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The basic rule of thumb:

A diamond blade that is used for cutting hard material should have segments with tough diamonds and a soft metal bond matrix; otherwise, the diamond particles will wear even with the bond surface, and the blade will glaze over.  Likewise, a diamond blade that is used for cutting soft material should have a hard metal bond matrix, so that the diamond particles will not be lost before their cutting lives are used up.  In general, one should choose a blade with a soft metal bond matrix for hard material and a blade with a hard metal bond matrix for soft material.

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* Hardness and abrasiveness often vary widely within the same category of material.  The final decision on choosing the correct metal bond matrix should be made only after a thorough understanding of the material being cut.

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* We wish to express our acknowledgment and appreciation to the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association for providing the above table.

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* The cutting depth will vary with the exact blade diameter, the exact diameter of the blade flanges, and the type or brand of the blade.  It will also be reduced if saw components (motor housing, blade guard, etc.) extend below the blade flanges.  The cutting depths listed in the chart are only approximations.

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* For concrete and masonry products, the optimum speed range for recommended RPM is +/- 10% (based on 9,500 SFPM-Surface Feet Per Minute) of the speed shown in the chart.
* For hard and dense materials (stone, hard tile, etc.), the optimum speed range for recommended RPM is 10% to 25% less than the speed shown in the chart.
* The blade shaft speeds (RPM's at no load) for most tools will be higher than the recommended RPM's listed in the chart.  The actual blade shaft speed of the tool will slow down under load, and should fall within the optimum speed range.
* The operator should always make sure that the blade shaft speed of the tool is within the maximum safe limit of the blade before mounting any blade.

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 Short Cutting Life
 Blade Won't Cut
 Diamonds Pop Out
 Blade Wobbles
 Loss of Segments
 Core Warpage
 Uneven Segment Wear
 Cracked Segments
 Uneven Cutting
 Extreme Noise
 Sparkling
 Arbor Out-of-Round
 

Problem	Cause	Remedy
Short Cutting Life	Using a wet cutting blade for dry cutting.	Use a dry blade instead.
	Insufficient supply of water to the blade.	Make sure water hoses are clean and free from any blockages.  Supply sufficient water flow to both sides of the blade.
	Using a blade with the wrong specifications.	Use a blade with the proper blade specifications as recommended by the manufacturer.
	Worn blade arbor and/or misaligned machine spindle.	Replace blade and/or repair machine.
Blade Won't Cut	The bond matrix is too hard for the material being cut.	Use a blade with a softer bond matrix.
	The material being cut is too hard for the blade.	Dress or sharpen the blade by cutting some soft abrasive material to expose diamonds.  If continued dressing is required, this indicates that the bond matrix is too hard and a blade with a softer bond matrix should be used.
	Insufficient power to permit the blade to cut properly.	Use correct voltage and adequate horse-power.
Diamonds Pop Out	Excessive porosity in bond matrix.	Use a different bond matrix.
	Insufficient supply of water to the blade.	Make sure water hoses are clean and free from any blockages.  Supply sufficient water flow to both sides of the blade.
	The blade vibrates during cutting.	Attach the blade to flange firmly and make sure machine condition is properly controlled.
	The bond matrix is too soft to hold diamonds.	Choose a harder bond matrix.
	Using a wrong arbor hole.	Check proper size of bore.
	Excessive work time.	Reduce and control work time.
	The material being cut or the machine is not held firmly.	Maintain a firm grip on the material and secure the machine firmly.
Blade Wobbles	The blade is mounted on a damaged or worn machine.	Repair or replace the machine.
	The blade is not tensioned properly.	Have the manufacturer correct the tension on the blade.
	The blade is run at an improper operating speed (RPM).	Make sure the blade is operating at the manufacturer's suggested RPM.
Loss of Segments	The material being cut or the machine is not held firmly, which then causes the blade to twist or jam during cutting.	Maintain a firm grip on the material and secure the machine firmly.
	The blade is not cutting in a straight line.	Align the machine properly to avoid twisting the blade in the cut.
	Insufficient supply of water to the blade.	Make sure water hoses are clean and free from any blockages.  Supply sufficient water flow to both sides of the blade.
	Defective flange causes the blade to flutter in the cut.	Replace the flange.
	The bone matrix is too hard for the material being cut.	Use a blade with a softer bond matrix.
Core Warpage	The steel core has been overheated.	Supply sufficient water and make sure water pump is producing sufficient water.
	The blade is spinning on spindle.	Check spindle and arbor hole for damage.
	The steel core is rubbing excessively against the material being cut.	Maintain a firm grip on the material and secure the machine firmly.
	The blade is run at an improper operating speed (RPM).	Make sure the blade is operating at the manufacturer's suggested RPM.
Uneven Segment Wear	Insufficient supply of water to the blade.	Make sure water hoses are clean and free from any blockages.  Supply sufficient water flow to both sides of the blade.
	Defective machine which causes the blade to wear out of round.	Replace bad bearings or worn machine spindle, or realign misaligned spindle.  Replace the machine if necessary.
	The saw head misaligned.	Check saw head alignment for squareness, both vertically and horizontally.
Cracked Segments	The blade is too hard for the material being cut.	Use a blade with a softer bond matrix.
Uneven Cutting	The steel core is not flat.	Have the manufacturer redo straightening and tensioning.
	The material being cut or the machine is not held firmly	Maintain a firm grip on the material and secure the machine firmly.
Extreme Noise	Insufficient supply of water to the blade.	Make sure water hoses are clean and free from any blockages.  Supply sufficient water flow to both sides of the blade.
	The material being cut or the machine is not held firmly.	Maintain a firm grip on the material and secure the machine firmly.
	Bad spindle bearings.	Check bearings and replace them if needed.
	The steel core is rubbing excessively against the material being cut.	Maintain a firm grip on the material and secure the machine firmly.
	Improper RPM and/or traverse speed, causing excessive work load on one side of the segments.	Use manufacturer's recommended RPM and traverse speed.
Sparkling	Insufficient supply of water to the blade.	Make sure water hoses are clean and free from any blockages.  Supply sufficient water flow to both sides of the blade.
	The cutting speed is too fast.	Reduce the cutting speed.
	The blade is too hard for the material being cut.	Use a blade with a softer bond matrix.
Arbor Out-of-Round	The flange is not properly tightened, causing the blade to either rotate or vibrate on the spindle.	Wrench-tighten spindle nut to make certain the blade is adequately secured to prevent it from rotation or vibration.
	Worn, bent or dirty flange which disallow proper blade mounting.	Clean or replace the flange.

*  The possible causes to the problems mentioned here are not limited to those listed above.  The actual cause to any cutting problem should be determined by an experienced diamond blade specialist.

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