Diamond cutting discs specifically for steel.

[brightspark]

Hope someone tries them + how long they last in real use, still not convinced

not cutting metal they aint

 

[500e]

Try this 01772 796446 W.Moore & son official distributor

 

[Kent]

Not something I might entertain, 9" std discs are dangerous enough when they let go - no way am I going hard steel ones

 

[Pete.]

In terms of physical integrity the steel cored diamond discs are far far safer than any carborundum based disc. I have seen them subjected to every kind of abuse and yet to see one break. The larger sawblades I've seen with 3" long cracks raidally around the periphery yet they still seem to always hold together.

 

[Gwil]

In terms of physical integrity the steel cored diamond discs are far far safer than any carborundum based disc. I have seen them subjected to every kind of abuse and yet to see one break. The larger sawblades I've seen with 3" long cracks raidally around the periphery yet they still seem to always hold together.

Agreed, a resin based disc is always subject to possible structural failure, sometimes prompted by damage. It's analogous to a composite grp type structure- impossible to know what's inside it other than perhaps by x-ray or destructive testing.

 

[jenki]

I can't comment on diamond discs for steel; but I remember my first experience with diamond discs for stone and brick, I had some 50 year old concrete Marley roof tiles to trim to size I had bought some Screwfix resin discs and they failed completely imagine 1 disc per tile and that was it.

I bought some diamond discs at the builders merchant, cheap Faithful discs IIRC the first tile I approached with considerable trepidation imaging the grinder being thrown out of my hands and bouncing down the drive: nothing, it cut perfectly I think I used 2 discs for the whole job. I use diamond discs exclusively for stone and brick now. I will try a diamond disc for steel in the near future but as Kent said only in the 5inch grinder.

 

[ukracer]

Not something I might entertain, 9" std discs are dangerous enough when they let go - no way am I going hard steel ones

But steel discs for a 9 inch cutting stone are more available/popular than composite ones.

 

[brightspark]

if they were dangerous they wouldn't make them and fibre ones are ok if used properly with a guard on

 

[Bill Edwards]

Not something I might entertain, 9" std discs are dangerous enough when they let go - no way am I going hard steel ones

I think you've got it the wrong way round, abrasive discs (particularly slitting) are as weak as and don't take much to break. I can't see the steel ones being dangerous in this way.

 

[Johnseat]

I've never known a slitting disc fail unless down to abuse or being dropped on and then used.

If I ever drop an angle grinder, the disc is automatically removed and snapped in two before throwing in the bin.

The amount of times I've walked around the workshop at work and removed a damaged slitting disc on the 4.5" angle grinder due to being dropped is beyond thought.

 

[Bill Edwards]

It's not always the same person who picks up a grinder after a disk gets a knock.
Failures happen sometimes without being aware of a problem (or maybe it gets forgotten and carried on with regardless, or 'it'll be ok') but it's not hard to break disks by having the workpiece move and trap them, or drop/knock them while they're turning.

9" slitting disks are all I use for cutting metal with the big grinder as life's too short for regular (thick) cutting disks, they can break with extreme ease. Often on new disks just to be frustrating, trapping it is the main cause as they're very sensitive. Usually the centres which rip out, though they fail in other ways too.

I'm going to try one of the 9" disks I think, they're thin enough to be useful. Sadly the smaller disks are a little thick for my liking in a small grinder, though I will certainly try one. Even if it just lives on the cordless grinder perhaps to avoid taking a stock of spares would make it useful.

 

[cianh91]

haven't tried them but talking to people who have most say they dont last the quarter of the cuts advertised and there extremely loud for me i buy razor discs 100 at a time so i wouldn be bothered and if used properly they last long enough for me

 

[Kent]

I think you've got it the wrong way round, abrasive discs (particularly slitting) are as weak as and don't take much to break. I can't see the steel ones being dangerous in this way.

As I have had many of them break I just take the precautions. I know a fella who had a steel diamond disc break and it darn near killed him. Still works with them but spends a good while inspecting them now (other trash hawks swoop on the ones he chucks away). None the less I have to use them on stone at times but I heed his caution

 

[Kent]

But steel discs for a 9 inch cutting stone are more available/popular than composite ones.

I use the steel diamond blades on stone still

 

[PhillipM]

haven't tried them but talking to people who have most say they dont last the quarter of the cuts advertised

I can't see how they would to be honest, unless they're absolutely flooding the discs with water/coolant in their tests. Diamond bonds to steel with heat and forms carbides, it's why you use Ceramet tooling for high speed steel machining instead of diamond coated like you'd use with non-ferrous metals, otherwise your tool disappears rapidly. They're only really used for light finishing cuts where surface finish is vital with shedloads of coolant.

I do use one for aluminium that I need to TIG after though, as the cut is much cleaner than with a bonded disc.

 

[Pete.]

In 27 years of diamond cutting I've never heard of a diamond disc failing. I've seen one (3 foot diameter blade) bent 90 degrees when my mate Gary was cutting a service yard slab and nearly has a lorry reverse over him, it hit the road saw and pushed it over with the blade still in the floor but it still didn't break.

I'd love to hear the circumstances which nearly killed the guy you know Kent. The worst I've seen is a few lost segments, never an actual blade breaking and we owned the biggest diamond blade road saw in the UK.

 

[Kent]

In 27 years of diamond cutting I've never heard of a diamond disc failing. I've seen one (3 foot diameter blade) bent 90 degrees when my mate Gary was cutting a service yard slab and nearly has a lorry reverse over him, it hit the road saw and pushed it over with the blade still in the floor but it still didn't break.

I'd love to hear the circumstances which nearly killed the guy you know Kent. The worst I've seen is a few lost segments, never an actual blade breaking and we owned the biggest diamond blade road saw in the UK.

Wasn't there at the time but he was cutting and blade broke. Don't know why only found out when I teased him about his caution, his mate told me the why. I go through about one a year at most cutting stones in the 9" when required. Mostly they just burn out and stop cutting but I am cautious about the blade guard position knowing that it could always go wrong. Broke lots of hss circular saw blades cutting box and angle but not as fast

 

[Pete.]

HSS yes they can shatter even if you drop them but diamond blades don't have a HSS disc it's more like a spring steel (but not a spring steel AFAIK). The worst damage I've seen on a small disc is when someone used a concrete cutting blade to cut a load of tarmac. Asphalt blades have an offset tooth every so often mounted at an angle to the periphery in order to clear abrasive debris and prevent under-cutting of the segments. If you use the a concrete disc without this offset tooth for very abrasive substrates it can wear away the tooth carriers and you lose teeth but it never extends further than an inch or so from the OD. It never compromises the integrity of the disc.