Choosing the RIGHT Diamond Saw Blade - Gear Up With Gregg's

Hey there, my name is JD and I'm part of our sales team at Gregg Distributors.

Welcome back to another episode of Gear up with Gregg's.

Today, we're going to talk about Norton Diamond saw blades, and why they're some of the best concrete and asphalt cutter on the market.

Diamond blades aren't made for cutting diamonds, they're made with diamonds.

These blades are made from high-quality steel,

and as the name would suggest there are actual diamonds embedded in the blade.

They're not the same diamonds found in engagement rings.

These shiny gems are all synthetic.

This allows for control over key characteristics,

such as crystal shape, size and strength.

Before we get into how these blades work,

let's look at a simple breakdown.

A diamond blade is composed of 3 major parts:

The core, the segment, and the gullets.

The core is the central metal disc that the segments of the blade are attached to.

The stronger the attachment to this core, the stronger the blade.

The segment is a diamond bonded piece of metal that is welded or brazed on to a blades core,

and is the main component in cutting or grinding materials.

Gullets are the slots in the blade core that provide faster cooling

They do this by allowing water or air to flow between the segments.

These also allow the blade to flex under cutting pressure.

Even though diamond blades are referred to as cutting tools, they're actually grinding tools.

As the saw blade rotates, the diamonds that are bonded to the edge of the blade are exposed, grinding through the material.

Eventually, the exposed diamonds will fracture due to the heat and pressure, and will fall off the blade.

But that's okay!

Because these diamonds are embedded throughout the segment of the blade, new diamonds will be exposed as the blade is used.

This 4X4 Max Cut blade even has segment wear indicators to let you know how much life is left in your blade.

The diamonds in each segment are bonded to the blade through a variety of methods,

but the most common is sintering.

Sintering is the process of compressing powdered metal into a mould with so much force that it takes on the desired shape.

Then the metal pieces are heated, sometimes for days,

until the metal has bonded together.

For diamond blades, synthetic diamonds are scattered throughout the metal powder in order to create a diamond infused bond.

This bond varies between different

levels of softness and hardness for each blade.

That's because as the blade is used the bond is

designed to wear down and expose more and more of the diamonds.

This way, the blade stays sharp and cuts better, for longer.

The speed at which a bond wears down is just as important as choosing the blade itself.

Often, the bond hardness is the opposite of the material to be cut.

For instance, a very hard, less abrasive material,

needs to be cut with a soft bond.

This allows for a specific rate of wear to match the material being cut.

If porcelain was cut with a hard bond, new diamonds would not be exposed,

and the blade wouldn't be doing its job.

On the other hand, soft and abrasive materials like asphalt or concrete

need to be cut with a hard blade to maintain the lifespan of the blade.

Remember: opposites attract.

Here at Gregg's, we carry multiple styles of Norton blades.

But with so many blades to choose from, how do you know which one you'll need?

Comparing your material to the bond strength can help to figure out whether or not the blade will work for your job,

but that's not the only thing that affects your cut.

One of the major factors to consider is the application of the blade,

or the kind of cutting that you're using it for.

A segmented rim like the max cut blade provides a fast and rough cut

They're mainly used for concrete, brick masonry, and asphalt.

Segmented blades can be used for dry or wet applications, since the gullets,

or segments on the edge of the blade allow for air flow and cooling of the blade core.

The size and shape of the gullets vary from blade to blade,

and will largely depend on they type of material you're cutting.

For instance, this multipurpose blade has anti-crack gullets to allow for enhanced safety

while cutting steel and metal up to 5mm thick.

These key-hole shaped gullets result in less chipping of the material and reduced vibration levels

which significantly decreases the risk of the blade core cracking under even the harshest conditions.

On the other hand, the duo asphalt blade has scoop-shaped gullets for faster removal of fine materials

and increased cutting speed.

This blade is mainly used for cutting asphalt, concrete and other abrasive materials.

As a general rule, the more abrasive the material, the wider the gullets should be

to allow for better heat dissipation.

The segment on this blade is also pretty unique:

It's laser-welded to the core, which makes it stronger and longer lasting than the competition.

All three of these blades, the max cut, multipurpose, and duo asphalt

are hard bond blades, so they do better at cutting softer materials.

For a softer bond, you're going to want to look for something like this.

Turbo blades like the aero-jet blade are excellent for cutting ceramic and stone tiles,

granite, marble, and other very hard and dense materials.

These blades are designed to cut fast in both wet and dry applications.

With the solid serrated cutting edge, they stay in constant contact with the material they are cutting,

producing a smoother cut than segmented blades.

They have a long life, and the combination of the serrated edge and ventilated steel core

provide better cooling during use.

The final type of diamond blade, the continuous rim blade, cuts the slowest of the bunch.

But also provides the best, smoothest cut.

Another soft bond blade, they're typically used for cutting marble, granite, porcelain tile, and ceramic tile.

Continuous rim blades are most commonly referred to as a wet cut blade.

This is because continuous rim blades, like this Norton classic blade,

lack the gullets and holes the other blades use to dissipate heat.

If there's nothing to lessen the heat,

the blade won't last very long.

That's why continuous rim blades are mostly used with water.

But what's the real difference between a wet and a dry cut?

Wet cutting as the name implies uses water to assist the blade

in cutting through thick tiles, reinforced concrete, metal, bricks, and other masonries.

Wet blades are less prone to over-heating and blade wearing,

so they're often used for long, continuous projects.

This method of cutting with water also reduces the respiratory risks

and other health hazards caused by dust particles

since the water also turns a lot of the dust particles from the cut into a slurry.

Dry cutting on the other hand is ideal for indoor use or in work areas where the presence

of a water source is uncertain.

In contrast with wet cutting, dry cutting is intended for

intermittent and small scale cutting.

The main reason for this is that the blade needs ample air flow by allowing it to gradually

spin to a stop between cuts.

This reduces the risk of either the tool or the blade overheating.

These blades are ideal for shaping, detailing and finishing though deep cuts

can also be achieved with the proper precautionary measures.

And if none of these blades sound like they're up for the task, don't worry.

We also have crack-chasing blades, rescue blades, and blades made to fit several different styles

of saws and grinders.

The three things you need to remember when choosing a diamond blade are:

the material you're cutting,

the type of rim you need,

and whether you'll be cutting wet or dry.

That's it!

But if you have any questions,

you can give us a call or drop us a comment down below.

And hey, if you liked this video give it a thumbs up or subscribe for more great content.

You can also visit our website at greggdistributors.ca

From all of us here at Gregg's I'd like to thank you for watching another episode of Gear up with Gregg's,

and have a great Canadian day.