Q. Can I use a diamond blade for side grinding as well as cutting?

A.  Only if you are using a blade with a solid steel core. A regular welded segment diamond blade is not designed to take the force of side grinding so it will break; however, Desert Diamond Industries has designed the safety blade with a solid steel core for this purpose.  Side grinding on ductile, cast, steel, concrete etc. is no problem.

Q. What Arbor sizes are on different saws?

A. Hand Held saws: Husqvarna/Partner – 1in arbor, Stihl- 20mm arbor, Makita 1in or 20mm Arbor.  Walk behind concrete cutting saws: Husqvarna/MECO/Target – 1in.  Table saws: Makita - 1in, DeWalt -1in.

Q. What is the difference between abrasive blades and diamond blades?

A. Abrasive blades are commonly made of Silicon Carbide and/or Aluminum Oxide along with other materials bonded with resin and mesh to form a disc. This disc wears away quickly which is very dangerous and hazardous.  A diamond blade is made of steel and diamond. The cutting edge of the blade is called a matrix, made of diamond and different metals for cutting masonry, concrete asphalt, etc.  This blade will outlast anywhere from 100 to 1000 abrasive blades, emits very little sparks, and has no cancer causing Silicon Carbide Fibers.

Q. Should I use an abrasive blade for cutting asphalt or concrete because they are cheaper?

A. No. You should never use an abrasive blade for cutting any material whether it’s concrete, asphalt, masonry, stone, metal, iron, etc. Abrasive blades are one of if not the most dangerous blade to use for cutting anything. Not only can they kick back from reactive forces like a diamond blade but they explode very easy, emit a cloud of cancer causing Silicon Carbide dust, and emit a 10-25 foot shower of sparks.

Q. How do I tell when a Vacuum Brazed disc is worn out?

A. First, check to see if the cutting edge has diamond on it.  If the edge that does the cutting is smooth with no abrasiveness the disc needs to be replaced.  Contact 1-800-654-5890 for a replacement.

Q. Is it true that your safety blade has no segment welded to it?

A. Yes. The Safety Blade is the first and only blade on the market that does not have a segment welded to the steel core. This will help eliminate segment loss completely.

Q. Is it true that there is a Lifetime Operator Error Warranty?  What does it cover?

A. Yes. Desert Diamond Industries provides the 1st and only Lifetime Operator Error Warranty in the industry. It covers any accident that may occur in the field.  (i.e.: dropping the saw, getting it pinched in the material and having to pry it out, etc.)

Q. How can I tell if the blades I own have welded diamond segments?

A. Look at the cutting edge closely.  You will notice a gap between the steel core and the actual cutting edge.  This gap is the actual weld and generally where a blade will break.

Q. What do I do if my blade breaks, chips, warps, or wobbles?

A. Call your blade supplier and they will replace it for free.  If they don’t, you probably shouldn’t purchase from them again.  

Q. What is the difference between plated, brazed, and sintered diamond blades?

A. Plated and brazed tools are almost the same and utilize the same process for applying diamonds to the outside of a metal surface using a bonding agent (usually nickel). Sintering is an inexpensive low quality manufacturing process. Sintered blades have impregnated segments that are attached to the steel core by heating a powdered chemical to its melting point, which adheres the two objects together. Impregnated diamond blades are blades that have a matrix made of diamond and metal. As you cut, the metal will wear away to expose new diamonds (i.e.: concrete core bits and concrete diamond saw blades).

Diamond Blades

Q. Is there a diamond blade that will cut everything and do it safely?

A. Yes. To cut all materials safely there is DDIs’ Safety Blade  (http://desertdiamondindustries.com/vaccum.php).  It is designed with a one-piece steel construction so it will never break during operation, unlike abrasive, carbide and segmented diamond blades.  It is designed to cut braces, flat stock, hardened lock shackles, hardened padlock bodies, hockey puck locks, security gates, re-bar, chain link fence, stucco, concrete, block, brick, stone, asphalt, wood, drywall, car doors, ductile Iron, cast iron ,schedule 40 & 80 steel pipe, PVC, HDPE, C-900 plastic pipes,  2x4s, plywood,  etc.

Q. Is it better to use an abrasive blade or a diamond blade?

A. Always use a diamond blade whenever possible.  Desert Diamond Industries diamond blades will outlast minimum 100 abrasive blades, will not explode during operation, produce less sparks, and lower costs.

Q. Do I need to use water with all Diamond Blades?

A. No. Not all diamond tools require water feed.  If a blade is specified to run wet you must feed water to it or you can destroy the blade and the saw. On the other hand, if a blade is specified dry then you can run it wet, this will decrease dust, heat, and increase speed and life.

Q. How safe is a diamond saw blade?

A. Based on OSHA statistics an employee is 6.3 times more likely to be killed and 13 times more likely to be seriously injured requiring hospitalization by an abrasive blade shattering than a diamond blade.  Nonetheless, care must be taken anytime you operate a piece of equipment as serious injury or death may occur.

Q. My saw blade is not cutting, is it defective?

A. First, check to make sure the blade isn’t worn out, if so, replace it. Second, if the blade is still good but not cutting it means it’s glazed over.  Run the blade through an abrasive material (i.e. asphalt, masonry block, sandstone or dressing stick); this will expose the diamonds underneath. If the blade glazes over again during use, the bond of the blade is too hard for the material being cut. Simply dress the blade again by passing the blade through the abrasive material to expose more diamonds.

Q. Where can I find a dressing stick?

A. Dressing sticks can be found at construction equipment stores that sell diamond saw blades, otherwise you make a few cuts in an abrasive material such as asphalt or cinder block.

Q. What is the bond of a Diamond Blade?

A. The bond is the combination of metals used to make up a diamond impregnated segment.

Q. Can you change the bond of the diamond segment to make it cut faster or last longer?

A. Yes.  The speed and the life of the blade depend on having the correct bond for the material being cut. If you are cutting an abrasive material such as asphalt, block or sandstone, the bond will be made of harder metals.  For more dense materials like concrete, stone and brick the bond will be made with softer metals.

Q. Does it matter which way the blade spins?

A. Yes.  Always mount your saw blade so it spins in the direction of the directional arrows engraved in the saw blade

Q. If I run my saw blade backwards on accident will it ruin my blade?

A. Not necessarily, as long as the blade hasn’t been cracked, chipped or warped it should still be good

Q. The directional arrows on my used saw blade are worn off, how can I tell which way to mount it?

A. The easiest way to do this is to slowly run your finger back and forth on the cutting segment; which ever direction feels the roughest is the direction the blade needs to be spinning.

Q. What is the arbor size of my 14’’ handheld gas saw?

A. It depends on if you own a Stihl saw or another name brand.  Stihl saws require blades with a 20mm arbor hole.  All other hand held saws on the market require blades with 1’’ arbor holes. 

Q. Why is the hole in the center of my blade too small for my handheld saw?

A. It might be because the blade you have has been made with a true 20mm arbor hole.  Check the saw blade and make sure there isn’t a bushing in the center of the blade reducing it to 20mm.  If there is no bushing contact your blade supplier and exchange it with a blade with a 1’’ arbor hole.

Q. Why is my root cutter blade rubbing the blade guard on my Stihl saw?

A. If you are using a carbide root cutting blade on a Stihl saw the blade will rub because the carbide teeth make the blade larger than 14’’.  Contact your supplier for a refund or if you are using a 14’’ blade, exchange the blade for a 12’’ and it should run without rubbing.

Safety

Q. Should I use a guard with my diamond blade?

A. Yes, always. It’s extremely important to ensure you guard the diamond blade correctly at all times. A guard will help keep you safe from small debris and dust however if a diamond blade breaks, the pieces can and will go through the guard and cause an injury or fatality. Click 

Diamond Blade Fatality  Abrasive Blade accident_detail  

Q. Can I wear safety glasses rather than goggles for protection while using an angle grinder?

A. No. Safety glasses are only suitable for protecting a percentage of the eye and do not cover against particulates getting in from the top, bottom or sides. Goggles offer the highest protection because they have the advantage of full eye protection and an elastic band holding them to the head.

Q. What causes most eye injuries?

A. Statistics reported to the Bureau of Labor show that almost 70% of accidents resulted from flying or falling objects or sparks striking the eye and that 40% of the injured workers were wearing some form of eye protection when the accident occurred.

Q. I have always used a dust mask for respiratory protection when cutting & grinding. There appears to be a whole range of different standards of masks. Am I alright to continue with a dust mask?.

A. No. Simple dust masks offer no protection whatsoever other than keeping large particles of dirt out of the mouth. Always select a mask that is certified to EN 149, and select the relevant standard (FFP 1(S), FFP 2(S), or FFP 3(S)) of mask. These three masks offer different levels of protection, effectively the higher the number the smaller the size of particle the mask will allow to pass through, hence the higher the protection. A formula for determining the level of protection required from any particular material can be found in a safety booklet from the Health & safety Executive (EH40).

Q. Is there any legislation that requires me to wear gloves when using a power tool?.

A. No, it simply makes sense to do so. There are no safety standards with regard to general rigger gloves, but in the case of an accident at least they may afford some protection, however minimal.

Q. When should I wear ear defenders or ear plugs?.

A. Anyone exposed to noise greater than 85dBA should wear some form of ear protection.

COREBITS

DDI- Customer Svc Policies, Procedures