This saw is a must if you want to make very even, flat and smooth cuts on those large SPS colonies like Wall Hammers, Goniopora and even Frogspawn to name a few. I used to use a Dremel disk, chisel, or snips. These are fine for small SPS frags where the branches are thin like a marker or pencil. However, when it comes to large cumbersome frags like wall hammers, this is the way to go.
The diamond saw band has cut through every type of coral skeleton I’ve thrown at it. The Gryphon site even had a picture of this saw cutting a whisky bottle in half - - the long way! While the saw looks much bigger in the pictures, it actually has a foot print small enough to fit easily into the smallest of fishrooms. Footprint is about 11-inches by 14 inches and is easily liftable weighing only 15-20 pounds. It would fit onto a foldable TV tray/stand right next to your frag bin to minimize motion and reduce time of frags being out of the water.
The working surface is plenty large to support those occasional massive LPS colonies. I fragged a 16-inch wide wall hammer in to 6 pieces. It was a joy to do this as the blade cut through the skeleton with absolute ease. Water from the coral lubricates the blade to keep it cool. Two sponges, one located beneath the very bottom alignment wheel and one located in the back as the blade travels up to the drive wheel, keep excess water from whipping around. The saw’s table top has a lot of very small drain holes which minimize water accumulation on the working surface.
While this saw is available in a 36” version, I’m glad I purchased the 42” for an extra $40. Having the extra “head room” allows me to orient my work to just about any angle I want without being limited by clearance beneath the drive housing. Plus, the extra 20-30% of cutting length on the blade means it should last that much longer too. One other advantage of having the drive housing higher above the cutting table is that more light from above reaches the table. This improve visibility so that you don’t necessarily have to bring in a side light to see what you are cutting.
Assembly is quite simple, and instructions are clear and easy to follow. There is only one adjustment screw to improve blade alignment on the drive and tension wheels. Virtually all wetted parts are plastic with a few parts being stainless steel. Clean-up is very simple: just slide the table top off, remove the blade-cover, remove cutting band, and lift the drive assembly off. The entire base can be held over a sink with a spray hose to be sprayed and rinsed out. Debris flows out easily from the base. I dry my blade with a paper towel, wipe down the two wheels and wipe down the outside.
I had no need to “test out” the customer service at Gryphon, so I cannot comment there. Their website illustrates other related equipment that they sell. I have no idea how long the diamond cutting band will last, but Premium currently sells them for $78.99 and $82.99 for the 37” and 42” inch saws.
This saw is specially made with taller supports to allow an extra 2.5" of clearance height. This provides over 5.5" of clearance with the upper blade guide removed. This saw uses a 42" diamond blade, and in other respects is the same as our C-40 CR, which is a special version of the C-40 that has been modified to be more resistent to corrosion. Choose this saw if you are using a diamond band saw in a corrosive environment such as salt water and need extra clearance to cut taller coral or other objects. This saw features all of the benifits of the regular C-40 with components upgraded to stainless steel or otherwise specially treated.
Features
Simple construction with few moving parts
New High Speed Motor for fastest cutting available
Direct drive - no belts or pulleys
Powerful anodized motor located on top, away from the water
High Quality Stainless Steel Diamond Coated blade
Huge water reservoir under the work surface
One square foot of unobstructed work surface
Under table blade guide and new blade guide above table.
Stainless Collars for wheels
Stainless Shaft and Lower Block iodized
Stainless Blade
Motor: 1/3 hp Direct Drive DC
Blade Speed: 40 mph
Platform Area: One Square Foot
Weight: 18.0 lbs
Coolant System: Recirculating tap water
Coolant Reservoir: 10 inches by 9 inches
Tension Adjustment: Single Knob - Semi-automatic
Blade Dimensions: 37" circumference, .020" wide, .140" deep
Warranty on saw : 1 year
Customer Reviews
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Fraggin' Fun Mar 31, 2019