# Circular cold-saw blades

Machine and mounting compatibility, HSS versus carbide and cermet, pitch and tooth engagement, product-specific cutting conditions, lubrication, and blade-condition checks.

Reviewed: 2026-11-01

Tags: consumables, cutting-components, saw-blades, machining

The Blade Mfg. Co.'s HSS example uses **30 m/min** peripheral speed on a **350 mm** blade, giving about **27 rpm**. Select surface speed and feed per tooth for the actual alloy and blade construction. Confirm arbor, pin pattern, blade rating, machine speed and feed capability before applying a supplier setting. [The Blade Mfg. Co., cutting-speed recommendations](https://blademfg.com/wp-content/uploads/Cold-Saw-Blade-Tooth-Count-Speed-and-Feed-Recs-The-Blade-Mfg.pdf)

## Start with the machine and cutting process

A toothed cold saw uses defined cutting edges and coolant to limit heat. Specify the machine, blade type and operating data separately from abrasive or dry-cut systems. [Haas Tooling, *Cold Saw Overview*](https://www.haastooling.com/c/cold-saws)

A toothed dry-cut metal saw is another machine-specific system. Makita's LC1230 manual requires approved carbide-tipped blades and prohibits abrasive cut-off wheels. It specifies that the accessory speed rating must meet the tool's maximum speed and that blade diameter must match the tool. A matching-looking blade or bore does not establish interchangeability between a geared wet cold saw, a dry-cut saw, and an abrasive machine. [Makita, *LC1230 Instruction Manual*, metal-cutting-saw safety](https://cdn.makitatools.com/apps/cms/doc/prod/LC1/5ff88dd0-ac11-422f-8d04-b7d828bd089c_LC1230_IM.pdf).

## Cutting-edge families

| Family | Construction and selection boundary |
| --- | --- |
| HSS | High-speed-steel cutting teeth; grade, coating, geometry, and regrind condition affect use |
| Carbide-tipped | Separate hard cutting tips on a blade body; select for the material and machine system |
| Cermet-tipped | Cermet cutting edges; product-specific grades and geometry target particular steels and sections |

Kanefusa lists tungsten-carbide and cermet edges for its cold-saw range. Its **Ferro Max ST-5** targets carbon-steel solids with carbon content no more than 0.45%; **Ferro Max Tube** targets thin-walled tubes. That application distinction matters more than treating every hard-tipped blade as a universal upgrade from HSS. [Kanefusa, *Ferrous Metal—Sawing*](https://www.kanefusa.net/en/products/10.html).

Lennartz similarly separates carbide products for non-ferrous alloys, high-alloy and stainless steels, titanium/nickel alloys, and other stock. A blade intended for aluminium cannot be selected for steel merely because its diameter fits. [Lennartz, *ECOmax* product families](https://www.lennartz.de/en/products/ecomax).

## Mounting dimensions and tooth geometry

Record outside diameter, bore, body thickness, kerf, tooth count, tooth form, rotation direction, and drive-hole pattern. Bore diameter and pinhole layout are separate dimensions: Kinkelder's technical specifications list alternative pinhole combinations for the same bore and identify the pin-circle diameter separately. Order against the machine drawing or approved blade specification, including pin quantity and size. [Kinkelder, *Standard Products and Technical Specifications*, bore/pinhole tables, hosted by KR Saws](https://www.krsaws.co.uk/wp-content/themes/basic-wordpress/assets/pdf/kinkelder-technical-specifications.pdf).

Laguna's current machine pages illustrate why a diameter alone is insufficient. Its **350CE** comes with an HSS blade, has a **14-inch maximum blade diameter**, and uses a coolant pump. Its **370PP-L** is a **non-ferrous/plastics** machine with a **14½-inch maximum blade diameter** and a markedly different speed range. These specifications establish different machine applications, not a shared blade selection. Obtain the approved bore, drive-hole, kerf, tooth, and speed specification for the exact model. [Laguna, *350CE*](https://lagunatools.com/metal/cold-saws/manual-cold-saws/model-350ce/); [Laguna, *370PP-L*](https://lagunatools.com/metal/cold-saws/automatic-cold-saws/model-370pp-l/).

Dake's Technics 350 SA manual, marked **REV062024**, requires correct tooth direction, flange installation, and engagement against the flange drive pins when changing its blade. Follow the machine's actual procedure, including isolation before blade handling. [Dake/Laguna, *Technics 350 SA Manual*, blade replacement](https://lagunatools.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/technics-350-sa_062724.pdf).

## Pitch follows the material in the cut

Tooth pitch is the spacing between successive teeth. For a uniform-pitch blade, approximate circumferential pitch is `p = πD/Z`, with diameter `D` and pitch `p` in the same units and tooth count `Z`. Pitch selection must account for the metal actually engaged, including tube walls, entry/exit, and section orientation. The Blade Manufacturing Company's HSS guidance recommends **3–6 teeth in the cut depending on material**; that is its selection guidance, not a universal rule for every carbide production blade. [The Blade Mfg. Co., *Cold Saw Tooth, Speed and Feed Recommendations*](https://blademfg.com/wp-content/uploads/Cold-Saw-Blade-Tooth-Count-Speed-and-Feed-Recs-The-Blade-Mfg.pdf).

Thin walls and solid bars present different engagement and chip-clearance conditions. Dake directs users toward finer teeth for thin/variable sections and wider spacing for solids, using its pitch calculator. Do not choose tooth count from outside tube diameter alone or assume more teeth always improves the cut. [Dake/Laguna, Technics 350 SA manual, choosing a blade](https://lagunatools.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/technics-350-sa_062724.pdf).

## Speed, feed, and a bounded calculation

Separate rim cutting speed `Vc`, rotational speed `n`, and feed per tooth `fz`. With `Vc` in m/min and `D` in mm, `n = 1000Vc/(πD)`. Kinkelder provides separate speed/RPM and pitch calculators, reflecting these distinct quantities. [Kinkelder, *RPM—Speed Formula*](https://www.kinkelder.com/en-us/solutions/rpm---speed-formula).

The HSS example uses `n = 1,000 × 30 / (π × 350)`. The supplier’s feed-per-tooth tables depend on the alloy. [The Blade Mfg. Co., cutting-speed recommendations](https://blademfg.com/wp-content/uploads/Cold-Saw-Blade-Tooth-Count-Speed-and-Feed-Recs-The-Blade-Mfg.pdf)

Kanefusa's published **ST-5** window is **70–120 m/min and 0.05–0.07 mm/tooth**, while its **Ferro Max Tube** window is **100–200 m/min and 0.03–0.05 mm/tooth**. These named examples demonstrate why an HSS RPM setting cannot be transferred to a production cermet blade. Confirm exact stock, clamping, feed control, and machine capability with the supplier before applying its parameters. [Kanefusa, product-specific cutting conditions](https://www.kanefusa.net/en/products/10.html).

## Lubrication, condition, and service life

Use the blade/machine's specified lubrication arrangement. Kanefusa's cold-saw brochure names **Supralube 25 for ferrous cutting** and **Supralube 10P for non-ferrous cutting**. A dry-cut designation on one saw does not remove another system's lubrication requirement. [Kanefusa, *Cold Sawblade* brochure](https://www.kanefusa.net/en/products/downloads/item/Cold_Saw_Blades-0-55-3.pdf).

Haas lists dull edges, wrong geometry or pitch, inappropriate feed, and excessive cutting speed among burr causes. It links stainless-steel cutting problems to speed, pitch, and coolant. Diagnose these interacting conditions rather than increasing feed or replacing a blade solely because a burr appears. [Haas Saw, *Frequently Asked Questions*](https://www.haassaw.com/faq).

Inspect before operation and stop for abnormal vibration. Makita requires immediate replacement of cracked or damaged blades and prohibits resharpening the carbide blades specified for its LC1230. Kanefusa separately offers both regrindable cold-saw blades and single-use Ferro Max products. Service policy therefore belongs to the exact blade, not to “carbide” as a category. [Makita, LC1230 manual](https://cdn.makitatools.com/apps/cms/doc/prod/LC1/5ff88dd0-ac11-422f-8d04-b7d828bd089c_LC1230_IM.pdf); [Kanefusa, cold-saw range](https://www.kanefusa.net/en/products/10.html).

A useful selection record connects machine model, mounting dimensions, blade code and condition, stock grade/strength and section, cut orientation, pitch, cutting speed, feed, lubrication, and observed cut quality. This engineering synthesis makes supplier guidance reproducible without turning one catalogue example into a universal cutting recipe.