Rock Blades – How to Be An Indispensable Tool

FACTS CHECKED BY  NICOLE PAV 

There are plenty of reasons why you need a rock blade for your circular saw. Despite what some may think, circular saws provide a great way to cut through rock, such as those used for countertops, flooring, and even bathroom tiles.

The difference between these circular saw rock blades and having the cuts made professionally is serious money. For example, cutting specialized cuts that fit into corners could be expensive if you cut tiles. A circular saw with diamond-tipped blades is the key to getting the cuts you need on stone material.

Table of Contents


Image of a rock blade and stone is an excellent introduction

Section 1: Things You Should Consider Before Buying Rock Blades

There are several things for you to consider before you buy rock blades. The first is there must be a need for severe stone cutting. Look around the area – your demand is apparent if you install stone fixtures.

Rock blades are essential if you are a contractor because you will be cutting through many stones on job sites. It would be best if you trusted your circular saw blades by knowing the right ones to purchase.

Unlike cutting wood, there are some significant differences between rock blades for circular saws and blades for timber — one of the most significant differences is how the leaves look.

Rock blades do not have the same sharp, jagged teeth as the ones for wood do. Instead, the modules come in three different styles – segmented, turbo, and continuous rim blades.

Knowing the difference between the various modules will help you make the right choices when you select your rock blades.

Another critical consideration is dust. Rock blades produce a lot of dust, which could be a safety hazard.

The first thing to note is that when you are cutting with rock blades and not doing a wet cut, you will produce a lot of dust.

This dust can cause respiratory issues and cause problems with the circular saw itself. It is imperative to wear a mask while you are cutting stones with a circular saw.

Wet cutting is advantageous because it keeps the blade cool while shutting off the dust instead of having the earth get out into the air and cause problems.

Typical rock blades found at a hardware store

Section 2: What do You Know About Rock Blades?

Stone finishes are some of the best for people who like a touch of elegance in the home or office. Whether it is marble, granite, or some other stone finish, specialized rock blades are how you cut the stone to get the right fit. There are lots of things to consider, including the type of blade along with the cutting environment.

The best rock blades have edges tipped by diamonds. It allows the blade to cut through the stone more easily and with a cleaner, smoother cut.

As stated earlier, there are three different types of blades. These blades are segmented, continuous rim, and turbo blades. Another thing that is important to know is circular saw rock blades do not have teeth – instead, they have segments or edges. It is how the cutting happens.

Worker cutting using a rock blade

The first blade is segmented.

These blades have a gap between each segment, and the goal here is to reduce the amount of heat, debris, and slurry. They are suitable for wet and dry applications, used in stone, and used in various buildings such as marble and granite, asphalt, concrete blocks, etc.

The width of the cutting process section is interrelated. For example, the road would require a more significant gap between parts than granite. The good thing about these blades is you will get a pretty smooth cut, and there will not be much in the way of chipping.

The next type of blade is the continuous-rim blade.

The continuous rim blade is ideal for materials with a higher propensity for chipping. These documents include porcelain, tile, granite, glass, or stone. These blades have softer bonds and are better at cutting these materials.

The biggest thing to be aware of immediately with continuous rim blades is that they are used mostly for wet cutting. These blades are usually found in grinders along with circular saws. They deliver some excellent precision cuts.

Finally, we come to turbo blades.

Turbo blades are designed to be used mostly in grinders and other types of handheld tools. It is because their cuts are made to be much more specialized than are found with several of the different kinds of blades.

These blades work on all the materials mentioned above and have similar wet and dry cutting results. One thing about turbo blades is that they are designed to have a faster speed.

While the rate will increase, the smoothness of the cut will not decrease as a result of this increased speed.

When looking for different types of rock blades, the key is understanding what kinds of cuts you will make. One of the most important things about the cuts is the size.

For example, if you are cutting a slab for a counter, having a segmented blade would work well because the wound does not need to be super-smooth. Instead, a rough cut would work well because different parts of the slab will be attached with caulk, thus eliminating the unsettling nature of the jagged edges.

Another thing to consider is the wet versus the dry cut. If you can do the wet cutting, this is much preferred to dry cutting. When dry cutting, make sure to get rock blades that have larger gullets. This is because the more significant the throat, the more heat, and slurry dissipate.

Section 3:Do you Understand the Advantages of Rock Blades?

Rock blades’ most significant advantage is that they make cutting stone material extremely easy. Instead of having to get specialists to do the work, all you need to do is plug in your power tool.

Use the blades to get the right cut for all the different rock pieces. Thanks to rock blades, assembling the different cut slabs are effortless to create the ideal kitchen counter or bathroom tile mosaic.

Rock blades are quite efficient. The design of the rock blades is intended to dissipate heat from the module, thus ensuring a cut that does not chip the way a hot knife would. The gorges also do a great job of removing slurry in wet cutting.

Examples of using rock blades in this field

Section 4: Social Comments on Rock Blades

“This is the blade I’ve been waiting for!” – @floorsub via Twitter
“Patio finished. Cut edge pieces with my grandfather’s old circular saw outfitted with a masonry blade. Fun to remember him while working.” – @brzuniga


In place of rock built using blade

Section 5: Are There Any Alternatives to Rock Blades?

  • As with anything, there is more than one way to get a job done. Here are some alternatives to rock blades:
  •  Reciprocating saw: It is easy to assemble and plug in the module. You can make the cuts you want with the same level of precision that you would with the circular saw or grinder.
  • Gurinder Blade: The mill is generally smaller than a circular saw. That means you can do cuts that are a lot more precise and create some impressive designs. It includes mosaics with tiles and other sorts of great ideas.
  •  Chisel: This is admittedly an old-school way of doing things, but if you are looking for a real rustic look, this is a great tool. There will be a lot of chipping and cracking, but you can make some incredible cuts when you learn how to use the chisel effectively.

Tips:

Never allow the rock blades to overheat.

It will cause lots of problems with a circular saw, and your safety will also be jeopardized.

Take your time, and you will get significant smooth cuts.

Make sure that you have the right type of blade for the project.

Big projects are great for segmented blades, while smaller projects are ideal for turbo or continuous rim blades.

Having the right edge saves you time because you will make the right cut on the first try. 

Edger and polisher are alternatives

Summary:

There are a lot of great benefits to using rock blades on the job site. The first of these advantages comes from not having to send out cuts to people who specialize in doing something you can do on your own.

Rock blades are helpful because they are designed to get through rock easily – as a typical saw blade gets through wood.

Finally, most folks working in construction or at home like how circular saw rock blades add versatility to what they can do on their own.

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