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This may be the stupidest DIY question ever, but I want to make sure before I return it: is this non-ferrous metals saw blade faulty?

In the picture, see where one of the titanium carbide teeth seems to be too large and to extend into the expansion slot. BTW, I had made 4 cuts of 9-15" or so, in 3/16 aluminum plate, before I noticed this; it cuts OK and seems like it could have been smoother, but I've never cut aluminum with a power saw before, so I don't really know what to expect.

Here is the blade:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LFCMI34/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

... and the picture of mine:

Enter image description here

Peter Mortensen
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RustyShackleford
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4 Answers4

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The filling is melted aluminum that galled/melted and filled the gullet and is covering one of the Tungsten Carbide teeth. You can pull it off with a pliers.

The negative rake angle of the blade is fine for cutting aluminum, it will push your workpiece away instead of tending to grab onto it. It will generate more heat and be more likely to melt the aluminum. You can feed the work harder to generate a thicker chip to carry the heat instead of rubbing/melting it off.

A little spray of WD40 on your path can help immensely.

The J Shape is supposed to be there.

Tyler Swenson
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Yes the J shape is supposed to be there for expansion. If you look at a Diablo blade it has the J relief cuts at the edges and also d-shaped relief cuts within the body of the blade. The large tooth looks like it may be build up of aluminum on the carbide tooth. It definitely doesn't look like carbide. If it is Aluminum it should be easy to pull off with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Aluminum is really good at gumming up blades. I'm pretty sure they actually make blades that are specific to aluminum to avoid the gumming up issue.

Here's an example of an aluminum blade enter image description here www.diablotools.com

From the website

Diablo's next generation Aluminum saw blades are optimized for cutting thin (up to 1/8”), medium (3/32”-1/4”) and thick (3/16”-7/16”) aluminum metals. Featuring the new, specially formulated Diablo TiCo™ Super-Density Micro-Grain Carbide, these radical blades withstand impact, reduce wear, provide clog free cuts and last longer than standard carbide in metal cutting applications. The specially formulated metal cutting carbide teeth feature a Triple Chip Grind (TCG) Tooth Design for clean, burr-free finishes, virtually eliminating any type of rework. Tri-Metal Shock Resistant Brazing allows these Aluminum blades to slice through metal materials while withstanding extreme impact for maximum durability. Diablo's Aluminum saw blade series is ideal for corded and cordless saws when on-the-job cutting non-ferrous metals such as aluminum extrusions, copper pipe, brass plate, etc.

Joe Fala
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I agree that the blade seems fine. Next time you are cutting, try using wax to lubricate the blade. You can use regular candle wax, but there is special wax formulated for this purpose and formed to make it easy to apply. I often stop mid cut and add more wax to the blade and kerf.

Barry King
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I don't understand why are you not using a cutting wheel to do this is so much easier , whit this type of blade you are using creates so much vibration . I will use a metal cutting wheel, much smother less waste, faster work. Just a thought .

Luis
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