Diamond Tools

Diamond Tool Information – Diamond Blades – Core Bits – Grinding Cups

Diamond saw blades are generally used for cutting concrete, asphalt, brick, block, stone, tile, ceramics, porcelain and other similar materials. Saw blades are usually used by contractors or home owners for DIY (do it yourself) projects, home improvements, repairs, building construction and restoration.

There is a large variety of saw blades designed for different cutting materials. When choosing your diamond blade it is extremely important that you know the material well. Selecting the wrong saw blade for your cutting application will result in poor performance, premature wear and possible damage to the blade, saw or operator.

Diamond blades are designed for different cutting materials depending on the abrasive properties and how hard the materials are that need to be cut. For soft abrasives such as asphalt, you will need a specific asphalt saw blade. These asphalt diamond blades typically have wider U-shaped gullets (spaces between segments) to help remove the slurry (abrasive leftover materials from the cut) faster to prevent premature wear beneath the segments. The premature wear under the segments is known as “Under Cutting” and it can lead to possible segment loss of the diamond blade.

To prevent undercutting, asphalt blades typically have a drop segments (multiple taller segments to distribute the slurry away from the segment supports) or small carbide or diamond inserts between some of the gullets. Another reason it is important to choose the right blade for cutting asphalt is the diamond blade’s bond.

Diamond blades for cutting concrete are quite the opposite of asphalt blades. They have narrow key slot shaped segments for smoother cutting of hard materials. Since cured concrete is a hard material, the diamond blade will need a soft bond for a faster wear rate. If the bond is too hard for the material you’re trying to cut, the diamonds will glaze over and become smooth. Smoothing of the diamonds will cause the diamond blade to stop cutting effectively or completely and more importantly it can cause damage to you, your equipment or the blade itself.

A few ways you can avoid this is by checking the blade from time to time, making sure the segments still feel rough to the touch. This assures that sharp diamonds are exposed on the cutting surface and everything is working fine. If the segments feel smooth then you should use a softer bond for your cutting material which means that the segments should wear down faster allowing new diamonds to be exposed quicker and allow the worn diamonds to fall out.

If you make short cuts in a softer abrasive material it will “sharpen” the blade by wearing down the segments quickly. It’s recommendable however that you acquire a different blade instead of trying to reuse the current one as the same situation will occur.
Diamond blades are commonly use on gas powered high speed cutoff saws, handheld electric angle grinders, walk behind floor saws, table mounted saws and rail saws to name a few.

Some diamond blades have very specific uses such as concave diamond blades for cutting curves or tuck pointers for removing old mortar for brick wall repairs.
Other similar diamond tools are core drill bits and grinding cup wheels for concrete.

A core bit is a long tube with diamond segments on the tip used for drilling concrete, stone or other masonry materials. Make sure to choose the right dry or wet cutting core bit for your cutting equipment.

Grinding cup wheels are cup shaped wheels with diamond segments for grinding or polishing concrete and stone. There are various types of segment designs depending on the desired finish.

For fast aggressive removal of concrete you should use a turbo segment or double row grinding cup. For a smoother finish you should use a full turbo grinding cup with the largest segment surface area possible.

Always remember to wear proper safety equipment to protect yourself and make sure you have a well ventilated work space to avoid breathing harmful air born dust caused by the cutting materials. Be sure to maintain your cutting equipment and check it periodically to ensure fast cutting and proper distribution of water flow.