How long is too long?

[spiders]

HI Guys

I have started to retile my bathroom, my wife chose some very expensive porcelain tile.

I have bought a Plasplugs DWW-180 MasterTiler for the tile cuts.

The probem is although it cuts the tiles, it just seems to take forever. I have spoken to a number of tilers who all say porcelain takes a long time to cut.

The question - is 10min to cut 300mm of 10mm tile too long?

should i invest in an overhead radia cutter? i have 100+ meters to do

spider

 

[MICK the Tiler]

What type of snap cutter you got spider? you should be able to cut with that.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

oops!!! also welcome to the forums Spider

 

[spiders]

I only have a small one that i ahve borrowed from a mate. Having read a bit today i think its only for 6mm tiles max. I could invest in a pro, but should i bother if i buy an overhead radial cutter?

 

[MICK the Tiler]

I'm guessing, but wouldn't a pro snap cutter be alot cheaper than an overhead wet saw.

I've laid 1000's of meters of porcelain and have never needed to wet cut it.

When it comes to corner cuts I use an angle grinder with a continuous rim diamond wheel.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

I'm fibbing about "NEVER" wet cut, I have but only on exposed edge work or difficult inlays.

 

[mc497]

Hi Spiders,
Ive got the same wet cutter as you, and its a fantastic machine. Hevier duty than the other plasplugs machines.
Do your self a favour and invest in a quality diamond wheel for your DW180.
I bought a marchrist blade, bit expensive yes, but worth the money, honestly.
The DW180 coupled with a top quality wheel should cut through porc no probs.

 

[sWe]

Most proffesional grade manual tile cutters handle porcelain in a snap, so to speak. If I were to wet cut every porcelain tile I came across, I wouldn't get much done at all.

And no, it's not normal for a wet cutter/saw to take ten minutes to make 30cm cuts in 10mm tile. You've either selected a blade not meant for porcelain, or it's a damn weak saw.

 

[Daz]

Hi Spiders and welcome,

If you are only going to be doing "personal" tiling, why not hire a decent dry cutter, that would surely be a cheaper option?

 

[smokey1234x]

i use sigma dry cutter great job,also hav marchrist blade on 60pound wet cutter and never had any problems

 

[Fekin]

10 mins to cut 300mm on a Master tiler is a very long time, most probably should take 30 - 45 seconds to cut through a 6mm thick porcelain tile.

 

[spiders]

Thanks for all the info guys. The plasplug DWW-180 MasterTiler i have is pants, it may be the blade but i am just not prepared to invest further money on something which may or may not work.

I have just sold my machine and bought a radial tile cutter with an overhead cutter. The cuts that were taking me 10 min + to do are now done in around a minute.

5 cuts = 1 hour or 5 cuts = 5 min, if time is money then the new radial cutter is a worth every penny
----
Thanks for all the info guys. The plasplug DWW-180 MasterTiler i have is pants, it may be the blade but i am just not prepared to invest further money on something which may or may not work.

I have just sold my machine and bought a radial tile cutter with an overhead cutter. The cuts that were taking me 10 min + to do are now done in around a minute.

5 cuts = 1 hour or 5 cuts = 5 min, if time is money then the new radial cutter is a worth every penny

thanks

spiders

 

[sWe]

Good for you, but one minute per cut is still a long time. If the cuts are going to be in the middle of a field/pattern, then sure, by all means use a wet cutter. If they're in corners though, wet cutting is just overkill. I easily cut 10 mm slivers from 330x330x10 porcellanato tiles with my manual tile cutter, and that takes just a few seconds, as opposed to a minute.

On the other hand, if you're happy with using the saw, I'm not going to badger you any more about it

 

[Grace'sDad]

Big Clinker - £80 from Screwfix

Eats 10mm porcelain for breakfast in nice small strips! :lol:

 

[eatsmice]

Hadn't read this thread before I bought my tile saw. Same one - Plasplugs Master Tiler DWW180, half price in B & Q (so its good for some things!)

I've just started laying Porcellanato tiles (500mm x 330mm x 9mm). I've been cutting through them with the supplied blade in about a minute - going slowly cos I'm new at this.

Sounds like either the motor was shagged or the blade wasn't clamped tight enough. I've had to top up the water tank every couple of cuts though, as the water pours off the large tiles onto the ground instead of back into the trough as it should with small tiles.

The big tiles are too large to use the cutter guide when cutting half sizes and I had to cut with the guard up. It left my wife in hysterics as I got soaked....

ps- gloves and safety gogs on for the H & S reps out there :lol: