Sup y’all? I’m getting ready to install 12×12 slate tiles in the entryway of my apartment. Question is, what is the best way to cut these d%mn things. I keep thinking that anything other than a wet saw will chip away a lot of the tile.
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Back 17 years ago when I was cheap I cut a small roomfull of slate tile with a dry abrasive blade in a table saw. There was chipping. It was more chipping than would be acceptable with ceramic tile, but for a fairly rustic slate floor I could live with it. It would be too much chipping for a more formal look. The dust was nearly overwhelming.
Now that I'm older, I'd spend the $40 to rent a wet saw.
>>what is the best way to cut these
I have had really good luck with those cheap diamond Harbor Freight blades wet or dry. I use them in a 7 1/4 & 4 circular saw and right angle grinder. You can mist water on the point of contact. These blades have run 6 - 14 $. It doesn't seem to matter whether they call them- you can use either wet or dry.
We make a track for the circular saw to run in with L shaped boards hooked to two blocks. I have been surprised how long these cheap blades last.
Ain't no other way than the saw. Easier, faster, and possibly cheeper.
Not to criticize, because I'm sure what you're doing is great, but from a personal opinionated-point-of-view, I'm starting to see too much slate nowadays.
I recently installed several 12" sq slate tiles using a tub [wet] saw for most cuts and a diamond wheel mounted in an angle grinder for detail work. It's definitely worthwhile to rent a tub saw IMO.
Cutting hint: Use a glass-drilling or masonry bit to bore a hole at the intersection of any inside corners before heading for the tub saw - the radius helps keep the tile from breaking as it sometimes does at sharp inside corners. I found it very helpful to support the tile on a scrap of carpet pad while drilling.
Grouting hint: I found that using a grout bag saved a lot of clean-up time because of the grout's propensity to get trapped along the natural strata endemic to slate.
Good luck,
Jazzdogg
ditto.....wet saw....grinder w/diamond blade.
don't be too cheap...you're already diy'ing it.....let go the tight hold on that last penny and rent the right tools.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Thanks for all the replies. My brother was willing to buy a wet saw, considering this work is in an apartment building, and we'll have several more tile jobs to do. I talked him out of it and figured we'd see if we get the job done in a less expensive manner. I don't like saying cheaper, but you get the idea. I gave the abrasive blade a whirl last night. It worked OK, minimal chipping, but the dust was terrible. I'm still picking tar out of my nose.
>>Grouting hint: I found that using a grout bag saved a lot of clean-up time because of the grout's propensity to get trapped along the natural strata endemic to slate
Thanks for the tip! Wouldn't have thought of it.