How many blades did you use constructing your WFO?

[Lburou]

Brand names and descriptions please? How many cuts per blade?

The good friend who referred me to this site used 6 or 7 blades....Is that unusual? He had the higher grade bricks apparantly.

[Les]

I went through 2 harbor freight blades. When I started cutting my pavers, my neighbor (who is a mason) gave me a quality blade. If it wasn't for that, I would have gone through 4 more. The firebrick is soft.

Les...

[azpizzanut]

Hello Lburou,

The original blade on my 10" Harbor Freight wet saw is just now getting broke-in. I've cut an estimated 160 firebricks in half and about 30 additional at various angles (trimming to fit). Also, 20 or more long cuts in ceramic tile for the landing area of my oven, with the same blade. I have many years as a lapidairist using diamond tool equipment including gemstone saws and slab saws. My best advice is to use plenty of lube, in our case water, and don't push the work piece too hard against the blade. Let the blade do the cutting. It will "tell" you how hard to push by the way it cuts. After some experience is gained, you'll know when the blade is worn out since it won't be up to its usual performance. You can make a diamond blade cut a little faster by horsing a brick through it but you'll end up buying blades much faster than normal. I am very pleased with the HF saw and 10" blade which, by the way, I bought off their rack since the saw came without one.

Cheers,

[RTflorida]

everything azpizzanut said except I have never been a lapidairist, just years and years of experience with a wet saw. The $29 HF blade is perfectly fine if you treat the saw and blade properly.
I finally broke down and replaced my HF blade after 3yrs of nearly continuous use (oven, 2 kitchen & 4 bathroom remodels (porcelain tile, ceramic tile, granite tile; as well as over 40 marble window sills). Honestly, the blade was only about 1/2 worn and the $79 replacement I bought at lowes does not cut any smoother or faster.

The key is to NOT overheat the diamond chips and the bonding agent. If you force the cuts and overheat the blade repeatedly, it won't matter what brand or how much you spent, you will trash the blade.

RT

[nissanneill]

As with RT's experience, buy quality and you get what you pay for.
I purchased a 15" commercial brick blade from a seller on ebay and it is still 2/3 it's original thickness and my 9" angle grinder bade is still going 3 years later and a huge amount of brick, concrete tile and even reinforcing rod cutting
I also have a thin diamond tile blade that simply will not wear out even after several bathroom and 3 kitchen renovations.

Neill

[dmun]

After my first HF blade that I bought with the saw (no, they are never included) I bought three similarly priced ten inch blades from the tile department at HD. That said, I build a fireplace as well as a two story chimney in my oven project.

These bargain saw blades are not what you may expect if you've had some experience with industrial abrasives. That rough rim is not a layer of sintered diamond that will cut until it gets down to the steel rim. The diamonds are all pretty much near the surface, and will wear out pretty fast. Keep in mind, these are thirty dollar items, not the hundreds of dollars that the sintered blades cost.

Even a cheap blade will last a long time if you keep it sopping wet, and don't force the cuts.

[Lburou]

Thanks all

You are encouraging. I have a tile saw used for my bathroom remodels. I replaced the blade only to discover the old one was cutting just fine. I'll increase the water flow to be sure and baby the blade and not ask too much from it by way of speed.

I have purchased some used fire brick from a man who dismantled a large brick baking kiln here in Texas. These brick seem harder than the ones used in my fire pit so I expect they may be a higher grade brick and will be harder to cut.

With this encouragement, I may build the Pompeii oven instead of the barrel oven I had planned.....Still on the fence.

[fxpose]

I used just one 10" segmented blade with plenty of water from a spray bottle on my very old Makita compound miter saw. Half cuts and tapers only for my 34" oven.
I also used one 4.5" segmented blade on an angle grinder for additional grinding here and there. Now that tool came in real handy for making fine adjustments at the dome, instead of running back and forth to the main saw.

[brickie in oz]

Diamond blades glaze up when cutting hard vitrified bricks, you will see this as blobs of molten brick being shot out of the cut.
You can revive the blade by running it through some waste concrete or mortar for a few seconds, this will de-glaze the blade.

[Lburou]

Originally Posted by brickie in oz

Diamond blades glaze up when cutting hard vitrified bricks, you will see this as blobs of molten brick being shot out of the cut.
You can revive the blade by running it through some waste concrete or mortar for a few seconds, this will de-glaze the blade.

This sounds like a trade secret to me!!