A TIP About Tile Saws: Unattended Cutting & Extending Pump Life

This is an Instructable about an absurdly simple way to set your tile saw up to cut unattended, after initial set up and starting the cut, and to, significantly, extend the life of your water pump, which is critical to cooling your expensive diamond blades.

This Ible is so simple I'm almost embarrassed to try to pass it as one. Not quite, but almost, so I'll go with it and call it a TIP-IBLE.

Standing in front of a tile saw and pushing, for example, 12" x 12" tiles through the blade over and over can be physically and mentally wearisome. However, a quick, simple addition to the saw can, dramatically, reduce the time you spend in front of it.

Then there is the matter of the cooling water pump life: Normally, the water tossed off the blade is re-used by resting the pump in the reservoir, under the cutting sled. This saves a lot of water, but runs a lot of very abrasive grit through the pump, wearing on bearings or bushings and impeller blades that move the water.

There is so much fine grit in the used, recycled water being pumped through the pump, dumping it on a sidewalk will leave a powder coating when the water evaporates. Too, keep in mind, rock (garnet) is used in high pressure systems to cut rock, metal and other materials. So all that grit is not going to do your pump any favors.

Supplies

To make your tile saw [semi] automatic for unattended cutting all you need is, a three pound coffee can, or a one gallon paint can, some rope or paracord, and a few rocks.

All you need to extend the life of your water pump is, a five (5) gallon bucket (reasonably clean).

Step 1: Setting Up Your Saw for Unattended Cutting

The bucket, or can [hereinafter can] will be used to apply pull pressure to the tile saw sled, when you are away from it. It's a bit like the weights of a clock that drive the clockwork, but a whole bunch more simple.

The can will hang off the back of the saw, via the cord or rope [hereinafter cord], after the cord is secured to the back of the sliding table, on which the tile or granite rests during cutting.

You will have to drill or otherwise punch a hole in the can, near its top and large enough for the rope or paracord to go through, so you can secure the rope to it.

A simple drill motor and bit may be ideal for punching a hole in the can. If you have a screw driver you hate, that can work too (you'll need to put a block of wood down to support the can wall, during the hole punch operation). If you used a plastic 3lb coffee can, a knife may work. Just use due caution.

With the sliding table all the way to the back, as it would be at the end of a cut, secure the rope to the cutting sled.

Next, with the can on the ground, sun the cord through the hole you made in the can and secure it. As you secure it, lift the can an inch or so off the ground, so it will stop just above the ground. To be clear, the rope should be long enough to allow full travel of the sliding table. Accordingly, if your saw sits too low to the ground, you may need to raise it, to allow this modification.

Once the can is secured to the back of the sliding table and the can, with the rope long enough to allow the table to slide all the way forward and go all the way back, without landing on the ground, you are ready to "calibrate" your auto-cut system. To do that, simply fill the can with rocks. I use ones ABOUT the size of my fist.

When the bucket is full, it pulls the table toward the back of the saw. Water in the can will add a few pounds too. If you feel the can is too heavy, remove a rock or two. If not, go for it.

You don't want the tile to ever slam against your blade, so start your cut as you normally would, keeping in mind you will be dealing with the extra weight of the loaded can hanging off the back of the sled.

Once the cut starts, you'll get the usual very loud racket that comes with cutting tile and countertop granites and such, and you can walk away, until the cut is completed.

When the noise of the cut diminishes, the cut has completed. The sliding table has moved all the way to the back of the saw.

Reload and go for the next run.

SIDE NOTE: I find the rock filled can, even when filled with water and rocks, pulls less hard than I would normally push. As long as you are getting a good cut rate (speed), you are good to go: Less pressure on the blade means less heat, so less wear and tear than were you pushing it by hand.

Step 2: Extending the Cooling Water Pump Life

By filling a five gallon bucket with water, dropping the cooling water pump into the clean water of the bucket, and leaving just enough water trickling into the bucket to replace water the pump is pulling from the bucket and throwing on the blade, you can avoid running filthy, gritty water through the pump, thus avoiding shortening its life unnecessarily.

My pump is about 20 years old. I attribute much or all of its long life to that I only run clean water through it.

Yes, a long run may cost me a buck, maybe two for water, but it beats grinding the veins and bushings of the pump with granite and similar grit, which, eventually, would damage the pump. Keep in mind, you are doing what would have cost you hundreds, or even thousands, so what's a couple bucks for water?

SIDE NOTE: Keep in mind, the polishing process uses as much or more water than the blade cooling pump does, using fresh water.