How to Cut Rocks With a Tile Saw

Using a tile saw featuring a diamond-tipped blade is your best bet to cut rocks. That’s because traditional rock cutting saws not only lack the precision to cut through hard rocks but they’re also highly expensive. Use this article to learn how to use a tile saw to cut rocks.

How to Cut Rocks With a Tile Saw

A tile saw makes for an affordable rock cutting experience and it can also cut a wide range of rocks. Even tile saws under $300 come with a cooling system that keeps the blade wet and cool as it spins. Keeping the blade wet is important for both cutting efficiency and your safety.

As the saw spins, small rock particles turn into mud instead of harmful dust that can lead to respiratory problems.

Materials You’ll Need

• Gloves
• Respirator and a dust mask
• Glass for eyes protection
• Earbuds for noise
• A high-quality wet tile saw
• A permanent marker
• Rocks you need to cut
• A container to sock the rocks

Step One: Learn the Rock Hardness

Due to different minerals, the hardness level varies from rock to rock. Understanding the hardness levels will allow you to determine whether you can use a wet tile saw to cut a certain type of rock or not. According to Geoscience News and Information, the following is the Mohs Hardness Scale.

You can use most tile saws to cut the rock with the hardness level of seven or below.

Step Two: Ensure Safety

Working in an unsafe environment not only hampers work but also puts you at risk. So, you don’t want to negotiate with safety issues. Make sure that you dress properly before starting the rock cutting process.

We recommend you wear a face mask, gloves, glasses, and earbuds to protect yourself from injuries and unwanted scenarios.

Wearing a plastic coat is optional if you have all the other safety gears mentioned above. Avoid wearing a loose-fitting dress if you’re not planning to wear a plastic coat.

Ensuring your safety is one of the most important steps of using a tile saw accurately and safely.

Step Three: Prepare Your Workspace

Now you need to arrange your tile saw along with the rocks you want to cut. Check the cutter’s blade quality and get a new one if it’s not satisfactory. I recommend you use a cutter blade with a diamond tip. Use a bowl full of water to soak the rocks for some time.

Step Four: Inspect the Reservoir’s Water Level

As mentioned, a wet tile saw comes with a cooling system that uses water stored in a reservoir. Make sure there is enough water in the reservoir. Ideally, the saw blade should be partially submerged in the water.

Step Five: Mark the Rocks

Pick up rocks one by one from the bowl of water and use the permanent marker to mark them. It’ll allow you to slice the rocks precisely.

Step Six: Place Yourself Correctly

Place a rock that you want to cut first on the table properly and make sure it’s stable. After that go to the opposite side of the rock so that you need to pull it towards your direction while cutting.

Pulling the rock toward you is a better approach than pushing it away. Not only will it allow water to splash in the reverse direction of your workspace but it’ll also reduce the residue’s amount coming towards you.

Step Seven: Slice the Rocks

Now power up your wet tile saw and don’t start pulling the rock until the motor gains its full speed. Once the blade is at its peak speed, slowly start pulling the rock towards you to feed the blade. The blade will cut the rock within a few seconds.

While the blade is cutting, keep an eye on the rock to see if it shows any signs of redness. Stop the machine immediately if you see the rock heating up and wait until it cools down. It’ll reduce the chances of getting hurt and you’ll have a complete and clean cut.

Repeat the same process for the rest of the rocks as many times as you desire.

Tips for Using a Tile Saw to Cut Rocks

• Take safety measures like wearing gloves, glasses, earbuds, a face mask, and even a plastic coat before cutting rocks.
• Check the water level in the machine’s reservoir every time you plan to cut the rocks. It’ll keep the blade and rocks from overheating. You might also need to add water to the reservoir during the cutting process if you have a big batch of rocks.
• Never put excessive pressure to pull the rocks towards you as it can lead to an unpredictable injury. It can also shatter your rocks into small pieces to break the whole experience.
• Don’t start feeding rocks to the blade until it reaches its full speed.
• Use a graphite pencil or permanent marker to put visible and bold marks to cut the rocks precisely.
• Use a tile saw with a diamond-tipped blade to achieve precise and clean cuts.
• Maintain a safe distance from the blade while cutting rocks because the shattered stone particles can lead to an injury.
• Always clean your tile saw once you have cut all the rocks. Use an air blower to clean areas of the machine that are hard to reach.

You can also drill holes in rocks for crafts such as necklaces.

FAQs

Conclusion

Cutting rocks with a tile saw shouldn’t be a difficult task. You just need to ensure that you use proper tools and the right steps and be focused and patient while cutting the rocks.

We hope this guide will help you to understand the right way to use a wet tile saw to cut rocks precisely and efficiently.