Disc for cutting porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder without chips

Stone discs

Discs made of stone have only one distinct advantage. affordable cost. But the disadvantages of this type of attachments are much more:

• short service life;
• rapid wear;
• large cutting thickness.

Since it is impossible to make fine cutting of tiles with stone discs, a lot of dust is generated during the work. The accessory creates a number of restrictions in processing. it is used mainly for making simple straight cuts. But for thinner and curly sawing, such discs are not suitable.

Segmented dry cutters

In segmented dry cutters, functional slots are provided along the perimeter, directed from the cutting edge to the center hole. Radial cutouts allow free expansion of heated metal and more efficient heat dissipation by air cooling. This allows for a longer continuous rotation time. the segmented angle grinder can work for 1-1.5 minutes with a 20-second pause.

Getting rid of dust

One of the disadvantages of an angle grinder is the large amount of dust generated during the sawing process. Here are some “life hacks” to help reduce dust:

• Do not cut through the entire thickness of the tile. just make a small groove, and then just break the tile along the mowing line of the cut.
• Use wet cutting or water cooling to keep debris from flying.
• Get a vacuum cleaner designed for construction needs.

You can use a vacuum cleaner without an assistant. Masters suggest building an impromptu hood from a container and a vacuum cleaner:

• Cut off the top of the plastic canister.
• Cut a round hole in the side for the vacuum cleaner hose.
• Place workpiece and angle grinder over the container.
• Switch on the vacuum cleaner and make a cut over the hood.

Steel rims

Blades made of steel form a large product group, which includes wheels for dry and wet cutting, as well as combined models. Steel discs are very tough and durable, and diamond-coated makes them suitable for the hardest materials.

Diamond grit is applied by the manufacturer in three methods:

• silver solder. the cheapest products suitable for household use. Potential service life is low due to the loss of strength of the solder when heated;
• laser soldering. heavy-duty wheels of a high price segment, used on an industrial scale. They perfectly cope with the processing of workpieces of any strength;
• form-fitting. diamond chips are embedded in the surface during the heating of the disc edge with electricity. They belong to the middle price segment, they serve for a relatively long time, which makes it possible to recommend them for processing large volumes of tiles.

Cheap Way to Cut Porcelain Tiles Using Portable Grinder

Solid dry cutters

Unlike segmented circles, these circles have a flat surface, which makes them versatile. an angle grinder with a solid nozzle can not only make cuts, but also process the edge of the tile with the side of the disk. The absence of slots makes the wheel incapable of continuous work. it can rotate for a maximum of 15 seconds, after which a break of half a minute is required. If there is a need to cut tiles for longer, it will be advisable to use water cooling.

There are three options for supplying water to the work area:

• attract an assistant who will pour liquid from a plastic bottle;
• attach a special nozzle to the body;
• using clamps, screw the armored hose connected to the water supply to the casing.

But water must be used very carefully. if liquid gets under the body of the device, you can get an electric shock.

Combined

Combination wheels combine dry and wet cutting capabilities. This nozzle is a cross between solid and segmented discs. In terms of cut quality, it is inferior to solid modifications, but outperforms segmented ones. As for the time of continuous operation, it requires breaks more often than segment, but less often than continuous.

Do not use water cooling on the combination disc. It does not withstand temperature extremes, it expands unevenly under the influence of liquid, which is fraught with rupture.

How to choose the right drive?

Depending on the modification of the disc, the angle grinder is capable of processing a wide variety of materials. metals, wood, porcelain stoneware, reinforced concrete, natural stone, etc.

How to cut properly with a high angle grinder

Most beginners and DIYers prefer to cut porcelain stoneware with a tool with a very large angle of inclination relative to the plane of the tile. The angle can be 45-60 °.

The tool can only be lifted high if there is a supporting surface on the cover.

In this case, the angle grinder has to be held with both hands and at the same time perform small oscillatory movements with the cutting disc. It is as if the porcelain stoneware had to be cut with a hand saw. This is not very convenient, but the method really improves the quality of the cut and prevents the formation of chips.

On the one hand, with such a movement of the angle grinder, it is easier to control the cutting line, on the other hand, the tool is in an unstable position relative to the markings, which negatively affects the quality of the straightness of the seam.

Direct cutting of porcelain stoneware

It is considered correct to saw a porcelain stoneware slab on a table or workbench. The material is laid on the tabletop, fixed with clamps with rubber tips. the cut line should be outside the table surface. In this case, it is possible to cut porcelain stoneware with a very small angle of inclination, only 15-20 degrees. The master simply pulls the angle grinder towards himself, only lightly resting his hand on the stand.

Cutting option with an angle grinder in pull mode

How To Cut Porcelain Tiles by Hand with Grinder without Chipping. Testing Diamond Blades 4 Tiling

• The minimum load on the hands, if you need to cut a sufficiently long seam, this will not be difficult to do;
• the cutting line turns out to be even, it seems that the cutting was carried out not with an angle grinder, but with a tile cutter.

The only drawback of this method is that most of the dust escaping from under the disk falls on the floor, and the largest parts fall into the face and hands of the worker. Therefore, it is necessary to cut porcelain stoneware with protective goggles and using devices for collecting dust.

How to cut porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder without chips

There are two ways to cut porcelain stoneware tiles. The first is to mark a 1-2 mm deep line on the mowing line in a circle, and then split the porcelain stoneware into two halves as it is done on a tile cutter. The method is quite risky, it requires a good eye and accurate dosing of effort. The advantages include an order of magnitude higher cutting performance. The disadvantages include the unpredictability of the result and a high percentage of rejects.

The second method is the classic cutting of porcelain stoneware to the full thickness of the tile. It turns out a lot of dust, the process takes a long time, but as a result, we get a very high-quality and fairly even cut.

In any case, the seam is uneven when using an angle grinder. Visually, the line looks perfectly straight, but as soon as the cut plates are turned over and applied to the factory edge or metal ruler, all the irregularities will immediately become visible. An example of cutting porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder without chips is given on

Cutting porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder: how to saw off without chips

Everyone who has had a chance to cut faience, ceramics, porcelain stoneware with a cutting disc knows perfectly well that the problem is not to cut. Such an operation does not present any particular difficulty. The problem is learning how to cut porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder without chips. At the same time, control the process at any stage, otherwise the expensive material will go to scrap.

The best way to cut porcelain stoneware is using a guide bar to support the angle grinder body

How to get rid of dust when cutting porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder

If the tiles are being cut on a table, then, before starting work, a small piece of loose fabric must be pulled under the cutting line or a polypropylene bag must be hung. In this case, most of the dust flies down from the disc, so the amount of work on cleaning the room is reduced several times.

If you cut porcelain stoneware on a substrate directly on the floor, then the best solution would be to use a regular vacuum cleaner. The tip of the hose is attached along the mowing line of the movement of the angle grinder at a distance of 10-15 cm. It turns out not very convenient, since the pipe has to be rearranged, but the dust is removed quite effectively. Immediately after completing the work, you need to blow out the angle grinder and collect part of the dust remaining on the surface of the porcelain stoneware.

Useful Tips

There are various models of angle grinder attachments on sale, some of them provide connection of the vacuum cleaner nozzle to the protective cover of the tool. At first glance, the thing is quite convenient, but it is better not to use such devices, since the hose greatly interferes with the work and often only worsens the quality of the seam.

In addition, it is necessary to cut porcelain stoneware, be sure to hold the body of the angle grinder with both hands, while the left hand should rest on the support or guide rail, and the right hand should directly move the tool. This method provides not only partial unloading of the hands, but also allows you to more accurately align the position of the cutting disc in the vertical plane.

Regardless of which disc and how to cut the porcelain stoneware, after the completion of the work, the edge must be rubbed with hand or tape emery. In this case, you only need to slightly align the lower edge of the porcelain stoneware and in no case touch the upper front edge with an abrasive, otherwise chips will appear, and the quality of the seam will noticeably deteriorate.

Is it possible to cut porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder

Of course, an angle grinder can cut anything you want, with the possible exception of glass or particularly complex ceramic products. But it is not so easy to cut porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder so as to achieve a perfectly even cut line.

Of all the reasons that prevent high-quality cutting of porcelain stoneware, the most important ones are distinguished:

• an angle grinder is a hand tool, and often it is necessary to cut the material, as they say, by weight, as a result, the disc deviates from the cutting plane, this leads to the formation of chips, and sometimes cracking of porcelain stoneware;
• The cut-off wheel is not selected correctly. In the first experiments, beginners try to cut porcelain stoneware with cut-off vulcanite discs over stone and concrete. With this material, you can cut off a small part of the tile, but most often the result is negative;
• Incorrect cutting mode or no cooling of the cut line. The desire to cut faster leads to excessive pressure on the tool, as a result the circle and the tile itself breaks, not to mention the fact that the entire line of the cut remains covered with chips and microcracks.

In theory, cutting porcelain stoneware is no more difficult than any other facing material, you just need to choose the right mode, cutting speed, pressing force and correctly choose the cutting tool.

If you cut with an angle grinder by weight, then chips must appear.

Cutting with an angle grinder on weight is possible only for those who have strong enough hands. If you have to saw at least 20 cm in length, then even experienced and strong craftsmen get tired hands very quickly, the circle begins to deviate from the vertical plane, as a result, the seam begins to wag, and chips appear.

What disc to cut porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder

Sawing of porcelain stoneware tiles can be done in two ways, it all depends on the thickness of the material and on how complex the seam is to be cut. Since porcelain stoneware is still not granite, but just an artificial imitation of it, two types of discs can be used for cutting:

• Vulcanite discs based on synthetic superhard ceramics. With such a circle, you can cut thin grooves, corners, trim the edges. In order to cut expanded clay with an angle grinder over a length of more than 10 cm, they are not suitable, but they are quite suitable for small jobs;
• Diamond cutting discs. With this tool, you can cut seams of unlimited length. The only drawback of a diamond is the rapid grinding of the cutting edge, which will need to be repaired and cleaned periodically.

The optimum wheel diameter for an angle grinder is 115 mm, in which case the tool is easier to control by holding the body with both hands. For a larger diameter blade, you will need to use a more powerful tool, such as a circular saw.

Diamond cutting wheels in themselves are quite an expensive and capricious tool, therefore they try to do most of the work with vulcanite discs, only the most delicate operations, such as trimming and adjusting the plane, are performed with diamond powder.

In addition, discs for cutting porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder must have a solid edge without a notch or turtle profile. Such a tool cuts well natural granite, rubble stone, but at the slightest attempt to cut porcelain stoneware tiles along the cut mowing line, a huge number of enamel chips appear on the front surface.

If there is no specific preference for a well-known brand of cutting disc manufacturer, then it is best to buy discs from leading hand tool manufacturers. Simply put. bought an angle grinder made by Makita, buy cutting discs with attachments manufactured by the same company.