Diamond Blades
HERMEQ supplies diamond blades for cutting hard and abrasive building materials on site and in the yard. A diamond blade is a steel disc with synthetic diamond set into its rim, and it grinds through material that would quickly blunt a toothed or abrasive blade. Diamond cutting blades are used on concrete, asphalt, stone, brick, block, ceramics and porcelain, and the right blade depends on the material, the rim type and the machine it runs on. Every blade can be bought online for next day delivery.
Diamond blades for concrete, stone, brick and tile
The bond, the metal that holds the diamond in the rim, decides which material a blade cuts well. Cured concrete, granite, engineering brick and porcelain are hard and dense, and they blunt the diamond faster than they wear the bond, so they need a softer bond that wears away to expose fresh diamond. Asphalt, concrete block, green concrete and sandstone are abrasive and wear the bond like grit, so they need a harder bond that holds its segments longer. That is why one general purpose blade, with a medium bond for brick, block, paving, concrete and stone, can cut quickly on one job, then slow down or wear out fast on the next. Where one material makes up most of the work, such as kerbs and slabs for a paving gang, a blade matched to it cuts faster and lasts longer.
Segmented, turbo and continuous rim blades
The shape of the rim sets the balance between cutting speed and the finish left on the edge, so the choice follows how visible the cut will be.
Segmented blades
A segmented blade has its rim split into separate diamond segments by slots, called gullets, that clear debris and let air cool the blade. It is the fastest and roughest cutter, used on concrete, brick, block, stone and asphalt where the edge will be hidden or finished later.
Turbo blades
A turbo blade has a continuous rim with a serrated or wave pattern, which cuts faster than a plain continuous rim and leaves a cleaner edge than a segmented blade. It is a common choice on angle grinders for paving, roof tiles, stone and harder tile.
Continuous rim blades
A continuous rim blade has an unbroken diamond edge and is the slowest of the three, but it leaves a chip-free cut. It is the blade for porcelain, ceramic tile and marble, with dry rated versions made for angle grinders.
Wet or dry diamond cutting
Wet cutting suits long cuts, deep cuts and floor sawing. Water cools the blade, flushes slurry out of the cut and damps the dust down where it is made, so the bond does not overheat and the blade lasts longer. Dry cutting suits an angle grinder or petrol cut-off saw making quick cuts in slabs, kerbs or block, with the blade lifted out of the cut every so often to cool. Concrete, stone and brick give off silica dust when cut, so dry cutting is paired with on-tool extraction or a water suppression kit on the saw. A blade rated for wet cutting only must not be run dry, because it overheats and can lose segments.
Diamond blades for angle grinders, cut-off saws, floor saws and table saws
Angle grinders
Small angle grinders take the smaller blades for trimming slabs, chasing and cutting tile, and large grinders take bigger blades for deeper cuts in block and paving.
Petrol cut-off saws
Petrol cut-off saws, also called disc cutters, take larger segmented or general purpose disc cutter blades for kerbs, slabs, pipe and concrete, run dry or with a water feed.
Floor saws
Walk-behind floor saws take the largest blades, run wet, for cutting joints, trenches and openings in concrete slabs and asphalt.
Table saws and tile saws
Masonry table saws and tile saws are built to run a diamond blade with water for repeat cuts, the larger segmented or general purpose blades on masonry saws and continuous rim blades on tile saws. A diamond blade is not for a woodworking table saw, whose speed and guarding are designed for toothed timber blades.
Before buying, check that the blade diameter fits under the machine's guard, that the bore matches the spindle or flange, that the blade's maximum speed is at or above the machine's no-load speed, and that its wet or dry rating matches how the machine is run. For holes in place of cuts, see our diamond core drill bits, and the full cutting and drilling range under saws, drills and blades.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a diamond blade made of?
A diamond blade has a steel core with a rim of segments, or a continuous band, made from synthetic diamond grit mixed into a metal powder and bonded to the core. It does not slice the material: the exposed diamond crystals grind it away, and the metal bond wears back as they do, bringing fresh crystals to the surface.
Can a diamond blade cut metal or reinforced concrete?
Blades made for reinforced concrete cut through the occasional rebar inside a slab, and the blade's description says when it is rated for this. Solid steel, pipe and sheet metal need a blade made for metal or an abrasive metal cutting disc, because steel clogs and overheats a standard masonry blade.
Why has my diamond blade stopped cutting?
A blade that skids, sparks heavily or slows right down on hard material has usually glazed: the bond has stopped wearing, the diamond has worn flat and no fresh crystals are exposed. Dress it by making a few shallow passes through an abrasive material such as a dressing block, a concrete block or sandstone, which wears back the bond and opens up the diamond again.
Which way round does a diamond blade go?
Fit the blade so that the arrow on its face points the same way as the machine's rotation, which is usually marked on the guard. Many segmented and turbo blades are built to cut in one direction, and fitting them backwards wears the segments unevenly and shortens the blade's life.
How long does a diamond blade last?
Blade life depends on the material, how well the bond matches it and how the blade is run, and it is measured in metres of cut. Forcing the feed and cutting dry without letting the blade cool both wear it out faster. A blade is finished when the segments or rim have worn down to the steel core.