BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 (edited) I contacted several companies who make diamond saw blades for cutting concrete, as many of us pick these up as scrap. Some had suggested making knives from them, but the info I have received so far is that they are no good for knives.Western makes the blanks that other companies use to make their blades. They were referred by Dixie Diamond. Western cited a hardness of 36-40. Norton is a big company that has many diverse products.If any more replies come in I will post them too. The first one is from Western. It is a fax of their MSDS on the alloy they use. Their site says it is a proprietary steel alloy, but the info here is good enough for us to figure out what to use them for.The email is from Norton. I did the screenshot in case anyone wanted to contact them for further info.It is nice when a company actually takes the time to help us out like this instead of just deleting the email.These would be good for applications requiring wear resistance, or toughness. Edited July 11, 2015 by BIGGUNDOCTOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 (edited) Diamond blades and core barrels aren't hard and are made to resist work hardening. Concrete blades are probably about as hard as diamond blades are going to get. This is because concrete is pretty soft but contains abrasives in the form of sand. The diamonds for concrete are pretty coarse and tend to chip rather than grind. The cement component is actually soft so particles get ripped out and are carried up past the blade where they can wear the blade. The blades themselves rely on things like chrome for hardness as it's more abrasion resistant than carbon.Diamond saws and core barrels are kind of counter intuitive, the harder the rock the softer the barrel matrix. The diamond is what wears/cuts the stone so it's important it is exposed while being protected from being "pried" from the matrix. If the matrix (the metal blade's edge or core barrel bit) is made by sintering with diamond of specified grit included. The sintered edge is the matrix supporting the diamond cutting agent.If the barrel is cutting soft material the cuttings wear the matrix and pop the diamond grit out so the matrix needs to be harder. If on the other hand the stone is hard it's important to keep diamonds exposed and the cuttings will be much finer so the matrix needs to be softer so new diamonds are exposed as old ones wear. Sawing extremely hard stone say Hawaiian blue granite, gemstones, etc. the matrix holding the diamonds is typically a bronze alloy and the diamond grit very fine.Making knives from diamond saw blades is the rough equivalent of making knives from carbide saw blades. Probably okay as a flexible component of a pattern welded billet but not likely to hold an edge long or well.Frosty The Lucky. Edited July 11, 2015 by Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 Agreed, I just kept seeing posts -- mostly on a FB page, but figure we can use the info here too -------will this make a good knife? and some saying YES! Go to it! I knew they wouldn't, so I decided to get evidence as to why they won't. Always figured to get the right information you go to the source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Any steel will make a good knife, unless you want some fancy features like edge retention, durability, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Any steel will make a good knife, unless you want some fancy features like edge retention, durability, etc. Things like sharpness and all in knives are overrated. Just look at how well the average butter knife works without it. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I think Mr Cochran has been hanging out with us way to much, he faily drips with sarcasm. Steve, Thomas, Frosty! Wich one of you has so rightusly contaminated this man?! Sounds like a good garden trowl, water quench Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Don't blame me Charles, darned near everything has cut me before, I've gotten some dang painful cuts from PAPER and goodness pick up a can lid just a little bit wrong!! "Constant exposure results in some degree of contamination." Mr. Spock.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 Geez, try and educate you guys with some information, and all you do is hijack the thread.......... Funny thing is though I never even thought of a butter knife! Hahaha!Charles, we think alike with trowels. Items that need toughness, and wear resistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I think Mr Cochran has been hanging out with us way to much, he faily drips with sarcasm. Steve, Thomas, Frosty! Wich one of you has so rightusly contaminated this man?! I've finally felt out enough people's sense of humor to have and idea what I can get away with. If I had to assign blame I'd probably get in trouble so I'll keep quiet lol."Constant exposure results in some degree of contamination." Mr. Spock.I'd never guessed you were a fan of Star Trek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I saw every episode first season watched the pilot and never missed an episode. Have you seen the Star Trek pilot? Pike was captain of Enterprise and Spock was 1st. officer, not science officer. Scenes were worked into a later episode with Pike in a powered chair. I don't recall the title. Spock's character as sans emotions was over acted to the hilt and toned down much better after the pilot was bought.You better bet we watched Trek, it was the most advanced Sci fi on 1960's TV with lots of social commentary. Alan Dean Foster was a regular writer as were a number of other Sci Fi authors, at one time they even consulted R.A. Heinlein. I think perhaps about "Stranger in a Strange Land." It was a contemporary novel though nobody I knew got Heinlein's tongue in cheek message.Uh, yeah though I wouldn't call myself any more fan than the average kid of the 60's.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I believe I've seen every episode of every Star Trek made. I only learned that the first episode of the original series was not what I knew of and was instead the one you mentioned. I then had to find it and watch it. Lol I'm a Trekkie but not one of those extreme types that runs around dressed and acting like I'm part of that world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Well there you go, I've widened your horizon to what 1966? Even as incredibly popular as it was during the first airings if a person were to wear a Star Trek costume any time but Halloween or perhaps a costume party, Star Trek fans would laugh at you. The closest to a Star Trek costume I've ever worn was a blue T shirt and a couple band aid points on my ears. I made a much better Charlie Brown except for the long hair.Well, I had to check and my memory wasn't as bad as I was afraid! I only missed by Mr. Spock not being 1st. officer. Not bad for 50 years and a Great White . . . birch attack eh? You know how you can tell Gene Roddenberry didn't have it quite right? You never saw Kirk interrupted with a text message while using his communicator. Of COURSE I have a Flip Phone! Silly thing to even wonder. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Nice place you have here, Mister Pike. Yes I was a trekker too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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