How to choose a blade for cutting porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles. How to groove a wall without dust: a neat repair

Diamond cutting blades have been developed to work with all stone-like materials: concrete, ceramic tiles, bricks, natural and artificial stone.

A disc for concrete is used as a working part of a hand tool: grinders, wall chasers, concrete and asphalt petrol cutters, as well as stationary stone-cutting machines. On the construction market The most popular manufacturers of diamond wheels are Bosch, Cedima, Husqvarna, Dronco, Norton, Luga-Nova, etc.

Production, design features and purpose

This consumable has the form of a metal disk, on the edges of which diamond cutters are welded or soldered. These elements are produced from ground industrial diamonds and a metal binder, by pressing. The circle itself is made from a durable variety of tool steel.

Note!
Main advantages similar material– its durability and high rates of work.
Diamond blades for cutting concrete are much more efficient than abrasive counterparts.
They remain sharp for a long time and provide the desired depth of cut.

Making circles

1. Particles of industrial diamonds are pressed into special shapes in a metal binder (steel, titanium, various alloys). In this case, diamonds of different quality and sizes are used.
2. By varying the quality characteristics of diamonds, their concentration, the components of the binder and the shape of the disk, it is possible to produce disks of the desired grade.

1. The sectors are fixed on a metal base by laser welding (for dry cutting wheels) or silver soldering (for wet cutting wheels).
2. The melting of silver is carried out at a temperature regime of 650/700 °. This makes it possible to produce high quality diamond segments.
3. At this stage, the cutting part of the disk is a blank, and cannot cut materials.
4. Further each cutting wheel sharpened.
5. Leading disc manufacturers have invented new technology fixation, which is called "HDS" (English - "high density sintred"), i.e. - powder soldering with a high degree of density. This method significantly increased the quality of disk segments. Similar circles can be used for dry cutting.

This method eliminates the presence of a neutral zone between the body and the cutting sectors of the disk. This makes it possible to use the working part of the circle by 100%. Such products are marked "With - HDS technology".

1. To ensure effective work, the cutting edges of the wheel are sharpened with ceramic sharpeners. This is done so that the first diamond particles are visible.
2. Now the product is ready for use.
3. The direction of the factory opening of the disk determines its position on the tool shaft. Leading manufacturers are doing the right thing by indicating the direction of the circle with arrows on it.

Product types

1. Segment discs for dry cutting. On their body, the incisors are arranged in sectors. There are slits between them. They serve to relieve tension incisors, better heat and waste removal, linear expansion of the disc.

Note!
Technological slots can end with bores along the radius.
They more effectively redistribute impact-type loads during operation, relieving overvoltage of the wheel body.

1. Solid discs(without cutting edge segmentation) for wet cutting. They may have holes along their radius in order to evenly distribute the stresses that occur in the cutting part. When using such products, the supply of water as a coolant is mandatory.

1. Cutting reinforced concrete with diamond wheels is carried out with special discs. In order to cut reinforced material without problems, they have an increased body thickness and a higher content of diamond particles in the teeth.

1. grinding wheels, as their name implies, are needed for grinding stone-like surfaces. An abrasive diamond layer is applied to them on an annular skirt (“cup”) protruding along the edge of the disk.

Product marking

Disc markings announce three of their characteristics (in millimeters):

• working diameter;
• cutting width;
• tool hole diameter.

For example, "Cedima" DC/D 150-22-3 UP.

Here:

• 150 mm - the diameter of the disk itself (it also orients to the depth of the cut);
• 22 mm - diameter of the mounting hole;
• cutting width - 3 mm.

As a rule, the designation of the width of the cut is a marketing ploy. The manufacturer thereby makes it clear that his disc for cutting reinforced concrete is wider, therefore stronger. It has nothing to do with the real state of things.

Circle sizes

The table shows the range of sizes of cutting segment discs for concrete, according to State Standard No. 10110-87

1. There are also circles with a diameter of 50 mm, 75 and 90. However, they are almost never used for cutting concrete.
2. Discs with diameters of more than 600 mm are also produced. However, they are not used in construction, but for the manufacture of building materials, for example, granite slabs, marble.
3. Some manufacturers, both foreign and ours, produce circles with non-standard dimensions, for example, 115 mm and 230. State standard the variety of disk sizes is not rigidly regulated. Therefore, the use of such circles and their mention in the technical documentation during construction is quite acceptable.

Disk Usage

1. Circles with a diameter of 125 mm are most in demand for cutting concrete in the repair of premises.
2. Analogues with a size of 150/230 mm are used for processing concrete elements, for example, lintels in openings, slopes. They are always needed in panel buildings.
3. The instruction recommends using diamond wheels with a diameter of 350 mm and 400 for work with large concrete products, foundation blocks. Such discs are usually used in stone-cutting machines or aggregates for chasing stone-like surfaces.

How to choose a disk

In order to correctly select a disc, you need to know what diameter, shape of the segments and grade of the circle are suitable for the tool used and the material to be cut.

Circle diameter

1. The outer size of the circle affects the depth of cut. Therefore, the deeper the cuts are needed, the larger the diameter of the disc must be selected. In this case, you should take into account what range of circle dimensions is provided for your tool.

Note!
It is forbidden to use a consumable that is not intended for this unit.
The linear value of the wheel speed will be too low or too high (depending on the material being processed).
Therefore, the disc will wear unevenly or overheat and get stuck.
In addition, there is a risk of overloading the tool and breaking it.

1. The inner diameter of the disk should be selected with your own hands, looking at the shaft of the unit. There shouldn't be a gap. The difference in diameters can be leveled by accurately selecting washers.

Below are the most common internal disc bore sizes.

1. Circles for dry cutting with a diameter of 115/230 mm, designed for manual angle grinders (grinders) and have inner hole 22.2 mm.
2. Analogs in sizes 150/350 mm are suitable for wet cutting with portable stone cutting machines and have an internal diameter of 25.4 and 30 mm.

1. Wheels with dimensions of 300/400 mm are suitable for manual power cutters, they have an internal hole of 25.4 mm. Can be used for dry and wet sawing.
2. Analogues with a size of 500 mm or more are designed for large stationary stone-cutting machines. They have inner diameter 60 mm. They are wet cutting.

What does the label say?

1. When it is necessary to constantly cut various stone-like materials, it is best to choose a blade of a universal grade. If the material is the same, and it is known in advance, it is more correct to choose a specialized circle.
2. I must say that different manufacturers use for labeling various methods, symbols and indications. Based on this, choosing a circle, you should be extremely careful. Otherwise, the cost of cutting will be unnecessarily high.
3. It is clear that soft materials are easy to process, and hard counterparts are difficult. Therefore, for lightweight concrete with a soft filler (expanded clay, slag) or a cellular counterpart, you should choose discs that have hard ligaments. For materials on hard fillers (gravel, crushed granite), circles with soft bonds are suitable.

Which wheel to buy: for dry or wet cutting

1. A laser-welded blade designed for dry cutting is also suitable for wet sawing. Provided that the design of the tool allows such an opportunity. Nothing critical will happen to the circle. However, the speed and service life consumable will go down.
2. Discs designed for wet cutting of concrete, as a rule, have a larger diameter than analogues for dry work. They need constant water cooling. The temperature of their case must remain within the permitted values. In addition, it is necessary to periodically remove particles of the processed material from the cut.

Note!
It is strictly forbidden to carry out dry work with circles for wet cutting.
Silver solder melts at a temperature of + 650 °, so the teeth fixed by it can fall off from the circle body.
The disk itself can also heat up, lose its rigidity and begin to wag.

Before buying a disc, find out the following:

• what kind of concrete needs to be cut;
• what will be the depth of cut;
• a diamond wheel, what dimensions are suitable for the tool used (its outer and inner diameters, as well as thickness, are important);
• what is the power (in kilowatts) of the cutting unit;
• which cutting method will be used: wet or dry (this depends on the design of the tool).

Tell the sales assistant all these data, and he will select you best option products.

If the wheel has already been purchased, make sure that it is designed for the type of concrete being cut.

1. Putting the circle in the tool, determine whether the direction of its rotation, shown on the body by an arrow, coincides with the direction rotational movements shaft.
2. The unit revolutions must be similar to their indicated value on the disk. On the label, manufacturers write the maximum allowed rotation speed (rpm) and the maximum allowable linear speed (meters per second).
3. Working at the wrong speed can damage or wear the wheel unevenly. Yes, and cutting will be ineffective.
4. Do not tilt the disc to the sides and do not use muscle force (the mass of the instrument is sufficient).
5. If the depth of cut is large, make a preliminary cut (1/5 of the total cut). So you stop the overload of the unit, and it will be easier to get an even cut.
   
6. When processing hand tool concrete slabs with a thickness of 2/4 cm, set the stopper on the disc to the greatest cutting depth. So contact with the material will be minimal. The same preparation is needed if diamond drilling is performed in concrete.

Conclusion

By choosing the right cutting disc for stony material, you will ensure high efficiency. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the brand of the circle and the features of the characteristics of concrete. The video in this article contains a lot of additional information.

For diamond cutting building structures two methods are used - "wet" and "dry". The difference between these types of work is quite simple - wet diamond cutting involves the constant or periodic use of water to cool the working body. Dry diamond cutting does not require the use of liquid in the workflow. It would seem that the difference is not great, but in practice it is quite significant. Let's analyze it in detail.

Benefits of wet diamond cutting

• increasing the resource intensity of the cutting body due to timely cooling;
• improving the quality of work performed in the conditions of work of a high level of accuracy;
• dust reduction due to the absorption of dust particles by the water jet (scrubber principle);
• the ability to work with concrete at a depth of more than 60 mm, with brick - at a depth of more than 84 mm;
• reduction of the period of work performed due to the continuity of the work cycle;
• minimization of noise and operating vibrations cutting tool, because diamond drilling (drilling) takes place in conjunction with the timely removal of fragments and dust from under the cutting body with a jet of water;
• high cost-effectiveness of work due to the high speed of their implementation and the continuity of the technological cycle.

The benefits of wet cutting come at the cost of some additional complexity.

Wet diamond cutting requirements

• the presence of sufficient water is mandatory:
  when working with a high load it can be a water supply system, a large reservoir or a natural reservoir (any source, including water supply must be at a distance of up to 50 m) with a certain amount of work, a pressure of up to 10 liters per minute is needed;
  when performing one-time work with a moderate load a small container with water or a tank with a water pump is enough for a diamond element;
• removal of industrial water and sludge from the workplace using industrial vacuum cleaners;
• control over water leakage into openings and crevices of the building (according to the situation);
• control over the non-ingress of water on current-carrying elements and on power supply devices;
• the need to attract an additional worker to control the supply of water to the diamond disk;

Benefits of dry diamond cutting

• the ability to work with a portable tool away from a water source;
• the possibility of working alone;

Disadvantages of dry diamond cutting

• high dust content of the workplace and adjacent premises; the use of vacuum cleaners reduces dust, but does not completely eliminate it
• lower, compared to wet diamond cutting, the level of accuracy and quality of work.
• the impossibility of working with the maximum degree of load and productivity due to the rapid heating of the diamond segment, which leads to a decrease in its resource intensity and rapid failure;
• limiting the cutting depth to 60 mm (for concrete) and 85 mm (for brick);
• the inability to quickly remove construction debris from under the cutting body, which increases the duration of the cutting process, increases the level of noise and vibration;

In this way, wet cutting is the preferred method, although its use is associated with additional efforts to organize work, namely, you need to take care of the supply and removal of water. However, if it is a sufficient amount of work, then the additional effort to supply water is not as burdensome compared to the costs of the dry cutting method. In other words, it is easier to take care of the supply and removal of water than to cut at the cost of great effort and time.

In general, the wet method of diamond cutting is more preferable, therefore it is always used where large amounts of work, high depth and accuracy of the diamond cut are required.

Dry diamond cutting makes practical sense when manual work, which do not require the highest level precision and deep cutting. Or according to an exceptional principle: if it is simply impossible to provide sufficient water supply.

Today I would like to talk about grinder discs, which are best for sawing both tiles and porcelain tiles. This video is primarily intended not for professionals, they, in general, have known all this for a long time. And for those people who have gathered on their own to finish a bathroom or a bathroom, they don’t have some kind of tile cutters, or some kind of crowns to drill some holes in ceramics or porcelain stoneware, but they have a grinder. And they can buy a disc that will cut porcelain stoneware and tiles without chipping.

It is also very good to make small holes with these disks, as well as large holes in the tile, without any chips or scratches. It is very good to cut out both “U-shaped” and “L-shaped” structures in a tile with them, when all this is cut very close to the edges, where literally 1.5-2-3 centimeters remain to the edge. And if the disk is not used the one you need, then, as a rule, tiles and porcelain tiles break in this place.

Wet cut and turbo disc

Now I will bring the camera closer and show what discs I currently have available. I currently have two disks. This disc here that comes with notches, it is usually called a turbo disc or a fast cutting disc.

But this disk, which is absolutely smooth and has only a coating on the edge, diamond coating. This disc is usually sold in stores and will be labeled "Wet Cut".

There are also discs similar to this “wet cut”, but it will still have such cuts along the entire contour. As a rule, “dry cut” is written on it. It is best to cut tiles and porcelain stoneware with a disk on which “wet cut” will be written.

Here on this disc, if you see it like this, it just says “wet cut diamond cutting”.

On this disc is the inscription turbo. It's already erased here, but you can read it.

It is best to cut tiles with such disks. I didn't use them before. I was confused by the fact that it says "wet cut". I always thought that you can somehow cut with water or something else. But having tried once, I realized that even without water they can successfully cut both ceramics and porcelain stoneware.

On this disk there are such solderings and fastenings.

They begin to hit the enamel and chip the enamel. The same on a dry cut, where the slots are. These cuts also hit the enamel and make chips. And if you cut along the very edge. Let's say you need to make some kind of cutout from this edge "U-shaped".

So, as a rule, this edge will definitely break off if you use either a turbo disc or a “dry cut” disc. Since it will hit the tile itself, there will be strong vibrations and the edge will definitely break off, and you will not succeed. What does not happen when sawing with a “wet cut” blade.

"Wet cut" what is it for? Let's say in a tile cutter such disks stand across, like this.

And they pass, as it were, through the entire array of tiles, and there I agree that water is needed. With a grinder, you will cut only the very best, just such an edge. So that this disk somehow heats up or overheats, and it gets stuck in the tile. Well, that's hardly possible, and unlikely to happen.

The only disadvantage of a wet cutter, when sawing with such discs, is the high dustiness of the room. That is, if you do all this in an apartment, you will have to go out to the balcony. And if you do it in a private house, you will have to go out. Do all this marking in the room, and go out to saw on the street.

A real example of how disks work

Now I will go outside and demonstrate the quality of the cut with a turbo disc, and the quality of the cut with a “wet cut”.

To begin with, I will try to do all this with a turbo disk.

Now I'll try to put a "dry cut".

This is the cut with a turbo disk.

But this is the cut "wet cut"

"Wet cut" will be of better quality. Although it is porcelain stoneware, it is difficult to cut. Chips, all the same, some-not-what, badass. There are chips, of course. Now I will try to do the same on a regular tile.

Here is a regular wall tile.

Now I will cut it with a “wet cut”, then a turbo.

Here is the "wet cut"

This side is turbo-cut.

“Wet cut”, as you can see, is of better quality, almost completely without chips and scuffs.

Someone, of course, will say that the difference in cuts is insignificant, there is almost none there. To some extent, when longitudinal cuts are neatly cut and a normal balanced grinder, then this is so. The “wet cut” is also valuable because these holes for the sewer, for a 110 pipe, it is very close to the edges.

That is, from this side 1-1.5 centimeters, from this side 2.5 remains. This is the hole I cut with a “wet cut”. If I started cutting with a turbo disc, then this or that edge of, well, tile (it was porcelain stoneware on the floors) it would still break. A “wet cut” does not give vibration to the tile and therefore the tile is cut normally and does not break. The same applies to cuts, if the letter "P" or the letter "G" is somewhere very, very close to the edges.

I hope this video was helpful for someone. Buy discs that say "wet cut". And when cutting tiles and porcelain stoneware, you will always be lucky. Especially if you will cut out some holes or something else very close to the edges.

All rights to the video belong to: Andrey Smolyakov

In order to save the budget when laying tiles in an apartment or a private house, many people prefer to do all the work on their own, especially since there are more than enough instructions for carrying out such work. If everything is clear with the choice of design and the acquisition of material, then difficulties often arise with the installation process, since any room during cladding will require trimming tiles and adjusting them for an aesthetic appearance. Often used at home for cutting ordinary grinder, but what kind of cutting disc is needed ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware, not everyone knows.

The market offers a large number of different circles, the price of which varies from 900 to 25,000 rubles. In order not to pay extra money for a certain brand and at the same time not to buy a useless blank, you need to find out what types of products exist, what they can cut and in what quantity.

Types of discs for cutting porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles

Many people go to the store and try to buy a disc for cutting tiles or porcelain stoneware, believing that these are two different circles. In fact, the disc is selected not so much based on the type of cutting material, but also taking into account the volume of cutting and the tool itself, which will be used for cutting. All available samples can be divided into three main types, then we will consider each of them in detail.

Wet cutting wheels

The photo shows a diamond blade for porcelain stoneware for wet cutting, it is also called solid. These discs can also be used for cutting tiles in small quantities. The product is intended for wet cutting, that is, in the presence of coolant. It is applied for electric tile cutters and thanks to the solid cutting edge can make perfect even cut practically no chips.

With water cooling, cutting time is virtually unlimited, ideal for cutting large porcelain tiles or floor tiles, as well as for working with large volumes.

For your information. Such circles can also be used when working with a grinder, but only for small cuts and only on tiles. In this case, the duration of the circle should not exceed 10-15 seconds, after which it needs to idle for 20-30 seconds to cool down.

Diamond grit is applied to the cutting surface of the disc using silver solder, which loses its strength when heated and the coating wears out quickly.

Important. Many people often make a mistake when, immediately after cutting a tile with a grinder, they lower a solid disc into a bath of water for cooling. Rapid cooling leads to the appearance of microcracks on the coating and the product itself. The result of such actions are chips on the body of the circle, which often fly off during the cut and can damage equipment, tiles and injure a person.

Dry cutting wheels or dry cutters

A disc for dry cutting porcelain stoneware or tiles is called a segmented disc or dry cutter. The product does not need water cooling, as it has constructive cutouts from the edge to the center. These cutouts divide the edge of the circle into segments, serve to cool the product during operation and compensate for the expansion of the metal when heated.

Designed to work at low speeds, ideal for a grinder or circular saw. It is recommended to use a dry cutter for cutting porcelain stoneware or thick floor tiles. Suitable for small to medium-sized jobs, but will chip off glossy or glazed tile surfaces.

The photo below clearly shows the result. The uppermost plate is the result of a cut with a dry segmented disc, the lower plates are cut solid with a coolant supply. Such chips are acceptable if the joints are hidden, but in a visible area of ​​​​the floor, such a cut quality is not acceptable and they can only be hidden with a plain grout to match the color of the material.

For your information. Like a wet cutting blade, a dry cutter also needs to be cooled. The cutting time is about 1 minute, after which the circle is cooled at idle for 20-30 seconds and you can start cutting again.

Important! It is dry cutters that cause injuries if safety precautions are not followed. The segments of the disk can catch the thread of a knitted glove, so it is recommended to use mittens made of thick fabric. It is necessary to carefully monitor the position of the circle when cutting, its slight displacement leads to damage to the disc and the working surface.

Combined

Combined circles are a combination of a solid disk and a dry cutter. This versatile product is the ideal choice for domestic use, because it can work both in dry and in coolant mode. The advantage of the versatility of the product is at the same time its disadvantage. The disc will not be able to make such a clean cut as a solid analogue and cannot work for a long time without cooling like a typical dry cutter.

Advice! For occasional use in an apartment or private house, when laying tiles or porcelain stoneware in small spaces with a minimum number of cuts, we recommend choosing a combi blade.

Important! Combined models suffer more than others from the clogging effect, when small grains of tiles are clogged in the grooves and soldered into the diamond coating. On other types of discs, this problem can be solved by turning the disc over and changing the direction of rotation on the axis. Reverse rotation cleans the coating and restores cutting power. Combined models usually have a given direction of rotation and cannot be turned over to the other side, it simply will not cut. In this case, use an ordinary silicate brick or concrete, make a few cuts and the coating will be cleared.

What determines the price of a circle

The cost of disks for the most part depends on the manufacturer, the size of the circle and its type. The most famous manufacturers of quality discs are such brands as:

• Bosch
• Distar
• DeWALT
• Dronco
• Emar Vollrand
• HILTI
• Norton
• Kronenflex

Among domestic manufacturers, it is worth highlighting the following:

• LugaNova
• Interskol
• Practice

It is obvious that foreign manufacturers will cost more than domestic ones due to the markup for the cost of the brand and transportation. According to the results of independent testing of well-known manufacturers on the market, it was ZUBR that showed results that significantly exceed those of foreign models.

The technology of spraying diamond abrasive on the cutting edge also affects the price of the disc. The most common technologies are:

• Solder soldering. We mentioned these products above, where abrasive chips are soldered to the edge with silver solder. The technology is cheap and allows you to reduce the cost of models, however, when heated, the solder loses its quality and the diamond coating wears out quickly. Therefore, the service life of the circle is small, but quite suitable for domestic use.
• Geometric closure. This method uses electricity to maximize the heat of the edge and the diamond sand is firmly soldered onto the surface of the wheel. The service life of such products is much higher than the previous ones, the price is still within the reach. Usually this method is used for combined wheels, which are suitable for dry and wet cutting.
• Laser soldering. This is a very costly technology and is used for industrial use models. This circle can cut everything from white brick and ending with granite. The price of the product varies from 9,000 to 25,000 rubles.

Important! Today the market is filled with outright fakes under famous brands, therefore, when buying a disk for dry cutting of porcelain stoneware or tiles, pay attention to the price. For example, a circle from the manufacturer Bosch or HILTI cannot cost 900-1200 rubles. Make a purchase only in specialized outlets or branded offices.

How to choose the right drive

Based on the above information, we can already choose diamond blades for cutting ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware based on our needs. The main selection rules are as follows:

• If it is necessary to cut porcelain stoneware or there is a large amount of work to be done without the ability to supply coolant to the cut, then it is better to give preference to segmented dry cutters with deep slots or holes for air cooling.
• If it is necessary to work with ordinary glazed ceramic tiles (not floor tiles), then we choose solid cutters with diamond coating for wet cutting. It is desirable that the thickness of the circle does not exceed 2 mm to reduce the number of chips.

Advice! In order for the cut to be as even as possible, choose a solid disc with a spray strip slightly larger than the thickness of the tile itself. Before cutting, it is advisable to soak the tile in water; this is not required for porcelain stoneware.