Steel Demons and Salmon Ladders- Yep, You heard me.
This review was created as part of a paid affiliate program with the Home Depot.
My first order of business with this and every product review is a disclaimer: I am not a professional contractor. I am a farmer and a fine furniture maker. When it comes to construction and renovation projects, I’m a DIYer and weekend warrior. That said, I doubt many professional contractors will be reading my tool reviews. My goal in reviewing tools and products is to provide honest feedback based on my own use and experience with these tools to other regular folks like me- wanting to get their hands dirty, try new things, and get the best value for their hard earned dollars.
A few weeks ago I got the harebrained idea to put a salmon ladder a’la Ninja Warrior in my blacksmithing shop. Well, actually I got the idea a few years ago, but finally brought it to fruition. As it turns out, I’m (not surprisingly) a horrible ninja warrior, and, while I can CRUSH some regular pullups, I can’t even move the bar. Some might call that a failed experiment, but I like to think of it as a wonderful talking piece, and a fun party trick for my much stronger friends to show off when we are forging in my new smithy together.
In my newest YouTube video, you can watch me using the Diablo 7-1/4” 48 TPI Cermet Steel Demon Ferrous Metal Cutting Saw Blade in a REGULAR circular saw to cut down my 1/4” thick steel stock. Very few sparks, very clean cut, and almost no heat. All parts are warm, but not hot to the touch. This, my friends, is an incredible technology. The toxic dust and fire hazard (not to mention safety concerns) with using abrasive cutoff or chop wheels is no more. With the release of the cermet technology from Diablo, I sold my metal abrasive saw and jumped in with both feet into the cermet pond. It cuts faster, cleaner and cooler than any other option apart from specialty metal bandsaws. The ceramic and metallic teeth blend provide high heat tolerances and increased hardness for superior wear and ultimate cutting life. The tooth design provides burr-free finishes that require no rework.
This $30 blade can turn any circular saw into a metal cutting machine. Is it worth the investment?
Absolutely. Several times over. If you do fine work with your circular saw, I might recommend you keep a separate saw in your arsenal to use for metal work, but if you’re careful about metal-chip cleanout moving back and forth from metal to wood, you should be totally fine. To put it bluntly, I am unendingly pleased with this technology and more than a little excited to continue exploring it!