Three Ways To Cut Marble Tiles

In a bathroom or kitchen, marble tiles appear beautiful, but occasionally you might need a smaller piece of tile to fill in a gap. Marble must be fully cut or it will shatter, unlike ceramic tiles, which can be scored and snapped. As long as you have diamond blades, you may use either a wet saw or an angle grinder to create straight lines or curves. You can create marble tiles of any size after making your cuts.

A. MAKING A BLADE SELECTION AND USING SAFETY MEASURES

STEP 1- FOR YOUR SAW OR ANGLE GRINDER, CHOOSE A DIAMOND BLADE.

Diamond blades can more easily be cut through hard materials like marble or stone because of their strong cutting edges. Depending on what you intend to use, get a blade for a wet saw or an angle grinder.

• Look online or at your neighborhood hardware store for diamond blades.
• The model of your machine determines the size of your blade. To find out what size blade it needs, consult the user guide.

STEP 2- ON THE TILE, USE A PENCIL TO MARK THE CUTTING LINE

To outline the edge of your tile, place a straight edge on top of it and trace around it with a pencil. When you use a wet saw, the mark won't wash away, but once you're done, it may simply be rubbed off the tile.

• Make a precise circle with a compass before cutting a curve.

STEP 3- PUT ON EARPLUGS, SAFETY GLASSES, AND A RESPIRATOR

Protect your eyes, nose, and mouth from the dust that is produced when cutting through marble. Use earplugs to protect your hearing because operating a saw or angle grinder will be loud.

• All of the necessary safety gear should be available in the majority of hardware stores.
• Work gloves are optional; but, if you choose to wear them, you should.

B. USING A WET SAW TO CUT STRAIGHT LINES

STEP 1- ON YOUR SAW, INSTALL THE DIAMOND BLADE

To remove the nut keeping the blade in place, tip the wet saw on its side. Carefully remove the present saw blade from the machine to avoid cutting your hand. Before re-tightening the nut, insert your diamond blade with the teeth facing the direction of cutting. To completely tighten the nut, use a socket wrench.

• Depending on the type of wet saw you have, there are different procedures for changing the blade and how the blade spins. To install the blade correctly, refer to the instruction booklet.

STEP 2- WATER SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE MACHINE'S RESERVOIR, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE BASE

A wet saw uses water to cool the blade and lessen dust production. Find the tray for the water reservoir on the underside of your wet saw. Water should be added to the reservoir until the blade's bottom is just barely submerged.

• If you intend to cut many tiles with a wet saw, you may need to refill the reservoir because they kick up water as you use them.
• Plug the saw into a GFCI outlet because you will be working with electronics and water. If any of the electronic parts in your saw become wet, GFCI outlets will immediately turn off the electricity.

STEP 3- TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT CUT, ADJUST THE SAW'S FENCE

The fence is the portion of your straightedge that is attached to the wet saw's base. To check where your saw will cut the marble tile you are cutting, hold it up to the edge of the fence. When your mark aligns with the saw, move the fence closer to or farther away from the blade.

• Make sure your blade is on the scrap side of your line because saw blades typically remove 18 inches (0.32 cm) of material from each pass.

STEP 4- WITH THE TILE FACE DOWN, CUT A 1 IN (2.5 CM) LINE ALONG YOUR MARK

Turn the tile over so the finished side is facing the saw's bottom. Use the switch on the side of the saw's front to turn it on. Till you cut 1 in (2.5 cm) from the edge, move the saw forward.

• Making a relief cut stops the tile from fracturing or chipping when you fully cut through it.

STEP 5- FLIP THE TILE OVER SO THAT IT IS FACING UP, THEN CAREFULLY FEED IT THROUGH THE SAW

For the remainder of the cut, make sure the tile's finished side is facing up. Start by cutting along the uncut edge of your mark. To feed the tile through the saw, slowly advance it. Before removing the tile from your work surface once it has been cut, shut off your saw.

• Use a wooden guide to hold the tile from the other side while cutting a narrow piece of tile. The smaller pieces won't break or kick back this way.

C. UTILIZING AN ANGLE GRINDER TO CUT CURVES

STEP 1- YOUR GRINDER'S BLADE SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A DIAMOND BLADE

Use a ratchet wrench to loosen the nut holding your grinder's blade in place. Position the diamond blade in its position after removing the old blade. Reattach the nut to the blade and use your wrench to tighten it once again.

• Examine the grinder's rotation in the user guide and contrast it with the direction the arrow is pointing at the blade. Install the blade upside-down so it cuts the proper way if it goes in opposite directions.

STEP 2- UNDERNEATH THE TILE, PLACE A 2 (5.1 CM) PIECE OF SCRAP WOOD OR FOAM

Locate a flat piece of rigid foam or plywood that you can place underneath your tile. Make sure the foam or wood is at least 5.1 cm (2 inches) thick. In this manner, your work surface won't be damaged by your angle grinder.

• In an emergency, clamp several cardboard pieces together to create a fresh cutting surface.

STEP 3- FOR THE FULL LENGTH OF THE TILE, CUT HALFWAY THROUGH.

Using the switch on the body, start the angle grinder. Slowly and steadily lower the grinder's blade onto your tile with care. Follow your line for the entire length and push the grinder through the tile halfway. Turn off the grinder when you've finished cutting.

• To prevent unintentionally cutting yourself, keep your fingers away from the blade.
• Do not attempt to immediately cut through the entire tile as this could cause sparks or destroy your blade.

STEP 4- TO TOTALLY CUT THROUGH THE TILE, ADHERE TO THE LINE ONCE AGAIN

Restart your grinder and begin on one side of the cut line. This time, make sure to fully cut through the tile by pushing the grinder through the remaining pieces. To prevent the grinder from jumping out of the cut, steadily push it in a straight line.