Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 13:40:37 GMT -5
If the saw is set up well, then the floor of the vice should be perpendicular to the blade. Make a cut, set the saw cut on the floor of the vice, make second and subsequent cuts. The cube needn't be perfect. You will be grinding that away.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 13:43:22 GMT -5
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 24, 2014 15:13:27 GMT -5
@shotgunner that is way too cool, something like the super mini, only on tracks to drop straight through the rock like the saw pictured would be the bees knees. I could build that! So Scott, have you already investigated the best source for the saw wires? Life expectancy of the wire?
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 24, 2014 15:27:26 GMT -5
What I am looking to do is make parallel cuts for one rock. So that it can then go into my sphere pre-form cutter. It works really well with parallel cuts. If they are a bit wonky then it doesn't work so good. (Nope, I was not running it dry. Just some maintenance and hadn't put the oil back in for the photo. So how about an ever so slowly rotating version of this parked next to the wire on a wire saw? 360 degrees and !viola! you have a cylinder. Turn the cylinder 90 degrees back in the clamp with angle iron jaws. 360 degrees again and !viola again! you have a mostly there sphere preform in only 2 setups. You can do this with core drills but then you have to have a boatload of drills for different sizes. Life expectancy and cost of wire saw blades could be an issue.
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Post by phil on Dec 24, 2014 17:22:05 GMT -5
Maybe it'd be better to mount the cube in a lathe and then use a diamond flat file to round it into a cylinder...
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Post by phil on Dec 24, 2014 17:26:16 GMT -5
@shotgunner that is way too cool, something like the super mini, only on tracks to drop straight through the rock like the saw pictured would be the bees knees. I could build that! So Scott, have you already investigated the best source for the saw wires? Life expectancy of the wire? The diamond studded wire for my diamond band saw is 50 feet of .008, and costs $100.00. It's way to fragile to use in hat kind of setup. Better to use a serrated steel blade like the big shops do to make granite and marble slabs. I thought I had pic, but can't find it. It looks like a big tree saw, except carbide tipped and tough as, well, steel. Gets pulled back and forth in a 12 inch sweep (of course they're cutting 8 feet of stone) and there are about 12 of them ganged together to create many "slabs" at a time. Awesome!
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Post by phil on Dec 24, 2014 17:44:27 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 17:55:41 GMT -5
@shotgunner that is way too cool, something like the super mini, only on tracks to drop straight through the rock like the saw pictured would be the bees knees. I could build that! So Scott, have you already investigated the best source for the saw wires? Life expectancy of the wire? LOL Lee!! No, I just was looking for DIY plans and found that one. Indeed you could EASILY build that! jamesp prolly has the pulleys and red-iron in stock and only needs the shock absorber to tension the wires and the wire itself. haha!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 18:04:05 GMT -5
A google for Granite diamond wire seems to work well to find sources. Looks like the pulleys are rubber/neoprene lined to drive the cable buy not be cut by the beads.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2014 18:24:44 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2014 18:37:12 GMT -5
Maybe it'd be better to mount the cube in a lathe and then use a diamond flat file to round it into a cylinder... Thought about a lathe with a rotating diamond cup grinding wheel for the cutter. Lathe turns stone slowly and cutter wheel spinning rapidly against it following sphere contour.
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blackout5783
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
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Post by blackout5783 on Dec 24, 2014 20:07:11 GMT -5
Maybe it'd be better to mount the cube in a lathe and then use a diamond flat file to round it into a cylinder... Thought about a lathe with a rotating diamond cup grinding wheel for the cutter. Lathe turns stone slowly and cutter wheel spinning rapidly against it following sphere contour. You mean kind of like this? www.stoneageindustries.com/sculpture_rock_lathe_diamond_pacific.html
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2014 21:17:19 GMT -5
Yep. Maybe a bit more primitive, just for spheres. using a cheap diamond cup wheel for the cutter similar to a carving machine like you linked though. Go for the sphere directly, cut off the chuck nubs after sphere shaped. Great analogy
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Post by DirtCleaner on Dec 25, 2014 8:33:57 GMT -5
I like where this is going. Seems that several people would like to have such a tool.
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 25, 2014 14:34:26 GMT -5
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 25, 2014 15:14:57 GMT -5
Wish you hadn't started this thread. Now I've got all sorts of ideas bouncing around in my head for a purpose built slab saw, just for cutting sphere blanks. Even kept me awake half the night. Need to drag out the old drawing board & tee square. No CAD program on my computer. Strictly old school.
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Post by phil on Dec 25, 2014 19:32:02 GMT -5
The easy way for an experienced machine rebuilder like you and I is to buy a couple cheap segmented blades at HF, cut off the segments and weld them onto a couple old handsaw blades so your kerf is bigger than your blade core. Then simply put them on an eccentric to go back and forth, add a water drip, and away you go! I'd make one too, but where the heck would I put it??? Then, when you cut up a thick slab, simply stop before going all the way thru, rotate the slab and cut more slices. Easy to make an octagon that way, and no extra clamping is required. When done, just take a couple feathers and bingo, you've got a square!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2014 20:10:15 GMT -5
phil, those segments are found cheaply, although your method may be cheaper. For sphere making I still say the core method is the way to go. One caveat is I haven't yet found a good deep coring bit for materials harder than marble. I do have a sample core bit to cut with that is/may be salvation. Soon as I have a couple hours free, I am on it.
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Post by phil on Dec 25, 2014 21:43:03 GMT -5
Cool. Didn't know they could be found cheaper.
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Dec 26, 2014 0:45:40 GMT -5
Hurray for Don, board and T-square all the way, and I do have CAD but find difficult to use and think at the same time.
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