Issue cutting tile with sigma max

Leroy Brown · Nov 4, 2021

Evening all. I hope you are all well.

I am having an issue where I cannot cut a tile straight. The start and end of the cuts breaks off diagonally. Please see image attached.

I am cutting 10mm porcelain tiles.

Could someone also tell me how to set the height of the wheel for the thickness of the tile.

Thank you

Dave · Nov 4, 2021

Hi leroy. At the end of the guide bar there is an adjustment wheel. With the foot flipped down adjust the wheel so that scribe arm gap to the guide bar is around 5mm each end. Then scribe end to end. Bring the breaker back about an inch in from the tile edge and snap quickly, called shock break. Try that and see how you go.

Leroy Brown · Nov 4, 2021

Hi Dave. Thanks again for your willingness to help. Sorry for my ignorance Dave. So is the bar where the tile snaps on called the guide bar? So from the bottom of the wheel to this bar should be 5mm?

Will give this a go in the morning. Just went through 4 tiles trying to get it to cut straight.

Dave · Nov 4, 2021

The bar is what the handle slides along. So you adjust the handle to var via the adjustable wheel

Dave · Nov 4, 2021

This might help.

View: https://youtu.be/uNlLC4mqc1E

Leroy Brown · Nov 4, 2021

Dave said:
This might help.

View: https://youtu.be/uNlLC4mqc1E

Yeah, been playing with those wheels to try and see how it goes. Will try your advice in the morning. Thank you

Leroy Brown · Nov 5, 2021

So, I think I cracked it. Adjusted the height and Scored it lightly a few time and it is giving me a much better cut. Thanks for the help Dave.

Dave · Nov 5, 2021

Leroy Brown said:
So, I think I cracked it. Adjusted the height and Scored it lightly a few time and it is giving me a much better cut. Thanks for the help Dave.

Excellent, glad to help.

Rodduz · Nov 5, 2021

Shouldn't need to scribe it a few times though. Strange!

hk940 · Nov 6, 2021

I have had some tiles that will not cut on a snap cutter, no matter what you do, years ago I was tiling a basement floor and was setting 8x8" (200mm) tiles.
The floor was over 600 square feet diagonal set, every single cut needed to be cut with a wet saw.
One thing you might try is to use less pressure to score and not ever score twice. The surface finish will also make a big difference, high gloss will cut better than rough (stone-slate) finish.
How long is that tile? You might need a bridge saw to cut them.

Leroy Brown · Nov 6, 2021

hk940 said:
I have had some tiles that will not cut on a snap cutter, no matter what you do, years ago I was tiling a basement floor and was setting 8x8" (200mm) tiles.
The floor was over 600 square feet diagonal set, every single cut needed to be cut with a wet saw.
One thing you might try is to use less pressure to score and not ever score twice. The surface finish will also make a big difference, high gloss will cut better than rough (stone-slate) finish.
How long is that tile? You might need a bridge saw to cut them.

Hi. Thanks for replying to my thread. The tiles are only 600 x 300. Maybe my wheel is too low as some times when I just push the roller to score the tile breaks. Been hit and miss today with some nice cuts if scored a few times but also a lot of shearing.

hk940 · Nov 6, 2021

As I have said before, there are some tiles that cannot be cut on a snap cutter, a wet diamond saw is the only way.
When I did my bathroom over in NJ USA I, I made sure I could make the cuts at the edge of the tiles. there was no way to make a square cut in the center of the tile, it would almost break the same way. and at $5.00 a tile I stopped after 5 tiles!
The cut around the light switch was a u cut with a piece!

Dave · Nov 7, 2021

Leroy Brown said:
Hi. Thanks for replying to my thread. The tiles are only 600 x 300. Maybe my wheel is too low as some times when I just push the roller to score the tile breaks. Been hit and miss today with some nice cuts if scored a few times but also a lot of shearing.

Score lighter. Pressing on to hard can cause your issue. Then when you break the tile , hit the handle quickly. Shock breaking 👍

Leroy Brown · Nov 11, 2021

Been trying all things here. Even got the manual out which shows the bar around 3mm in the box from the top on the handle. Keeps breaking the tiles. The only times it actually works is when cutting a thin piece in half like 40mm. Having to cut all cuts with an angle grinder which is taking a loooooong time. Is there a place I could go and get this machine serviced? How often should the blade be replaced?

Thanks all.

Rodduz · Nov 11, 2021

Slow down as the score comes to the end to make sure it's scored nicely where it's coming off diagonally.

Where are you placing the breaker bar when you hit or press to snap?

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