Choosing a Blade & Coolant

Blades

Once you have decided what type of material you are going to cut, it's important to choose a saw blade to suit your needs. We carry a large selection of blades designed for a variety of purposes.

Covington

Gold Blades are a high-quality brand of general purpose blades. These notched rim blades cut a wide selection of materials. If you don’t know what kind of material you will be cutting, this is an excellent starting point. The Gold Blades are economically priced with fair results.

Platinum 303 Blades are a superior brand of blade featuring a sintered rim. The 4” through 14” sizes are continuous rim while the 16” and larger are segmented rim. The segmented rim allows for better washout of the rock particles when cutting. This brand comes standard on Covington’s 3 largest slab saws.


Platinum 301 Blades are their best lapidary blades. They have a special sintered rim design that allows superior washout. The 301 blades give a truly superior cut and are worth the additional cost. These blades are only available in sizes 6” through 20” and come standard on Covington’s smaller slab saws (sizes 12” – 20”).

Ultimate Glass Blades have a unique technology for cutting glass. Covington’s very own brand, the Ultimate blade gives resin blade quality cuts while using a sturdier metal matrix. The matrix is the perfect density for cutting glass while leaving an excellent, mild, grind-ready finish.

This blade is the perfect choice for any glass cutting needs. This blade will blow away any competitor's brand glass blades.

Edge blades provide an excellent solution for cutting precious stones and glass if material loss is an issue. This blade features a nickel electroplated rim and a strong spring steel core.

Gemini

Apollo Ring Saw Blade Cartridges are available to cut a variety of materials, including stone, marble, granite, glass, stained glass, fused glass and glass tile.


Revolution XT Saw Blades are very similar to the solid 10" diameter blades you will find on most high quality wet saws. The difference is that these blades have no center, giving you the ability to not only cut straight lines but also make tight radius cuts.


Taurus 3 Ring Saw Blades come in a variety of configurations. The Dichroic Blade is just for cutting thin Dichroic Glass while the Standard Blade is for general use and omnidirectional. The Separating blade allows for internal cuts. The Thin Blade is for the most intricate designs while the Mega Blade is for dense materials. The Slicer Blade is ideal when removing the least amount of material is desired and comes standard with the Taurus 3 Ring Saw.

Blade Care

For optimal cutting, dress your blade every 4 to 5 cuts. Dressing Blocks will extend the life of your blade. You want to re-expose as much diamond as possible for best cutting performance. Inspecting your blade periodically with a loupe will allow you to see if your blade needs dressing.

Aluminum Oxide dressing blocks should be used with glass blades. Silicon carbide blocks are designed for lapidary blades. The 220g Aluminum Oxide Stick is designed specifically for use with the resin blades.

Coolant

What kind of coolant is best for your cutting application? The answer depends on what you are cutting.

Water: Water is best for cutting glass and softer precious or porous materials. Water does not have good cooling properties when it comes to cutting hard stones.

Note: water will rust steel tanks and blades quickly. We advise that you empty your saw of any water when not in use and spray any bare metal parts with WD-40 after every use to prevent rust from setting in. Or, add Crystalite Crystalcut™ which has a rust inhibitor.

C-Brand Cutting Oil: Covington's C-Brand cutting oil, formally known as Rockhound Oil, is a 100% food grade, pure white mineral oil. This high quality oil features a high flash point with low cost, low odor and no additives.

Koolerant #1 is a water soluble oil that is designed for cutting
stones that are a 6 on the Mohs scale or softer. This Koolerant is mixed with water in the saw to provide better cooling on blade contact than straight water will.

Koolerant #3 is a synthetic additive designed for use with water. This coolant is biodegradable and free of phenols, nitrates, sulfur, chlorine, phosphates, nitrosamines, and oil. This coolant contains rust-inhibitors.