Address: 12 Grantham D- Deerfield Beach, Florida | E-mail: Diamondblades@masterblade.net

English | Español
Diamond Tool Glossary - Tool Terms

Abrasives – Hard materials used to grind, drill, cut or polish your work materials.

Aggregates – Materials that are added to the concrete to add extra resistance. It is important to know what type of aggregate you will be cutting to select the right cutting tool.

Angle Grinder – Also referred to as a side grinder, it is a handheld tool used for cutting, grinding or polishing. There are several different types which can operate from an electric motor, petrol engine or compressed air.

Arbor – The hole in the center of a diamond blade or grinding cup wheel which is attached to the shaft of the saw.

Blade Diameter – The overall size of a diamond blade which typically ranges from 4" to 26". Some diamond blades used in quarries for cutting large blocks of stone can be as large as 60" in diameter.

Blade Width – The thickness of a diamond blade which helps reduce wobble and determines the strength of the diamond blade. Not to be confused with kerf.

Bond – The composition of metallic powders and diamond crystals which form the segments. The bond refers to the "wear rate" of the segments which is designed for cutting different materials depending on their abrasive properties and hardness.

Concave Blade – A cup shaped diamond blade used for cutting curves. They are typically used for shaping stone or curve cutting in counter tops for installing sinks, etc.

Continuous Rim – A non-segmented diamond rim typically used for chip-free cutting of precious or fragile materials.

Core – The steel part of a diamond tool onto which the segments are welded.

Core Bit – A hollow barrel with a crown of diamond segments on the tip used for drilling holes or extraction of materials for analysis.

Core Drill – A special drill exclusively used with core bits in the construction or mining industry.

Cost per Foot – The cost per foot being cut at a specified depth to determine your overall cost per cut.

Crack Chaser Blade
– A diamond blade with V-shaped segments used for repairing superficial cracks in concrete by making easy-to-seal cuts.

Cut-off Saw – A high-speed handheld saw for cutting concrete, brick, block and stone. Usually gas-powered and can be typically be used with dry or wet cutting applications.

Cutting Application – The material which needs to be cut. Most common cutting materials are Cured Concrete, Asphalt over Concrete, Green Concrete, Brick, Block, Stone, Reinforced Concrete, Tile, Ceramics, Porcelain, Glass, Marble, Granite, Limestone, Travertine, Rebar, Pavers and other Masonry.

Cutting Depth – The depth at which your cuts will need to be made. An example would be a 14" diamond blade with a cutting depth capacity of 4" – 5" deep.

Diamond Blade – A saw blade with diamond segments welded onto the core for cutting extremely hard or abrasive materials.

Diamond Concentration – The concentration of diamonds in the segments.

Diamond Glazing – Smoothing of the diamonds typically caused by using a diamond blade that has a bond which is too hard for the material being cut. This can be fixed by cutting a more abrasive material and you should select a diamond blade with a softer bond when this occurs.

Diamonds – Changes based on the properties of the cutting materials. For hard materials like stone, smaller diamond crystals are used so they don't fracture or get pulled out of the bond prematurely. When cutting soft abrasive materials, larger diamonds are used to help break down the material quickly.

Diamond Segments – A combination of metallic powders and diamond crystals which provide the "cutting edge" used for diamond tools.

Diamond Tools – Any tool which uses diamonds as an abrasive cutting material.

Drive Pin – The pin next to the shaft which is typically found on walk behind saws or floor saws.

Drop Segments – Deep segments used to prevent undercutting of the steel core. Diamond blades designed for cutting abrasive materials such as asphalt or green concrete will usually have drop segments or diamond inserts to prolong the life of the blade by avoided segment loss due to undercutting.

Dry Cutting – Cutting without water. Usually dry cutting is done when water cannot be used due to the material or equipment. For example you cannot use water with an electric angle grinder.

Flanges – Also referred to as a Collar. They are the supports which hold the blade firmly on the saw's shaft to avoid slipping and ensure fast cutting.

Grinding Cup Wheel – A cup shaped wheel with diamond segments on the tip. Used for aggressive grinding, removal and polishing of concrete or stone.

Gullets – The space in between the diamond segments which helps remove the slurry and dissipate some of the heat caused by high friction during the cut. Hard materials will require diamond blades with narrow gullets while soft abrasives will perform better with wider gullets.

Kerf – The width of the cut. This is determined by the segment width. Sometimes a thin kerf is required for faster cutting (lower life however) or when precious materials are involved. A thick kerf blade will provide longer life and more stability in the cut.

Laser Welded – The strongest type of welding used for cutting extremely hard or abrasive materials. Recommended for cutting Reinforced Concrete, Hard Stone, Asphalt and similar hard or abrasive materials.

Laser Welding Pad – The small welding pad below the segments which allows the laser welding of the segments to the core. The welding pad does not contain diamond crystals so it is important to discard the blade once the welding pad is reached.

Lateral Tolerance – Diamond blades have slightly wider segments than the steel core to allow a small lateral tolerance which helps avoid the blade getting stuck or pinched in the cut.

Polishing Pads – Diamond resin pads with different grit sizes for polishing stone.

RPM – Rotations Per Minute.

Segmented – Tools with gullets or spacing between each diamond segment.

Segment Height – The height of the diamond segments is basically the life of the diamond blade. The taller the segments, the longer the diamond blade will cut.

Segment Width – The width of the diamond segments determines the kerf or the cut that is left behind. For fragile or precious cutting materials, a thin kerf is usually required.

Shaft – The shaft of the saw is where you attach the diamond tool. The arbor hole must match the size of the saw's shaft.

Silver Brazed – A type of welding where silver is used and is typical of larger blades which can allow for re-tipping.

Sintered – An inexpensive type of welding which relies on extreme heat and pressure to attach the segments to the steel core. Any continuous rim or full turbo tools are sintered as they do not allow laser welding due to lack of segments.

Slurry – The material left behind from the cut. It is usually mixed with water which turns it into a highly abrasive sludge. Wide gullets can help remove the slurry quickly and help prolong the duration of the diamond blade.

Tuck Pointer – A thick diamond blade used for removing old cement/mortar from brick walls for restoration.

Turbo – A serrated type of segment which is typically used for fast cutting. Due to the lesser surface area of diamond segment, the life is generally shorter than segmented tools.

Turbo Segmented – Serrated segments with gullets or spacing that allows it to be laser welded. Provides fast cutting in hard materials.

Undercutting – A condition where an abrasive material wears down the steel core just below the segment supports which can cause segment loss. Drop segments can prevent this by distributing the slurry away from the segment supports.

Walk Behind Saw – A floor saw used for cutting concrete roads, asphalt, green concrete and other similar materials.

If you found this information useful, feel free to link to this page.

Diamond Tool Glossary - Tool Terms



HOME | DIAMOND   BLADES | CORE BITS | GRINDING   CUPS | INFORMATION | CONTACT   US
Copyright © 2012 Masterblade USA | All Rights Reserved