Bridge Saws vs Bench Saws: Choosing the Right Saw for Cutting Porcelain & Stone

Bridge Saws vs Bench Saws: Choosing the Right Saw for Cutting Porcelain & Stone

Bridge saws have become an everyday tool for most landscapers and paving contractors in recent years, as they are ideally suited for cutting most slabs, especially porcelain, where a steady ‘hand’ is required to make accurate cuts without chipping along the finished cut line.

Bridge saws derive their name from the ‘bridge’ or rail/gantry that controls and supports the circular cutting blade that slides back and forth along the stabilised rails. This allow for precision cutting, as the blade is very securely fitted to the bridge, sliding cleanly and firmly along the chosen dimension line.

Dust is suppressed and almost eliminated by use of a wet, water filled tray, which also acts to cool the working blade. The water is held in a reservoir under the bench and automatically pumped up as required during cutting operations. It is very important, not only from the point of safety, to set the bench on firm level ground, and also to ensure the depth of water in the reservoir is maintained. Some saws will have an inbuilt spirit level for this purpose.

Ensure the water is changed on a regular basis, and the cutting disc cleaned at the end of the working day as the sediment accrued by the cutting operations can congeal and set hard if allowed to become dry, forming a thick paste. Never allow the reservoir to dry out, as the machine may become damaged, or the water pump burn out. Many bridge saw manufacturers offer larger flanges to ‘sandwich’ the cutting blade into position to ensure even more accurate cutting by preventing the blade from vibrating. Bridge saws have the capacity/ability to change the angle of the cut, from zero to 45 degrees by altering the angle of the cutting blade.

BENCH MASONRY SAWS are similar in many ways to the bridge saws, including a water reservoir and ability to angle the blade, but do not have the sliding bridge securing the blade, and are rather like ‘chop saws’ as used in carpentry, where the blade is raised and lowered by the operator. These are particularly useful for small element projects, such as block paving, where accurate precision cuts are required for detailed work.

Most – if not all Bridge and Bench saws are electrically operated, and all safety measures must be adhered to for reasons of Health & Safety. Personal protective equipment will certainly include safety glasses or goggles and ear defenders.

With thanks to Tilers Tools for the images.