Buying Better Equipment

How To Keep Diamond Saw Blades Sharp And Strong

9 May 2016 by Jared Perez

If you have a difficult construction job to complete that involves the cutting of stone or brick materials, then you may need to invest in the use of a diamond saw blade (from an outlet such as Web Granite Supplies). These blades are ideal when you need a strong abrasive blade to grind down, scratch, or knock out dense and hard materials. Since diamond is a very strong material, you may think that you can use diamond blades without worrying about wear and tear. This is simply not the case. Diamonds will wear down over time. To prevent damage during your construction project, follow the tips below.  

Use Water

Most tools that utilize diamond blades also use water. This is true of wet stone cutters and wet tile saws. You can also purchase electric wet power saws that allow for a wide range of cutting tasks. If you decide to use one of these tools, then make sure that water is used at all times when the diamond blade is in use. The water helps to reduce heat. Heat is a byproduct of the cutting or grinding process that forms due to friction. 

Diamonds are a great conductor of heat. While the diamonds may contain strong bonds between the carbon atoms that make up the material, a diamond will become destroyed if it is subjected to too much heat. In fact, a diamond will basically burn and disappear under the right heat conditions. This means that the diamonds attached to your blades may slowly burn away if you do not use water to control heat. The result will be a leftover steel blade that is unable to make clean cuts.

To make sure that diamond blades stay cool, make sure that the water reservoir attached to your cutting tool is always kept full. Also, inspect the ends of the water sprayers often to make sure they are not clogged.

Sharpen Blades

The diamonds attached to your saw blades will become dull over time. When you cut into a stone or a brick with a dull blade, the cutting edge will appear jagged. Instead of slicing through the stone, the blade will crush it and cause the material to break away.

If you want to make sure that cuts are always clean and sharp, make sure to sharpen your diamond blades often. If you start to feel some added resistance from the stone or brick as you use the blade, then it is time to sharpen it. You can sharpen the blade by using a refinishing or sharpening stone. These stones remove the grit from around the diamonds and they also sharpen them at the same time. To use the stone, you will need to slowly cut or trim a thin layer off the top of the stone. Position the stone in your saw, turn the water on, and cut through the stone when you are ready. It typically only takes one pass through the stone to sharpen the diamonds.    

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