Sharp blades ? Dry cutter

[Paul]

A few months ago i worked 3 days labour for a tiler i knew ,i hadnt done any tiling at all before and i did most cuts on a Ruby manual cutter but when i saw the blade spin on the electric dry cutter my first thought was oh christ my fingers :lol: i didnt have to worry as the guy assured me my hands were safe and the blade wouldnt harm me even if my fingers came in contact with the blade

Just wondered if all electrics cutters have blades like the above or is that unique ?

ive since seen footage on the net where guys using wet cutters and the blade is guarded ,so are these serated blades and should be respected ?

Do these safe blades that i used cut the same as serated ones ? and is the finish the as sharp

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[Olz]

The usual blades are diamond coated and work by grinding away the tile rather than 'cutting', as such they are blunt and flat not sharp and wont cut your fingers if you touch them, although if you press your finger against one it will grind of your skin after a short time of pressing against it.

But you dont need to worry about putting your fingers close to the blade, (as long as its a coated disc not a serrated one).

The guard purpose is really two fold, electric cutters have a water reservoir in them to keep the blade wet, thus cool to prevent excessive wear to the diamond coating etc, the gaurd stops the water from the blade going all over the place, and also stops bits of tile that have been ground off from flying upwards etc, to prevent injury from flying debris, although you should still wear goggles.

 

[White Room]

Have seen a cutter and the blade was touched without any damage, Can't remember the name though

 

[DEWALT]

Only two blade types should be used in a wet tile saw.

The most popular is "continuous rim". The design of this blade is as its name suggests has a continuous outer rim, with no teeth or segments.

Light contact with a spinning blade is unlikely to cause injury, usually at worst a burn.

Another blade type, more popular in southern Europe, is the "turbo rim". This blade is made up of offset segments. This design provides a faster but less accurate cut in situations where cut quality is less important.

Much more care should be taken as this design of blade is much more likely to break the skin and result in more serious injuries.

 

[Paul]

Thanks lads

So most blades used are continuous rim thats what i was using on my 3 days,there as safe as houses

 

[Alberta Stone]

The segmented and turbo blades are hazardous to fingers.
The continuous rim is fairly safe.
But as a general rule, if it spins respect it.
Take a stick and see what can happen.
I wouldn't want to see anybodies finger get pulled into the front end of a wet blade, even a continuous rim.

I used to use my finger to push my worn blades straight as I cut since they would veer off to the side when rounded.
I know I am to keep them dressed with a dressing stone, but some blades I use like a grinding wheel for doing curved cuts and if I dressed them down I would be using blades way too fast, so I cheap out and now use a little piece of wisk broom that I have on my saw to flick chips off to keep the blade straight as I don't like the idea of using my finger.