As a result of its hardness, a wet saw is often preferred to cut the porcelain tile, but due to the cost of acquiring a good tile saw and the efforts, the wet saw requires, seeking cheaper and faster alternatives to do the same job.
This article will teach you 5 alternative ways that how to cut porcelain tile without a wet saw, these methods are fast, convenient and importantly less expensive when compared to the cost of a Wet saw, and they get the job done, just like the wet saw.
Table of Contents
Precaution and Safety tips to be Employed When Applying Alternative Methods.
The same safety method applies to all, and strict adherence to these tips will ensure your safety when you chose to apply any of the methods below.
- To avoid injury, the use of gloves, protection for the ears and goggles for the eyes is best advised.
- You are also advised to wear smart protective gear
- To achieve the best results with these methods, you are advised to stay alert and maintain focus, when working with the tools that will be recommended.
- To protect the body, wearing the right shoes and clothing is a safe practice that is advice.
How to cut porcelain tile without a wet saw
5 Easy Ways To Learn How to Cut Porcelain Tile Without a Wet Saw
1. How to cut porcelain tile using a tile Nipper
A time a nipper is an excellent tool for cutting circular and arcs sections of tiles generally, Which is very difficult to achieve with a wet saw With this advantage over the wet saw, the tile nipper finds its way into this list as a brilliant alternative to the wet saw, also the tile nipper gives excellent cuts when used to do regular tile cutting and comes in a very easy to use form.
Instructions for proper use of the tile nipper to cut porcelain tile
- Prepare the tile you wish to cut by marking it. This you can do using a marker or a good pencil to draw the lines on the porcelain tile that you wish to cut.
- Feed the tile nipper with the tile you have marked, hold the tile at the center of your marked line and don’t apply pressure, as the pressure can break the tiles.
- After you are done the cutting, you can use a rub brick to smoothen the tile edges, where they don’t come out smooth.
- If you follow through steps 1-3, your porcelain tile should be ready for use now!
2. How to cut porcelain tile, using an Angle grinder
An angle grinder doubles as an excellent alternative to the wet saw as it can give cuts in different amazing styles and shapes, including the L-shapes and cut, the circle, straight and square shapes and cuts.
The angle grinder is perfect for producing results when the cuts and shapes are curved cuts.
Instructions for proper use of the angle grinder to cut porcelain tiles
To produce the best results the following instructions will serve as a guide.
- Mark out the shape which you seek to cut on the tile, a marker or a pencil will do a perfect job here.
- Mark your desired shape on both sides of your tile and apply little or no pressure when you feed the tile to the angle grinder.
- To be sure you are making the right cut, make multiple small cuts and turn over the tile; this will help you maintain control.
- If the edges don’t come out smooth after cutting, you can use an abrasive wheel to smoothen it, after your cut.
3. Cutting Porcelain tile, using a tile cutter.
A manual tile cutter allows you to make several adjustments to the tile and the type of cut you want;
this makes the tile cutter an alternative to the wet saw, as it also produces amazing results just like the wet saw.
Instructions for proper use of the tile cutter to cut porcelain tiles.
- The first step to using a tile cutter to cut a porcelain tile is to look and adjust the tile cutter guide, so it can fit properly.
- Feed the tile to the tile cutter, the marked position and then place the cutter on the edge of the tile.
- Push down on the tile cutter and slide the cutter across the marked lines
- Once you get to the end, press down.
- The tile will break into two smooth pieces and your cut is ready.
4. How to cut porcelain tile using a wet wheel
Also known as the diamond blade, the wet wheel is used to cut tough and very hard materials, the diamonds fixed at the edges of the blade, makes cutting easy and smooth.
All of this qualifies the diamond blade as a good alternative to the wet saw.
Instructions for the proper use of the wet wheel to cut porcelain
They are two types of the wet wheel machine, one using your top quality tile saw and the other using a wet wheel. Below are the instructions for safe and proper use.
- Before going ahead to cut, ensure that the tile is supported either by plywood or any support, so the tile doesn’t break off easily.
- Adjust the edges of the tile with the help of the cutting wheel and ensure that you guide it over the blade of the diamond wheel, till the cut is complete.
- The use of force is not advised.
5. Cutting a porcelain tile, using a drill bit.
Drill bits are amazing when used to create cuts and holes in a porcelain tile, to have a clean drill hole in the porcelain tile to fit your screws, your plumbing pipes and also your radiators spaces, a drill bit comes top of the list, which qualifies it as an alternative to the wet saw.
Instructions for proper use of the drill bit to cut porcelain tiles
- Mark the positions on the porcelain tile, where the holes are to be drilled.
- Fix the tile properly to avoid twist, when drilling.
- Start drilling, do this slowly to cut the hole without overheating.
FAQ
Q. How to cut Ceramic tile without using a wet saw?
Ans. As mentioned above, a ceramic tile is also a clay tile just like the porcelain tile; you can cut the ceramic tile using a carbide-tipped pen.
This process is best advised when you are cutting a single tile or for a small house, as it is very tasking when used to cut many ceramic tiles.
Q. Instructions for proper use of carbide tipped pen to cut ceramic tiles.
- Draw a straight line across the ceramic time you want to cut; this can be achieved by using a square.
- Use the pen to cut the marked line
- To snap the tile in two, the use of clippers is best advised.
- Without wet saw, it’s not that much hard to cut tile in the right way.
Final Verdict
Cost is one among others a factor that is first considered before one embarks on a journey, while the wet saw is best at cutting dense and hard tiles like the porcelain and ceramic tiles, the cost of the wet saw is a thing that has kept many away.
This article presents a perfect list of alternatives that can be used in place of a wet saw while using any of these alternatives; the safety precautions must be followed.