How to Start a Diamond Hole Saw Without It Wandering All Over Your Tile
One of the hardest parts of using any hole saw is getting it started. Set a diamond hole saw straight down on porcelain tile and pull the trigger, and there's a good chance it skates across the surface before it bites. On a scrap piece that's annoying. On a customer's finished floor it's a scratch or chip that you'll be explaining for a while.
Here's how to start a diamond hole saw so it goes in clean and lands exactly on your mark. It takes three simple habits: mark the hole, start at an angle, and orbit the tool as you cut. None of them needs special gear, just your Bad Dog diamond hole saw, an angle grinder and a Sharpie.
Why Diamond Hole Saws Wander on Porcelain Tile
Porcelain is hard and slick. If you start a hole saw straight up and down, the whole rim hits that glassy surface at the same moment, and nothing gives the edge a place to catch. So the saw wanders.
That's how you end up with a hole that's off your mark, a chipped glaze, or a scratch running away from where you meant to cut. The harder the material, the worse it gets, and porcelain tile is about as unforgiving as it comes.
How to Start a Diamond Hole Saw at an Angle
The fix is to stop fighting for a flat start. Start the saw at an angle and walk it into the tile.
When you tip the saw, only a small part of the diamond edge touches the tile. That small contact patch digs in and makes a groove. Once the groove is there, the saw has something to ride in, and you can slowly rock the tool back to perpendicular without it skating.
The trick is controlling where that first groove goes, and that's what marking the hole is for.
Step-by-Step: Drilling a Clean Hole in Porcelain Tile
- Pick the right size. Choose the hole saw from your set that matches the hole you need.
- Trace the hole. Set that saw on the tile exactly where the hole belongs and trace around it with a Sharpie. Now you have a target circle the same size as the cut.
- Start at an angle on the line. Tip the grinder and put the saw's edge on any part of the circle you drew. Let the diamond edge make a small groove right on the line.
- Rock up to perpendicular. Slowly bring the tool upright. As you rock it up, keep the edge on the line you need to hold, so the saw settles into your traced circle and not next to it.
- Orbit as you cut. Once you're cutting straight down, move the tool in small circles instead of holding it rigid (more on that below).
- Finish the cut. Keep the orbit going until you're through, and you've got a clean hole exactly where you marked it.
Why Orbiting the Tool Cuts Faster and Cleaner
Once the saw is upright, don't lock your wrists. Move the tool around in small circles as you cut. This does two things:
- More of the diamond edge does the cutting. Orbiting puts more of the cutting edge in contact with the tile.
- The dust gets out of the cut. Orbiting opens a path for ground-up material to clear the hole, so you're not re-cutting dust you've already made.
The result is a cut that moves along and a cleaner hole, which matters most on hard porcelain.
Built for the Job, Built to Last
Bad Dog Tools has made cutting tools in Bristol, Rhode Island since 1988. We're family-owned, now in our third generation, and we've made over 6 million bits. Every one comes with our lifetime guarantee.
Cut Clean Holes Where You Want Them
The Bad Dog 9-Piece Diamond Hole Saw Set gives you the size you need for tile, stone and other hard materials, and a lifetime guarantee backs every one.
Shop the 9-Piece Diamond Hole Saw SetQuestions? Call 800-252-1330
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my hole saw wander on tile?
Starting flat puts the whole rim on a hard, slick surface at once, and nothing lets the edge catch. Start at an angle so a small part of the edge cuts a groove first, then rock the tool up to perpendicular.
Can I use a Bad Dog diamond hole saw in a drill?
No. Bad Dog diamond hole saws are made for angle grinders and thread on with a 5/8"-11 connection. There's no drill arbor for them.
How do I mark exactly where a hole goes on tile?
Set the hole saw you'll cut with on the tile where the hole belongs and trace around it with a Sharpie. Start the cut at an angle on that line and hold it as you rock the tool upright.
What does orbiting a hole saw do?
Moving the tool in small circles while you cut puts more of the diamond edge to work and lets dust clear the hole. You spend less time re-cutting ground material, and you get a cleaner hole.
Written by Joseph Strong on 16th Sep 2026 I’m JJ Strong, a mechanical engineer and third-generation tool designer at Bad Dog Tools, our American-made, family-run company built on durability and innovation. I grew up hauling booths and talking tools at trade shows before I could even drive. Now I design and build and improve our next generation of lifetime-guaranteed tools - our custom induction brazing system to our precision sharpening technology. On weekends, you’ll find me restoring my ’86 Land Rover Defender or ’54 Jaguar XK120 and seeing just how much I can build (or break) with Bad Dog Tools.