215 GL is the blade I have been using and it is working well.

[Tony Smith]

The 303 blade suggests using oil as the coolant, not sure if that just means adding oil coolant to the tank or it is all oil. Also the 303 blade is 8 inch diameter and the tile saw has a 7 inch blade. What is your experience ? I have a Husky Home Depot box type tile saw with a coolant reservoir that the blade spins through. The 215 GL is the blade I have been using and it is working well.

The MK303 blade comes in all sizes. http://www.mkdiamond.com/lapidary/bld_303.html

Tony

[JestersBaubles]

The 303 blade suggests using oil as the coolant, not sure if that just means adding oil coolant to the tank or it is all oil. Also the 303 blade is 8 inch diameter and the tile saw has a 7 inch blade. What is your experience ? I have a Husky Home Depot box type tile saw with a coolant reservoir that the blade spins through. The 215 GL is the blade I have been using and it is working well.

Water cool is fine.

Dana

[RHunter]

Hi All,

typically tile and even marble tend to use water, but for stone slabbing, oil in the reservoir is the preferred method....and really , really slow too.

I am assuming that while water does the trick for tile and glass, it may be degrading the blade faster than oil would , but water is a lot easier to clean up

I don't know the heat dissipation of oil vs water, or friction wear characteristics, but the manufacturers are assuming stone cutting and optimum performance

randy

[Marian]

thanks for the information! Yes, oil would be an awful mess, especially since cutting usually involves getting soaked. I might go as far as a cap full of coolant or WD 40, though. I might try the 303 next change out. I do see it is also available in the 7 inch size. Why is the Hot Dog and the notched blades so awful/dangerous?