5 Steps To Select The Right Diamond Blade

30 Sep.,2024

 

5 Steps To Select The Right Diamond Blade

Cut further, faster by selecting the right diamond blade for your cutting application. The best way to stay efficient on your job site is by minimizing downtime. If you have to stop and change your diamond blade every few cuts, you lose a lot of valuable time. Selecting the right diamond blade is crucial for several reasons, and it can significantly impact the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall success of the project. Taking the time to understand the specific requirements of your project and choosing the appropriate diamond blade can make a significant difference in overall project success.

For more information, please visit Leading Diamond Tools.


 

1. What Material Are You Cutting?

Diamond blades are made with different levels of bonded segments, ranging from soft to hard. To get the most out of your diamond blade, the segment and blade should be matched to the material it will cut. Being able to identify the type of material to be cut and the aggregate of the material can extend the life of your diamond blade drastically.


If you are cutting hard material like granite, stone, or brick, you want a softer-bonded blade like our Ol' Blue Blade. If you are cutting softer material like asphalt or concrete, you want a harder-bonded blade like our Boss Blade


2. What Equipment Are You Using?

Understand that the horsepower you are cutting with impacts the productivity and longevity of your diamond blade. The size of the blade should match the saw&#;s maximum horsepower. Cutting with a saw that runs too fast can cause the diamond blade to glaze over and get too hot. Cutting with a saw that runs too slow greatly affects the productivity and effectiveness of your diamond blade.


3. What is Your Depth of Cut?

Knowing how deep you need to cut before selecting your diamond blade allows for a more precise and accurate cut. The maximum cutting depth of a blade depends on the saw type and the saw&#;s components. Blade guards and motor housings can decrease the maximum depth of cut you can make with a blade. Check out our Diamond Blade Cutting Depths Gude for an overview of your maximum depth of cut based on saw type and blade diameter.


4. Are You Wet Cutting?

Knowing whether you need to use water with your diamond blade is important when selecting a blade. Any blades that are designed to cut wet MUST be used with water, while blades that are designed to cut dry can be used to cut both wet and dry.



Wet cutting is one of the most effective ways to cut concrete, masonry, stone, or even asphalt. Dust exposure is kept to a minimum and your diamond blade is less likely to overheat. The key is using the right amount of water. The slurry should almost have a chocolate milk consistency to it.

Phil White- Esch Construction Supply | Diamond Blade Expert

5. Can I Get More Longevity From This Blade?

A diamond blade's life depends on many different variables. One key factor of a diamond blade's life is the quality of the diamond blade. Diamond blades have different concentrations and quality of diamonds within the segments. A blade with a higher concentration and quality of diamonds will perform better and last longer.


Another factor is the blade specs. Make sure that your blade's segments are designed for the aggregate you are cutting. Cutting a hard material like old concrete will need a softer bonded segment on the blade than one used when cutting a more abrasive material like asphalt. A harder material requires more diamonds to be exposed in the segment. Soft bonded segments allow the diamonds to rise to the top to be exposed and grind away the material quickly. You could use a blade designed for hard material for asphalt, it will cut fast, but the diamond blade won't last long. 


The type of saw that is being used also makes a difference in the life of your blade. A saw with a higher RPM will wear a blade faster than a saw with a low RPM.


The saw operator plays a big role in the longevity of the blade. Applying too much pressure on the blade tends to wear the segments down faster than someone applying minimal pressure. 

For more segmented saw blade supplierinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

 

Final Tips For Diamond Blade Production

1) Use a wet blade only when wet cutting

2) Don't bury the blade, let the saw cut by itself.

3) Make sure the blade is installed correctly

How To Choose the Right Saw Blade For Your Project

When cutting stone, porcelain, or other hard materials, it is important to choose the right blade. Just because a blade looks sharp and can cut through stone doesn&#;t mean it&#;s going to make your project easier. You can learn how to choose the right saw blade for your project today using this guide from TSC. Once you have the best blade for the job, you can experience more focus than frustration when cutting the workpiece.

Factors for Choosing Diamond Blades

So, what type of saw are you using for the project? Many saws are available, including bridge saws, stand-up masonry saws, wet tile saws, high-speed hand-held saws, walk-behind saws, hand-held grinders, electric hand-saws, and more. Suffice it to say that your options are quite vast, hence why a diligent shopping effort is essential.

You always need a blade compatible with your specific saw because these tools come in many forms. For example, a bridge saw is a large table saw that you can control either manually or via computer. On the other hand, a hand-held grinder is a more compact device that uses small-diameter blades, which usually don&#;t measure more than 6&#;.

Additional Factors

Once you&#;ve decided on the machine, then these are the other factors that will come into play when choosing the correct diamond blade.

The next step toward finding the right saw blade is comparing it to the material you need to cut. For example, some saws specifically suit the task of cutting wood or metal, while others excel at slicing through stone. Bridge saw blades are specifically designed to be used on gantry saws that have large tables to hold stone slabs. At TSC, we carry a wide variety of bridge saw blades that complete clean cuts through materials, including man-made engineered stone, ultra-compact surfaces, granite, and more.

You also have to consider whether you&#;re cutting wet or dry. This detail is important because only some blades will work perfectly for both applications. If you don&#;t see wet or dry compatibility mentioned when looking at a saw blade for sale, don&#;t hesitate to reach out to the manufacturer for clarity. Finally, don&#;t forget to ask yourself an important question&#;what&#;s the rpm of the machine that the blade will be running on?

All of these factors must be carefully considered before choosing a blade. It may seem like a lot to consider, but these details should start feeling more natural as you match them to your workplace requirements. The blades are always manufactured for very specific applications. Even once you answer these questions, other needs require consideration.

Speed, Longevity, and Chipping

One of the needs you must consider is the speed of the cut you must achieve. The aforementioned hand-held grinder is the perfect tool for making quick cuts on your workpiece, so match it with a blade capable of slicing through the material at your preferred pace.

When figuring out how to choose the right saw blade for your project, you also have to explore the longevity of the blade. Do you want a blade with a long lifespan, or do you not plan to make it part of your regular toolkit? In addition, do you want to reduce chipping at the cut? There isn&#;t one straightforward answer in this situation, as a user&#;s needs vary widely depending on whether the saw operator is a professional or a homeowner handling a weekend project.

The Science of Diamond Blades

Diamond blades are more than an assortment of random metals and diamonds. The diamonds are man-made and can be of different sizes. The size of the diamonds on a blade is referred to as the mesh size. Diamonds also come in varying grades, which determine the overall quality of the diamond. Once the diamonds for the saw blade are finally chosen, they are mixed with powdered metals to create the diamond segment, or rim, on continuous rim blades. This complex mixture of metals and diamonds is called the bond.

This is important to understand when choosing saw blades because different mesh and bonds create different reactions when cutting materials. Although stone is a generally strong material, some are softer than others. You will need your blade&#;s bond to accommodate the material you&#;re cutting.

Very hard materials you can cut include granite, quartzite, and hard concrete. On the other hand, very soft materials in stonecutting include concrete blocks, marble, and limestone. You may assume that hard materials need a harder bond, but not quite. Harder materials require softer bonds for cutting, while softer materials usually need a harder bond and a higher diamond concentration. A critical detail to remember about softer bonds is that they wear faster than harder bonds, thus leading to a shorter lifespan.

The Two Main Types of Blades

When shopping for diamond blades, you will find two primary categories&#;segmented and continuous rim/turbo. In a segmented blade, the segments are always made separately from the core and then welded to the core.

This process uses higher heat and greater pressure. As a result, the segmented blades have better bonds and will last longer. However, while the bonds last longer, they will chip more when cutting the workpiece. You can use segmented blades for brick, concrete, granite, marble, or any projects where chipping is not a concern.

For a continuous rim/turbo blade design, the blades are put into molds that contain the core, and the powdered bond is carefully poured into the mold along the edge of the core.

Like segmented blades, the continuous rim blades are consistently baked at a high heat and high pressure. That said, the key difference here is that the heat and pressure used for continuous rim blades aren&#;t as high as they are for segmented designs. Due to this reduced heat and pressure, the integrity of the bond is not as strong on a continuous rim design.

The continuous rim blades do not last as long as segmented blades, but they have a smoother cut. You can use continuous rim/turbo blades for cutting porcelain, glass, most tile, ultra-compact surfaces, and fragile materials where chipping is unwanted.

Now that you know more about diamond saw blades, you can have an easier time re-stocking your toolkit. There is a lot to learn about these blades before shopping, but that quick education will only make your shopping and cutting experience more satisfying.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of diamond saw blade supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.