Diamond is the hardest substance on earth. It’s useful in many applications beyond expensive jewelry. Diamond’s chemical properties make it useful as an industrial abrasive and cutting tool, which is why diamond is often bonded onto many saw blades. Diamond jigsaw blades, circular saw blades, and hole saws are just a small sample of the diamond blades that construction workers and industrial tradesmen use every day. When used to cut materials, diamond is best for non-metallic, abrasive materials such as; concrete, stone, ceramics, and other difficult to grind materials. It’s not, however, as useful to cut steel and metals like its cousin CBN. Whether sawing concrete, cutting holes in ceramics, or making precision cuts in fiberglass, a quality diamond blade is mandatory. The benefits of using diamond blades are vast, and they have distinct advantages over conventional abrasive wheels and other cutting blades used to make precision cuts.

How They Work

A circular diamond blade consists of three basic parts: the diamond particles, the bond and the core. The bond holds the diamond in place on the steel core to create the blade. Both synthetic diamond and natural diamond are used. The correct grit size of the diamond is determined by the application. Typically coarse grits are used for fiberglass and concrete applications and finer grits are used in finishing applications on glass and ceramics. A harder bond reduces erosion of the bond and holds the diamond in place longer when cutting softer, highly abrasive materials like asphalt or green concrete. A softer bond breaks down quicker and is best for cutting harder materials such as granite or cured concrete.

Diamond blades don’t cut the same way as conventional abrasive or toothed cutting blades do. They don’t cut the material, instead they act more like a grinding wheel. Diamond blades don’t rip and tear material; the material is ground down by the diamond instead. This cutting method creates a cleaner, more precise cut and typically, depending on the grit size used, won’t leave jagged edges. That precision and tight tolerance is the reason the aeronautical, electronic, and automobile industries use diamond blades. It helps them achieve tight tolerances to limit material loss and keep costs down.

Replating and Reuse

Longevity and durability set diamond blades apart from the rest. Initially, a diamond blade is more expensive, but that extra money goes toward the extended life of the blade. The bond is the key to this long life. The bond hardness is the opposite of the hardness of the material. By adjusting the hardness of the bond to fit the material, you can keep diamond on the blade longer. Eventually, all the diamond will wear off. When that happens, send the blade back to us; we will re-plate it for less than the cost of a new blade. Replating your blades will save you time and money!