sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Oct 4, 2004 20:57:28 GMT -5
I'm sick of using a hammer to break my agates! Does anyone have a recommendation of a saw to buy? Either electric or manual, smaller for the amatuer hobbist.
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Post by Cher on Oct 4, 2004 22:03:03 GMT -5
Good question, I'm hoping my family might get together to put some $$$ for one for Christmas. I'd be interested in knowing different kinds available. [glow=red,2,300] ~ Cher ~[/glow] pages.prodigy.net/bestsmileys1/signs/RockOn.gif [/img] PS ... Although I do enjoy sitting out in the yard busting rocks. ;D
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Post by cookie3rocks on Oct 4, 2004 22:07:03 GMT -5
I would like to know, will a tile saw work? That's what, when my mother asks what I want for Christmas, my suggestion will be, a tile saw or trim saw. I don't want to ask for top $, just something that will suit my needs, not huge rocks.
cookie
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Oct 4, 2004 22:14:02 GMT -5
Look at the Lortone Complete Combination Unit $ 523.00 (This one is with the motor...if you're motor savy...you could save some bucks by getting the motor locally...since I'm electrically handicapped...I got it with the motor) www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/products.php?catID=126I did quite a bit of research, plus asked the wisdom of the elders here on the site and this seems the best deal for the money. Not only can you trim, you can also shape with this unit. Granted...it's not a huge blade...but we're also not cutting stones to build an egyptian pyramid! (or are we?)
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Post by Cher on Oct 4, 2004 22:19:42 GMT -5
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Post by docone31 on Oct 4, 2004 23:06:50 GMT -5
WAy too small. I would go at least 6". The reason, the 6" will give more versatility than the 4". I have used larger but I like the 6" for blade availability, price, reliability and use. If cost is a factor, you can get an arbor from an hardware store. The pulleys will have to be 1-1 1/2. That should give 1750rpm blade speed which is pretty good for a diamond saw. With an arbor you can mount a grit wheel on the other side. A water bath can be fabricated from sheet metal and pop rivets. Last I looked, and arbor is about 25$ from multiple sources. That is how this all started. An arbor, motor, wheels, saw blades, water bath and drip, tool rest. All made from available parts. All one has to do is go to the hardware store and order parts.
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Oct 4, 2004 23:12:26 GMT -5
I've got a 7" tile saw and it will cut about an inch and a half, since the blade is mounted in such a way as that is all that sticks up through the table. It cuts as good as the blade I have on it and I use it mostly for trimming. I can't cut any slabs with it. I also have a 4" trim saw. A handy little saw that will cut more than the tile saw since the blade is higher. The blade is very, very thin, and I have two thicker ones I need to replace it with, but it cuts quickly and there is almost no loss of material. About the size of a thread. The tile saw was about $80.00 and works fine as long as I do not demand too much of it, and the trim saw was about $150 and I just need to remember I am not cutting pine, and many times it is very slow going, and I will resort back to the hammer and trim the pieces after I get them to a more managable size. I don't cut enough rock to invest a lot into a saw yet. Any help?
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 4, 2004 23:22:54 GMT -5
If you want a saw, go to Lowes to the tile department and they have a small tile saw - 4"- for $48.00. I got one not too long ago and it's great. Of course, a 4" saw, no matter what kind it is, can't cut a very big stone. If you want a bigger saw, you can find 7" tile saws for less than $100. BE and I got our 10" tile saw for $189.00. All three of these saws work great and are affordable.
We wanted a rock saw really bad, but couldn't afford one. So when Sands wanted to sell his 7" tile saw, we bought it. Then we bought our 10" and then I got the 4". Three saws basically for the price of one rock saw. And, believe me, we have gotten our money's worth out of all three. And, a tile saw can be run on water (with 1 tbls. Borax per gal.) whereas they recommend a cutting oil - kinda expensive - for a rock saw.
Now, if I were a professional lapidary person, I might buy a regular rock saw, but since my "rocking" is a hobby, and the tile saws do everything I need them to do, spending that much $ on a rock saw is not feasible, to me, anyway.
One of these days, when and if I ever have any spare time, I might build me a big ole saw. Would love to have about a 20", would be fairly easy to build one, but don't know if I would ever be able to afford a blade for it! ;D
llana
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Post by sandsman1 on Oct 4, 2004 23:39:43 GMT -5
hi sweetie take alook at this the ts-8 saw all you would need is a motor and blade you can get an old washing machine motor with the right rpm-s for acouple bucks and a blade for like 20 bucks at daniel lopakis and you will have a decent size saw that will do small slabs and any trimming you need i got a used one same brand and model does alot of work and you can allways sell and get most of your money back if you wanna up grade just a thought lortone.com/trimsaws.html
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Post by Toad on Oct 5, 2004 12:31:21 GMT -5
Can you use the blade that comes with the saw, or do you need to trade it out for a "rock" blade? Will lapidary blades fit in a tile saw?
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 5, 2004 14:01:52 GMT -5
Toad, you need a diamond blade to cut rocks. Some tile saws come with a diamond blade included, some don't come with a blade. The 4" tile saw I bought at Lowes came with a blade. The 10" tile saw came with no blade. So, just depends on the saw.
Since I have never bought a rock saw, I don't know if they come with blades or not.
llana
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 5, 2004 16:48:27 GMT -5
my Lortone 6" trim saw came with a Lortone blade, but after i chewed it up in a few weeks (learning curve, i thought) i read where that blade was designed to work with oil coolant. i then invested in an MK-303 blade by Diamond Pacific that is designed to work wth water and an water based coolant.....this has lasted a few months and still going strong......of course, i think i have got better at it too..!
i bought a cheap $20.00 spare in case of an emergency...but haven't had to use it yet.
i love my saw, best thing i ever bought, if i had to do it over again, i'd get a bigger one.....yeh, size matters.
KD
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Oct 7, 2004 16:47:00 GMT -5
If I rememeber correctly from my electronics schooling days (early70s) all shadded pole 115V Motors will produce a speed of 1750 RPM without load...reguardless of size (within reason) this is due to the number of winds of wires for the needed field windings and the current to voltage drop in an inductor .....(which is all a motor like that is) so dont let the RPM be a hangup...look at the torque and current drain under load as well.
Dwight P
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Oct 9, 2004 12:56:52 GMT -5
Pdwight-I think I understood one word of your post. I'm phyics phobic. I saw the word "torque" and shut down. It's crazy since I have a chemistry background. Oh well, if I were to go to Home Depot and bought a 7" tile saw and had a diamond tip blade, would that work?
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Oct 9, 2004 14:43:45 GMT -5
It should, I have never sawed any rocks. I was just addressing the electronics AC Theory of shadded pole motors on 60hz. If a tile saw will cut tile it should cut rock....someone else chime in here and help this guy out...I accidentally reverted back to electronics nerd for a while.....sorry ;-)
Dwight P
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Post by Cher on Oct 9, 2004 15:14:09 GMT -5
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 9, 2004 16:58:50 GMT -5
i had a good hard look at a 10" tile saw with stand today at Harbor Freight, the whole unit came to $250 and the blades were about 30 bucks a pop......what i don't understand, is that while i see where the mechanism will secure tiles for cutting.....i'm not sure how to secure the rock....would entail some engineering here, i think.
also it all was a bit flimsy for my liking....but the price was nice!
KD
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Oct 9, 2004 17:02:19 GMT -5
Hey Rosebud , it would be hard for me to say..I have never sawed any rocks..i imagine the RPM would be listed as per the blades requirements and or the saw's guidelines. I guess I got caught up in the electronics RPM question about motors.
I wish you luck on this.
Dwight P
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 9, 2004 17:22:33 GMT -5
KD, here is the 10" saw BE & I got. It's less expensive and IS NOT flimsy at all. It's all made of steel, except the tray for the water. We already had a table, so didn't buy that, but I saw the table for this saw, with the saw on it, and it was sturdy. www.homier.com/default.asp?page=categories.asp?dept=1We use a DeWalt diamond blade - and have been really pleased with both saw and blade. llana
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 9, 2004 17:28:51 GMT -5
Llana, that looks a lot more stable then the one i looked at today, but the vise looks similar.....how do you secure the stone when you cut it??
KD
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