Tile & Stone

Wet Saw Blade Selection for Porcelain and Stone

Continuous rim, turbo and segmented diamond blades for porcelain and stone, plus RPM limits, dressing and water flow from MK Diamond's manual.

Updated · 2 min read

The blade decides how clean a wet saw cut comes out. For porcelain and polished stone, a continuous-rim blade is the usual starting point. For speed on rougher material, turbo or segmented rims cut faster. The details below follow a major blade maker's training manual.[1]

Rim types

Start with the rim. Its shape decides how clean the edge comes out.

Rim Use[1]
Continuous rim Clean, smooth cuts on glazed ceramic, marble, granite, porcelain and quarry tile
Turbo General purpose; faster than continuous with a reasonably clean edge
Segmented Longest life and most cutting power for concrete and masonry; roughest edge

Bond

The bond holds the diamonds. As with concrete grinding, harder material needs a softer bond so fresh diamonds keep getting exposed.[1] If a blade stops cutting on hard porcelain, the bond may be too hard for the material.

Fit and speed

Safety limits come from the blade itself.

  • Never exceed the blade's maximum RPM. Typical limits are 5,095 RPM for a 12" blade and 8,730 RPM for a 7" blade.[1]
  • Match the arbor hole to the saw. Don't run a blade on the wrong arbor.
  • Check the arrow on the blade and mount it so it turns the way the arrow points.[1]

Water

Water cools the blade and controls dust.

  • Feed 2 to 4 gallons per minute on both sides of the blade.[1]
  • OSHA Table 1 requires continuous water on the blade of a stationary masonry saw.[3] With that in place, no respirator is required for the task.[2]

Dressing a glazed blade

A blade that slows down and starts to burn or chip is often glazed, not worn out. Dressing the blade cleans off the glaze and exposes sharp diamond again.[1] Make a few cuts into a dressing stick, then test on a scrap.

Common mistakes

Most chipped cuts come from the blade, the feed rate or the water.

  • Segmented blade on porcelain. It chips the glaze.
  • Forcing the feed. Let the blade cut.
  • Weak water flow. The blade overheats and glazes.
  • Reversing the blade. Always follow the arrow.

For choosing between a manual cutter and a wet saw, see Cutting tile: manual cutters vs wet saws.

Blades we carry

These thin-rim turbo blades suit porcelain and stone.

References

  1. MK Diamond: Blade training manual
  2. OSHA: Silica fact sheet, stationary masonry saws
  3. OSHA 1926.1153, including Table 1

Linked PDF documents are archived copies saved by PreFloor Tools so they stay available if the publisher moves or removes them. Check the publisher's website for the latest revision.

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