Page 196 - oxcatalog-2019

How to choose the blade

How to choose the right diamond blade

1. The Price
Which is the most important factor to you? The initial price of the blade or the price per cut? For smaller jobs, or occasional use, a
low priced blade of our Trade quality may be preferable. For larger jobs, or regular use, a higher priced blade will actually be less
expensive to use because it will deliver the lowest cost per cut. We recommend Professional quality or Ultimate quality. For really
big jobs, the lowest possible cost per foot is usually much more important than the initial price. You may choose Professional or
Ultimate quality. OX has a grading system to help you identify the different performance level of blades.

2. The type and horsepower of saw
What kind of saw or grinder is being used? What is the horsepower? What is the RPM? masonry saw, concrete saw, high speed
saw, small power hand saw, angle grinder, floor grinder? Blades should be matched with the saw and horsepower for best results
from blade and saw. Diamond blade manufacturers design products to be run at specific speeds. Blades that are to be used on
high speed cut-off saws have to be rated at higher RPMs. All OX handheld saw blades are rated at the appropriate, higher RPMs.

3. The material to be cut
Correctly identifying the material you’re going to cut is the most important factor in choosing a blade.
It directly affects the cutting speed and life of the blade. Most materials will fall into the following categories: hard, medium hard,
medium soft, soft. For example in masonry, hard would be granite or quarry tile. In concrete it would be cured concrete with hard
aggregate. Soft would be light weight block or asphalt. When cutting hard materials, choose a softer matrix. The softer bond
will release the diamond chips at the point of maximum utilisation without the danger of holding the diamond long enough to be
exposed to heat at the cutting point. If the overexposed diamond is not sloughed off in time, it will glaze over and stop cutting. The
glazed-over surface will stop the entire sloughing off process and the blade will stop cutting because there are no new diamond
chips being exposed at the cutting edge. The diamond blade will be useless even thought the segment has not been completely
utilized. When cutting soft materials, select a harder matrix that will hold the diamond chips longer so they can be more productive.
If you use a soft bond with soft concrete, the bonding matrix will release the diamond chips before they have reached maximum
utilisation and good diamond cutting chips will be lost prematurely. The blade will still cut adequately but productivity will be poor.
You have to consider the amount and size of steel reinforcing. Blades have low efficiency in cutting steel bar.

Most diamond blades cut a RANGE of materials for maximum performance of cutting and life. The material should be matched to
the blade as closely as possible. As a general rule, determine the material which will be cut most often, or the material for which
blade performance is most important.

4. Wet or dry cutting
Choosing wet or dry cutting may be a matter of user preference or job requirement. When using a electric hand tool such as a
angle grinder, it is not safe to use water because of the electrical power source. For concrete saws wet cutting is usually preferred
because you can cut deeper when using water as a coolant. For tile and masonry saws, either wet or dry cutting can be used. For
high speed hand held petrol saws, dry blades are more popular, but they are often used wet to control dust. Wet blades MUST be
used with water. Dry blades may be used either dry or wet as the job or equipment allows.

5. The importance of segment height
Total segment heights may be misleading because of non-diamond bearing segment bases necessary for the laser welding or
sintering process. But the higher segment last longer. If you want to save on the total cost for larger jobs you would choose longer
segment height. You can choose proper segment height according to the job size.

6. Variables affect performance
Many other factors affect the blade’s performance and consequent value. Consider the diamond size, concentration and quality,
the hardness of the bond, the cutting power of the saw, and how well the blade spec is matched to the material being cut.

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