How to Select the Right Diamond Blade
For contractors, the right diamond cutting blade is as important as selecting a saw. If you choose the blade that matches well with your job and the saw, you will be able to cut these precious gems fast and effectively. For example, if you invest in a premium quality tuck point Diamond Blades, it will help you immensely when you are tuckpointing and cleaning mortar joints. Before picking the right one for your application, it’s helpful to discover how they are built. Given below is a guide that will help you to choose the right one for yourself.
How Are Diamond Cutting Blades Made?
Blades have a metal core that links to the saw and holds the diamond crystals properly at the outer edge. The diamond crystals, grown to particular sizes and shapes, grind through the concrete. The edges of a blade can be either serrated or continuous. Those with jagged edges have slots in the core that enable the free flow of air and water.
When a diamond blade gets manufactured, heat and pressure embed the synthetic diamonds in a metal matrix that keeps the crystals in place. This metal matrix is soldered to the core’s perimeter. As the blade rotates, the metal matrix slowly wears, and the new diamond layers that are embedded get exposed. The harder the matrix is, the longer the diamonds will bond to the blade.
How to Achieve Maximum Cutting Efficiency?
The best way to increase your blade’s life and enhance its cutting prowess is to utilise a blade compatible with the material you want to cut. The blade’s performance and wear and tear depend on the concrete’s size and hardness, strength, amount of steel, sand type, and whether it is cured or green. The ideal time to cut is when the concrete is green. At this time, it is softer and so facilitates ease of cutting.
Suppose you cut into a hard and dense concrete with a PSI of more than 6000 into concrete containing hard aggregates. In that case, you will only cause a more significant fracturing of the diamond particles. Thus, the kind of aggregate in the concrete mix is essential to consider when choosing a diamond cutting blade.
Wet and Dry Blades
You can use blades for dry or wet cutting applications. You can also find vacuum brazed Diamond Blades that are perfect for general type cutting of a majority of materials like metal, timber, brick, copper, among others. They are good for wet and dry applications.
Dry cutting blades are typically used with water or without it. They operate well in higher temperatures. However, a wet cutting blade should never be used dry. They are developed in a manner in which they need a continual spray of water to work. Wet cutting is an effective method you can implement. You should blade for dry cutting only when your job requires it. During cold weather, wet cutting becomes impractical. But it becomes necessary if you are using a concrete-cutting chain saw.
Match Your Blade to the Saw
You can cut quickly and boost the blade life by utilising lower-performance blades on saws with less horsepower and those that have high-performance on high horsepower saws.
Another critical factor is blade shaft speed. For many saws, blade shaft speed should be greater than the suggested operating speeds. In usual sawing circumstances, the shaft speed should be slow and can range within the ideal speed range.
Finding an appropriate diamond cutting blade is essential for an efficient cutting process. Consider the above crucial factors when you are choosing a blade to enhance your work efficiency.
