FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In
Tools & Materials

Self-cooling grinder blade

SpeedWave grinder blade

By Brendan Mostecki Issue 194

• Manufactured by Bosch
• 877-267-2499; www.boschtools.com
• Cost: about $45

The first time I used the SpeedWave grinder blade, I was repointing the joints in some old brickwork. I cut down the middle of the joint between two courses and drove the blade from side to side as I watched mortar fall out with ease. You might say to yourself, “Sure, every new diamond blade does that.” And you’d be right—for about five minutes. Then the metal on the blade heats up, and the diamonds jump off the wheel. Not with the SpeedWave, though.

This diamond-cutting wheel has a bright-yellow plastic disk in the center that resembles a miniature segmented blade. The idea is that as the blade spins, these plastic segments move air—sort of like the blades of a fan—across the arbor of the tool and the surface of the blade to help dissipate heat. Combined with the wavelike pattern of raised, laser-infused diamonds, this makes the blade cut more smoothly and last longer.

How long will these blades last? As always, it depends. But over the years, I’ve worn down hundreds of diamond blades to nothing more than smooth disks, and I can tell you that this blade is worth every penny.

By the way, I tried only the 41/2-in. SpeedWave, but Bosch also sells it in 5-in., 7-in., and 9-in. diameters for larger cutting tasks.

Photo by: Krysta S. Doerfler

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Achieve a Flat Drywall Finish

These products and methods result in the clean lines essential to a midcentury-modern aesthetic.

Featured Video

SawStop's Portable Tablesaw is Bigger and Better Than Before

The 10-in. Jobsite Saw PRO has a wider table, a new dust-control port, and a more versatile fence, along with the same reliable safety mechanism included in all SawStop tablesaws.

Related Stories

  • Quiet and Compact Cordless Bandsaw
  • Podcast 568: PRO TALK With VPs of Product Development Tyson Apfelbeck and Andrew Lentz
  • Use a Press Tool for Plumbing Connections
  • Easy-release Hole Saw

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All Videos
  • Podcast 568: PRO TALK With VPs of Product Development Tyson Apfelbeck and Andrew Lentz
  • Why You Should Use a Cordless Saw
  • Don't Wait to Get These Tools
  • How to Make Acute Cuts With a Miter Saw
View All

Power Tools

View All Power Tools Articles
  • Podcast 568: PRO TALK With VPs of Product Development Tyson Apfelbeck and Andrew Lentz
  • Use a Press Tool for Plumbing Connections
  • Easy-release Hole Saw
  • Cordless Stapler for Hard-to-Reach Spaces
View All Power Tools Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • 2023 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 316 - July
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in