Can Jigsaw Saw Tiles
Saw blade selection
In its structure, the canvas on the tile departs from the classical understanding of the file that is familiar to us. She has no teeth, and the role of the cutting element is performed by hard abrasive or diamond spraying. The quality and speed of cut with such a nozzle depend on its grain size. The higher this indicator, the slower the cut, but better cut line. A low grit value, on the contrary, increases the sawing speed, but creates more chips on the material. Granularity is measured in micrometers (microns) and is usually indicated on the packaging of the canvas.
Tile Preparation
The solid and at the same time brittle tile structure, like glass, is prone to cracking and requires high precision and accuracy when processing. Acceleration of the stroke frequency or increased pressure can easily deform the product, ruining the material and nullifying the expended efforts. To saw the tile with a jigsaw was most convenient, it must be soaked for a couple of hours in ordinary water at room temperature.
Features of sawing tiles with a jigsaw
The workplace should be stable with the most even surface, and most of the tile was pressed tightly against it. The smallest length should be located on the weight, even if it is necessary for laying. To reduce vibrations, it is better to fix the tile with a pair of three clamps with rubberized clamps. To avoid scratches, a piece of cardboard or plastic can be glued to the metal sole of the jigsaw on double-sided tape.
Video: Can Jigsaw Saw Tiles
When a special saw blade is prepared, and the tile is sufficiently moistened, you can safely proceed to its processing. Cutting tiles with a jigsaw has certain features, and is slightly different from the usual wood, metal, plastic and other elastic materials. First of all, do not rush and try to speed up the slow cutting process by pressing on the jigsaw or increasing its speed, which should be located from minimum to average values. This approach will lead to the formation of serious chips, and the strong pressing of a working tool can even crack the tile. It’s not enough to waste valuable material, time and resource of a saw blade in vain.
To reduce the likelihood of marriage, it is recommended to saw the tile at minimum speed, while producing an average pressure sufficient to keep the working jigsaw in line and direct it forward.
Sawed tiles with a hand jigsaw
A fast jigsaw with relatively massive saw blades does not always succeed in performing particularly delicate work or cutting with an inner contour. When you need to make a neat, jewelry cut with a complex pattern, a reliable hand tool comes to the rescue. Of course, for these purposes, you can use a jigsaw machine that works with the same thin nail files, but this equipment is quite expensive and it is not practical to purchase it for a small amount of work.
As you might guess, ordinary wood and metal files for a hand-held jigsaw will not be able to cut tiles. To perform such an operation, a special tungsten carbide string or diamond-coated nail file will be required.
The process of cutting a supply with a manual jigsaw is completely identical to its electric counterpart, unless it takes many times more time and effort. The tile is soaked for a couple of hours, after which it is fixed on a flat surface with clamps and during sawing, periodically wetted with water. Once again we repeat that the speed of manual work is very slow, and it will take decent time even for a small figure. Before work, it is worthwhile to understand and be patient in advance. To understand how to cut tiles with a jigsaw and estimate the pace of work, we recommend watching the next video.