Replies

1. 
   RickL | Apr 09, 2005 12:59am | #1

   I recall seeing a Harbor Freight bandsaw with a diamond blade for pretty cheap. I know there are plenty of diamond blades for glass cutting and bandsaws in the glass world so you might start looking at glass forums instead of woodworking forums.

1. 
   sedna | Apr 09, 2005 03:57am | #2

   Thanks Rick, I was looking for a jigsaw blade, but I could also do it on the bandsaw.
   Keith

1. 
   RickL | Apr 10, 2005 02:48am | #3

   I realize you are thinking scoll saw but I have seen the diamond bandsaw and maybe someone on a glass forum knows of diamond grit scroll saw blades. Do a google search!
   http://www.scrollit.com/Olson%20Scroll%20Saw%20Blades/diamond_scroll_saw_blades.htm
   Found that on my first search.

2. 
   peteD | Apr 10, 2005 05:21am | #4

   Keith,

   I used a diamond bit in a Dremmel or roto zip tool and was able to cut curves and circles in the middle of a piece of tile.  I had good control of the tool so I felt safe.  Just don't hold on the tile with your hand.

   Good luck,

   Pete

3. 
   cowtown | Apr 12, 2005 10:13am | #5

   Keith

   while it might seem feasible to toss a diamond blade into a jig saw, and while you may be able to find a blade and attachments for same to do so I really doubt if even the higest end jig saw manufacturere ever conceived or designed their jig-saw to be able to deal with the fine abrasive dust that cutting ceramic tile produces, and almost certainly not to function as a "wet-saw" . If you've ever cleaned out the slurry from a diamond tile saw, you will know how fine that stuff is. Imagine it in the dry state being sucked into and rubbed round in the bushings and bearings of yer jig saw.

   To my pea brain, this idea of yers might amount to false economy. The tile dust may require or at very least, expedite replacement of the entire machine.

   You wanna cut tile or ceramics? , use tile cutting machinery or better (glass cutting bandsaws perhaps, but I have no personal experience other than knowing that they exist)

   OTOH, I do cut ceramics fairly frequently. With appropriate tools.

   Eric in Calgary.

1. 
   sedna | Apr 17, 2005 06:59am | #10

   You have a good point Cowtown. I do have a ceramic tile saw and it is fine for most of the work. I have relatively few tile that need to be cut out with curves and I could not justify a special bandsaw. I had thought a few special blades for a jigsaw may do the job, but if I ruin the saw ???? Well I am stuck. Perhaps I can find a shop around here that would cut them for me. I will also look into that idea.
   Thanks for the warning.
   Keith

4. 
   DDay | Apr 14, 2005 04:53am | #6

   Check out lenox blades.  They make some of the best recip and jig saw blades as well as hole saws and other cutting tools.  They have a blade specifically for tile and ceramics.

   http://www.lenoxsaw.com/jigs.htm

    

1. 
   sedna | Apr 14, 2005 05:57am | #7

   Thanks DDay. I e-mailed them today for the name of a distributer.
   Keith

1. 
   DDay | Apr 14, 2005 03:52pm | #8

   I live in Boston and the company is in the western part of this state (massachusetts) so they are very big around here but they are also national.  Around here the best place for selection is at the plumbing and electrical trade supply houses.  I don't know how it is in British Columbia but they should be a good bet to have them.  Plumbing supply houses especially, since they need to go into tile in bathrooms often.

   If you haven't cut into tile before, the wall tile will cut very easily.  The floor tile on the other hand will be much much harder.  I cut through wall tile like butter with a rotozip with a tile bit but burnt up that same bit going through porcelien floor tile.

1. 
   sedna | Apr 14, 2005 06:05pm | #9

   Thanks again DDay, I am doing ceramic floor tile. As mentioned in my original post, most of the cutting can be done with a diamond blade in a tile saw, but that is limited to straight cuts. I was amazed that a normal carbide grit blade will not even touch these tiles before it is ruined. i would guess it goes about 3 inches and that takes a long time and does not do a nice job. On the other hand the diamond blade works well. I will be doing some wall tile later so will keep you advice in mind. I don't have a rotozip saw but have been thinking of getting one.
   Keith

1. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 19, 2005 08:46am | #11

   An angle grinder can be an endlessly useful tool in a remodeling kit. You can buy diamond blades that are great for cutting tile; every professional tile setter I know carries an angle grinder, generally equipped with a continuous rim diamond blade (about $20). Just today I used one for cutting floor tile around a bathtub; way neater than a nipper, and much faster than a Dremel. For holes (e.g. for supply pipes), a carbide hole saw will generally work; but for porcelain tiles, you need a diamond core bit."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
   -- Bertrand Russell

2. 
   sedna | Apr 19, 2005 05:53pm | #12

   Perfect, I wonder why i didn't think of it. I already have a couple of angle grinders, now I am off to find a diamond blade for one of them.
   Keith

3. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 20, 2005 01:43am | #13

   Just be sure to get a blade with a "continuous rim" --- as opposed to a "segmented" blade, which is intended for rougher, more aggressing cutting. I've recently started to use this same rig for coping moldings -- faster and easier than a coping saw/files. But with this, you must have some means of clamping the molding down."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
   -- Bertrand Russell