Hi Everyone - Diamond Blade Problem??

[Brian R]

HELLO EVERYONE, this is my first visit to your forum, and i'm sure there will be plenty more visits, so you pro tilers stand by !!! I've been tiling as self employed for the past six months, previously DIY tiling. I did a two week course with Darren at North East Tiling, a little over a year ago. I've only every tiled using ceramic, i've never had the pleasure of natural stones yet !!!

While i'm here - Can anyone advise me on a suitable diamond blade for my Plasplug DWW 180, i've used Plasplug and Plasplug Turbo blades, and recently Clarke from Machine Mart. The problem i'm experiencing is that they seem too powerful for ceramics. Rather than getting a smooth cut, they seem to chip the tile, even with plenty of water, leaving a poor finish. I'm thinking about buying a Sankyo blade, are these the answer to my problem???

 

[Scottish Mark]

Hi Brian welcome to the forum mate sorry cant give advice as i am new to the tiling game but i'm sure you will get plenty of advice from the other guys good luck:happy:

 

[Dan]

Hiya Brian, welcome to the forum.

Are you sure the wheel is the problem?

If you're chipping the tiles when you're using different types of ceramics I'd guess it isn't the diamond blade that's the problem.

Plus if you've tried a few types of blades too and it's still chipping ceramics then you have to be the most unluckiest guy in the world to have found all the weak ceramics for all your jobs.

You mentioned 'even when there's plenty of water' so I'm guessing you're not always cutting with water in the cutter? You need to always be cutting with water in the wet cutter. The blade will expand slightly when it gets hot and will cause chipping or cracking of the tile.

If you're pushing the tile in to the blade too fast, you'll always chip it. Try feeding the tile into the cutter wheel at a really slow speed. The slower you go the neater the cut will be.

Failing that. It's your blade or even the cutter. Plasplugs are not the best cutters around to be fair. But they're not bad. I've used one a few times but have never taken one on a job. I had a Rubi NC180? or TC180? can't remember. But that was one of those nice big metal cutters with the same wheel size as your plasplugs (180mm) but it's motor has a smoother feel and the metal bed allows you to smoothly feed the tile in. If you plasplugs has a plastics bed, maybe it's just worn out now and as you're feeding the tile it's getting snagged on the bed?

It really could be one of a few reasons but if you've tried a few ceramics and you've tried a couple of blades then it has to be the way you are cutting or something else, like the cutter bed maybe.

Can anybody else think of anything it could be?

 

[M D HUGHES]

What the hell happened there, I pressed Go advanced by mistake and it vanished? Someone fix it!

 

[Brian R]

Hi Dan,
You've given some good advice there, however, the cutter is relatively new with an alloy top. I've just finished a kitchen and put on 4'' tiles, the ones which are too thick to cut on a dry cutter. I was using the Clarke blade and was chipping tiles, so i replaced it with a brand new Plasplug Turbo, and the chipping continued. I had plenty of water running and tried to put the tile through slowly and even quickly with the same results. On this particular job it could be the quality of the tile, yet it was from a decent supplier. Incidentally is there a secret to not getting soaked when using the wet cutter !!!!!! There are many cuts you need to do with the guard up slightly, so you can see exactly where you're cutting, particularly when cutting a scribed line etc. ?

 

[Varley]

Welcome to the forums m8

 

[tony TLC]

hi brian and welcome
if you want to stay dry dont get in the way of the water!
go to one side a little only your arm will get wet

 

[brian c]

Try a 10mm scribe on the tiles and run through wet cutter slowly.

 

[Elliott]

Hi Dan,
You've given some good advice there, however, the cutter is relatively new with an alloy top. I've just finished a kitchen and put on 4'' tiles, the ones which are too thick to cut on a dry cutter. I was using the Clarke blade and was chipping tiles, so i replaced it with a brand new Plasplug Turbo, and the chipping continued. I had plenty of water running and tried to put the tile through slowly and even quickly with the same results. On this particular job it could be the quality of the tile, yet it was from a decent supplier. Incidentally is there a secret to not getting soaked when using the wet cutter !!!!!! There are many cuts you need to do with the guard up slightly, so you can see exactly where you're cutting, particularly when cutting a scribed line etc. ?

Lye down like a sniper and put some Robinsons in the water, at least it will taste better.

 

[Elliott]

Welcome Brian

 

[anne0411]

Hi Brian

 

[GazTech]

Big hello from me Brian

 

[DHTiling]

hi brian. start your cutter and then turn of watch the blade as it slows down. is there any wobble, no matter how little, if there is cud be due to using no water warped blade excessive heat or slighte out of true spindle cud be another answer.
yours dave....

 

[Brian R]

Hi Dave,

I've just had a look at the diamond wheel as you suggested, by watching it as it slowed down, i tried two blades, one fairly new and the other well used, but recently sharpened using a sharpening block, and there is a very small amount of movement. But i'm not quite sure how much movement is ok !! I'm going to buy another blade, if the chipping continues, i reckon you could be right with it possibly being the spindle.

Thanks Brian

 

[grumpygrouter]

Welcome Brian R

Can't help with the blade question I'm afraid, new to the game myself, but my Briccolina throws out so little water you can easily use it indoors - and yes guys I have filled it! Great wet cutter though a little expensive perhaps.