Diamond Blade Tips

• Open up the diamonds on a new blade with shallow cuts in soft, abrasive material (eg. limestone). This will stop the blade chattering or skipping on the first job.
  
• For normal cutting, multiple shallow cuts (step cuts) are better than one single deep cuts. 
• Do not force the blade.  Forcing or twisting the blade can cause bluntness, excessive wear, overheating, distortion and segment damage.
•  Do not side grind.
• If your slurry colour changes to brown or red, you are most probably cutting the dirt or sub base. This will wear your diamond blade quicker, so raise your blade.
• If you're going to change directions on a floor saw, make sure your machine is off and the blade is up out of the cut before changing direction.
• If your blade does not have a direction indication on it, you should be able to see a "comet tail" behind exposed diamonds if the blade was "broken in" at the factory. This indicated the direction - the tail should be behind the comet. If you put a blade on in the direction opposite to the directional arrow you may experience a little slower cutting or a little vibration at first until the diamond is exposed on the opposite side.  This should not harm the blade as long as you maintain the same direction but may reduce the life fractionally if it is continually reversed.
• A smaller blade on your machine will decrease the cutting depth, but increase the power and speed of cutting. For example, many customers use 12"/300mm blades on a cut off saw that could use a 14"/350mm blade.
• If you are using the blade dry (not recommended due to dust and safety issues), be aware that it will shorten the blade's life, and you will need to air cool the blade regularly -  take the blade out of the cut to allow the air to prevent the blade from overheating.

Diamond Blade Troubleshooting

Glazing - As a diamond blade is used, the bond wears, exposing more diamond that continue cutting. If the bond does not wear back, then eventually there is no diamond exposed, so the blade will slow down and stop cutting. The cutting edge of the blade will feel smooth. This is known as glazing or polishing
Possible causes are:

• The bond is too hard for the material it is cutting - select the correct blade.
• Too much water is being used (sometimes unavoidable if the tile cracks easily with heat)
• The machine is not powerful enough for the specification (usually experienced more with professional blades and saws)
• The blade has been mounted with the rotation arrow the wrong way.
  Rectify by re dressing the blade by cutting an #80 grit dressing stone ( we sell them here ). As an alternative, use an abrasive material like limestone to remove some bond and expose diamonds so cutting can continue.
  

Short Blade Life - Generally caused by using a bond which is too soft for the material being cut. Select the correct blade for the application.
It usually occurs when cutting more abrasive materials such as asphalt, green concrete or sandstone (which requires a UDT black  blade).
Wet cutting will also extend the life of a blade compared to dry cutting.
Blade life can also be shortened by:
Cutting concrete with a concrete blade that looks cured but is not
Cutting into the sub base excessively
Insufficient water reaching cutting area
Too much force applied (don't force the machine, let the blade do the cutting)
The skill of the operator
Operating RPM too low. Run blade at correct speed for blade diameter

Problem	Probable Causes	Solutions
Blade cuts slowly	Too much coolant	Reduce coolant
	Bond too hard for material	Use a softer bond blade
	Blade has glazed up	Dress with abrasive material until diamond becomes exposed again
	Machine under powered	Upgrade machine or cut shallow step cuts
Blade Discolouration/ Burning	Insufficient coolant	Check sufficient coolant reaching cutting zone.
Diamond Blade Will Not Cut	Diamond blade bond is too hard for material being cut	Select proper specification for material being cut
	Blade not mounted in correct direction	Check directional arrow on blade
	Failure to break in new blade on specific material being cut	Allow blade to open up on the material to be cut when first placing it on the saw.
	Speed too High	Reduce speed. If that's not possible, cut in several passes.
	Insufficient power	Check and tighten belts and make sure adequate horsepower is available
	Diamond blade had become glazed as a result of being used on hard material	Dress with abrasive material until diamond becomes exposed again
	Blade glazed from too much coolant	De glaze blade and reduce coolant
Diamond Blade Worn Out of Round	Shaft Bearings are worn	Replace bearings as required
	Engine is not properly tuned on concrete saws, causing surges in blade rotation	Tune engine according to manufacturers manual
	Blade mounting arbor (hole) is worn or is the wrong size	Replace the worn arbor bushing (or blade if no bush) or arbor shaft.
	Bond is too hard for material, casing pounding	Use proper diamond blade specification
Uneven Segment Wear	Insufficient water in wet cutting	Ensure water distribution to both sides of diamond blade
	Saw is misaligned	Check saw head alignment and shaft alignment
Diamond Blade Arbor Hole Out of Round	Blade flange is not properly tightened	Make certain that the blade is adequately secured
	Blade flange is worn or dirty, not allowing proper blade clamping	Clean blade flanges, making sure they are not worn
	Diamond blade is not properly mounted	Make certain the blade is mounted on the correct shaft diameter before tightening shaft nut.
		Ensure the pin bole slides over the drive pin
Undercutting the Steel Core	Caused by abrasive debris in the cut wearing away steel core. Will eventually cause segment loss.	Use a blade with proper undercut protection
		Provide adequate water to the steel core, especially for deep cuts
		Avoid cutting into sub base
Diamond Segment cracks or breaks off	Diamond blade is too hard for material being cut	Replace diamond blade with softer bond
	Material jamming into blade	Ensure material is held securely (table saws) or do not force hand held saws into cut
	Excessive cutting pressure, or twisting /jamming  of the blade.	Use a steady, even pressure without twisting the blade in the cut.
	Overheating	Ensure adequate water supply on both sides of blade
	Blade "chatters" in cut as a result of loss of blank tension	See Loss of Tension section.
	Excessive force to start sawing	Replace blade and use saw without any strong force - allow the machine to do the work.
	Blade is undercut	See separate entry
Diamond Blade Wobbles	Diamond blade runs at improper speed	Check engine/motor speed
	Diamond blade arbor hole size does not match shaft size	Check diamond blade arbor hole to make sure they are clean, flat and or correct diameter
	Diamond blade is bent as a result of dropping or twisting	Change to new diamond blade
Diamond Segment Loss	Overheating due to lack of water or continuous dry cutting	Ensure adequate water on both sides of blade.
		For dry cutting, allow the blade to run freely every few minutes
	Steel core is worn from undercutting	Replace blade and use sufficient water to flush out the cut
	Diamond blade is cutting out of round, causing a pounding motion	Replace blade and worn bearing, realign blade shaft or replace worn blade mounting arbor
	Twisting of blade while in the cut	Replace blade and securely hold saw, or ensure job is held firmly
Cracks in Steel Core	Diamond blade flutters in cut as a result of  blade losing tension	Replace blade and tighten the blade shaft nut
		Replace blade and ensure it is running at correct speed and that drive pin is functioning properly
	Diamond blade specification is too hard for material being cut	Replace with correct diamond blade with softer bond to eliminate stresses
	Forcing or twisting the diamond blade in the cut	Replace blade and allow diamond blade to cut freely without force, keeping blade straight
Loss of Tension	Steel core had been overheating as a result of diamond blade spinning on arbor	Tighten the blade shaft nut.
		Make certain the drive pin is functioning (on concrete saws)
	Diamond blade being used at incorrect RPM	Make certain blade shaft is running at the proper RPM
	Material being cuts moves, twisting blade in cut	Secure material being cut
	Blade flanges too small, allowing blade to flex	Use correct flanges of equal size
	Incorrect mounting on shaft means flanges bend blade when tightened	Make sure blade is securely on arbor shoulder until outside flange and nut are firmly tightened
	Blade overheated	Ensure adequate water
		If overheating caused by blade spinning, ensure blade tightening nut is tight
	Diamond blade is excessively hard for the material being cut	Use softer bonded diamond blade to reduce operating stress
Short blade life See above for more details	Blade bond is too soft for material being cut	Replace diamond blade with blade with harder bond
	Inadequate water supply	Ensure sufficient water to both sides of blade

Factors Effecting Diamond Blade Performance

Factors	Variance	Cutting Speed	Life of Blade
Material Hardness	Harder	Slower	Longer
	Softer	Faster	Shorter
Abrasiveness	More	Faster	Shorter
	Less	Slower	Longer
Aggregate Size	Larger	Slower	Shorter
	Smaller	Faster	Longer
Steel Reinforcement	Less	Faster	Longer
	More	Slower	Shorter
Horsepower	Lower	Slower	Longer
	Higher	Faster	Shorter
Blade RPM	Lower	Faster	Shorter
	Higher	Slower	Longer
Water Flow	Lower	Faster	Shorter
	Higher	Slower	Longer
Cutting Depth	Shallow	Faster	Longer
	Deep	Slower	Shorter
Diamond Quality	Lower	Slower	Shorter
	Higher	Faster	Longer
Diamond Grit Size	Coarser	Faster	Longer
	Finer	Slower	Shorter
Diamond Concentration	Lower	Faster	Shorter
	Higher	Slower	Longer
Segment Height	Thinner	Faster	Shorter
	Thicker	Slower	Longer
Bond Hardness	Harder	Slower	Longer
	Softer	Faster	Shorter

Disclaimer: the information on this website is provided in good faith and believed to be reliable and accurate at this time. However, the information is provided on the basis that the reader will be solely responsible for assessing the information and its veracity and usefulness. UDT shall in no way be liable, in negligence or howsoever, for any loss sustained or incurred by anyone relying on the information, even if such information is or turns out to be wrong, incomplete, out-of-date or misleading.

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