herchenx
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Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jan 13, 2013 23:14:49 GMT -5
So I've been bumming because it has been really cold here. Single digits all day and even our well-insulated house has just been cold. The garage is out of the question.
I have a Lortone combo unit in the garage but it is oily and can make a mess so I don't want to put it in the basement. I looked at a tile saw but they get water everywhere and i want a finer blade for some opal that I got from tonyterner. I have the genie so the saw attachment might be an option but it would be a little inconvenient. I've seen some small saws but they are running $700+ and i need to keep the cost down.
So friends, for a cleanish indoor trim saw for slabs and small opals without spending a mint what do you suggest? I do have a Fordham but that would need mask and added ventilation (opening the Window with a fan in the freezing weather) since it is dry, and plus that seems like it would be slow going.
Just looking for suggestions. Thanks!
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 13, 2013 23:21:46 GMT -5
A used 6" trim saw with pulley ratio for 3400 RPM and a .025 303c. Run with water and pink RV antifreeze.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jan 13, 2013 23:29:38 GMT -5
You had mentioned a tile saw before, but doesn't it spray a lot? I hadn't thought of just buying a good blade for a cheap saw, but but I guess as long as the Arbor size is right it could take a finer blade.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Jan 13, 2013 23:33:55 GMT -5
I agree with Daniel.. the 6" with RV & Water is a great way to cut indoors... another option is the Gryphon Band Saw... runs about $400.00 new I would suggest a better blade if you're going to work agates on it. If you take your time and cut really slwo the blade will probably it a lot longer than mine did by I cut everything with it.
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 13, 2013 23:41:32 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2013 23:55:28 GMT -5
I have a ten inch home made trim saw but wanted to get something smaller to go into the camper and could be moved around, I bought a little six inch cab machine with a six inch trim saw on the end. The saw cuts really thin cuts but I can only cut about one inch thick and that is slow going. If I had it to do over again I would never go with anything less than eight inches. There are some pretty thin blades available for the eight inch and you would not be so limited with what you could cut. I do not know what the throat height is on the band saw but if it would cut two inches thick I would love to have one. I have lusted over them for a while but could not justify the cost for my needs. Are there some people around that have some of the different machines you could check out. Getting up close and personal with them might give you a better idea than us guessing. Although we do have a tendency to push what we are used to over what ever everyone else is used to. lol Jim
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jan 14, 2013 0:13:54 GMT -5
I probably should have picked up the 6" rock rascal that juzwuz listed before it went on eBay, but without the motor I hesitated.
Jim I have a large slab saw in the garage, which I will fire back up once it is warm, I'm really just looking for something i can run fairly cleanly indoors, that is small and efficient for slabs and opal, so a thin blade will be important. Anything bigger I can wait to cut, I'm really just wanting to cab the myriad slabs I have now while it is cold.
I'll put a bid in in the rock rascal and keep my eyes open for something similar.
I'll check out the 4.5" on jsgems too.
Mario I thought about a scroll saw at one point but got a lot of cautionary advice from a lot of folks. Given that I already own a nice trim saw, it's just oily and messy and in the garage, maybe I should consider a band saw. How is the noise/mess?
Thanks all
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 14, 2013 1:20:35 GMT -5
That Beacon star would be a great trim saw, I love the flat table with the drain groove instead of a lip, you can cut big slabs on that with no worries. The Rock Rascal is a good saw too, I have fixed up several of them. Here's your motor on your local craigslist fortcollins.craigslist.org/ele/3504922420.html
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 14, 2013 7:29:56 GMT -5
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RockIt2Me
has rocks in the head
Sometimes I have to tell myself, "It's not worth the jail time."
Member since December 2009
Posts: 668
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Post by RockIt2Me on Jan 14, 2013 8:04:08 GMT -5
I am fortunate enough to have an unfinished walk in basement that I use for my saws. However when I was using a messy tile saw to cut preforms, I set it up backwards (so the spray was toward the wall) in the basement shower in the winter. The shower was one of the molded pre-fab types so clean-up was not too terrible....and the rocks were more important than a clean shower.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 14, 2013 8:06:12 GMT -5
Either the Ameritool or High Tech Diamond plastic body saws would work well. They are made for plain water and if filled properly are not messy. I like the MK145 but they just raised the prices and not sure how great a value they are now. They are very noisy but if filled exactly to the proper level and on a level table not messy. Most saws that throw water are filled too high.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 14, 2013 8:22:22 GMT -5
I have the same combo unit running with water in my finished basement which has carpet and I never have an issue with spray. I did add a small plexiglass shield when I refurbished it. With the blade guard as low as you can and the shield there's no mess. Couldn't you clean out the oil in yours and convert yours over to water ? you can get a 6" mk-303 blade as thin as .014" too.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 14, 2013 9:09:59 GMT -5
I use a Rock Rascal and have never had a problem with spray. You can run it at high speed with a thin blade for trimming opal, but I'd use a thicker blade for agate.
Chuck
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Post by Peruano on Jan 14, 2013 12:11:22 GMT -5
Having moved from Ft. Collins, CO to central New Mexico in large part to avoid the more severe winters of Colorado, I could suggest that as a solution. However, I have two small saws both of which meet my standards for not contaminating my work area when properly filled and not overfilled with coolant. Having tired of draining water and cleaning the little saws which I like to use frequently but sporadically, I recently tried mineral oil in my Rock Rascal Model T (6") and Mercury (7") made in Edmonton, Alberta and find that there is even less likelihood of spray coming off the saw than with water. I realize the oil makes hand holding a bit more problematic, and because it flows off the stone slower, it sometimes obscures my visual tracking of the line of cut in doing preforms, but it is an option better than giving up sawing for the winter. I might even go so far as to say that the thicker mineral oil from Wally World for humans may do this more than the thinner oil from Tractor Supply made for horses. So think thinner oil if contemplating this direction. It seems to me given a need, a square of old carpet on the floor around the saw and a promise to never wear those shoes up into the main house would meet most spousal concerns. Just thinking out loud.
Seriously I think the real key is a saw with properly designed blade splash guard, and the exact determination of the amount of coolant needed to adequately contact the saw blade. Tom
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 14, 2013 12:29:47 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Jan 15, 2013 19:33:04 GMT -5
I am in warm Atlanta.Still gets pretty cold.I have 2 300 watt halogen flood lights mounted just 24 inches above work table and over my head.It cooks me at 35 degrees.Would that work in your garage.It is instant radiation heat...Zero degrees sounds cooold.
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NDK
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Member since January 2009
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Post by NDK on Jan 15, 2013 20:42:51 GMT -5
I was thinking of mentioning the same as James. To cut in the garage I put on my old insulated bibs, and run a space heater or if just gonna be quick use a halogen work light. My current saws use water, so a mess on the floor doesn't matter, the snow/road salt/slush makes enough mess by itself. Obviously you'll have to drain the saw after use.
Nate
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 15, 2013 23:31:46 GMT -5
Where there is will .... I recommended a less-messy saw with a better table, but even my tile saw is in use in winter bucket acts as sediment trap
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Post by gingerkid on Jan 16, 2013 0:25:21 GMT -5
Hi, John, have you thought about purchasing the saw attachment and blade for your Genie?
We have a tile saw outdoors and sometimes I use the CabMate to trim soft materials and thin slabs. Use two different blades on the CabMate though; one is used for softer materials such as opal.
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unclestu
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Post by unclestu on Jan 16, 2013 1:34:56 GMT -5
I have the Rock Rascal model J. I never had a saw before so I hasve no basis to compare. I found the quality of the switch on the saw to be of poor quality as the plastic housing of the switch cracked from the vibration. You might wonder what vibration and that is my point. My only other issue with the saw is the table has a lip which gets in the way of some larger slabs however I have been able to work around it. Other than those issues I am happy with the saw and it's performance. Stu
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