Using Glass Tile Saws
Glass tile saws will cut thick slabs of fused glass such as pattern bars and pot melts for use in other glass fusing projects. Although only capable of straight cuts they are quite useful in a number of glass fusing operations.
If you intend to make pattern bars, pot melts, combed glass or other thick fused glass items then a tile saw is ideal for straight cutting or slicing of kiln fused glass which can only be saw cut.
There are some saws that are very expensive but are not really suitable for home use. Before purchasing a saw you need to think about what glass sizes you wish to cut as you will need to match the saw to your cutting thickness.
These saws can cut sizes that ring saws and smaller band saws have great difficulty with. An eight-inch blade will give you a lot of flexibility in your glass cutting.
The normal tile saw blade needs to be replaced with a blade designed to cut glass. Standard tile saw blades will chip and crack the glass.
There are a number of lapidary stores and diamond
saw blade suppliers on the Internet stocking suitable diamond coated glass blades.
Like other glass saws the glass tile saw blade is water cooled with the blade running through a water reservoir.
These saws are very useful in cutting out blank shapes, which can then be finished on a glass grinder.
Use a waterproof pen to mark out the shape prior to cutting and then trim your glass blank to size on the saw and grind to the final shape.
Always cut out side the line to ensure that the shape is maintained. By turning the shape the blank can be cut on an angle, making final grinding easier.
Great for making pendant shapes and glass cabochons.
Mark Stay and white Deco Color pens are good permanent markers.
When using a tile saw, slow down as you near the end of the cut as the glass may break away, keep just a little hand pressure on the outside of the cut to try and prevent this happening.
Always wear safety glasses when using this or any other saw. Ear plugs or other ear protection is also recommended.
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