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Post by woodman on Jun 9, 2019 21:02:47 GMT -5
I'd be disappointed too. I'm a rank beginner. Until a couple weeks ago I was using an old 10" Frantom trim saw that I mounted a Lortone vise on to cut smaller slabs. No precise thickness control, but always could get 2-4 parallel-sided slabs before I moved the rock. Now with my new toy, an old LS-18, I'm feeling pretty spoiled. Exactly 6 turns on the crossfeed yields slabs exactly 1/4" thick. Pretty much idiot proof. Can't stress the comments others have made about vise tightness enough. Shouldn't be able to move the rock at all in the vise before starting cutting. I'm soooo paranoid about what a rock coming loose could do to the blade that I really reef 'em down tight. If for whatever reason a rock gets moved and you want more slabs, you can try to replace the rock in the vise by moving the carriage way back so that you are placing the sawn face of the rock up against the blade before tightening it down in the vise. Almost impossible to get perfect but might be better than what it sounds like you got. Due to limitations in carriage travel this might only get you a few more slabs. You could also just bite the bullet and place the rock for maximum slabs and count on the first one being a throwaway. Argh I got an old ls-18, great saw. had to have new jaws made for the feed a while back, works good again. |
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Post by arghvark on Jun 9, 2019 21:08:39 GMT -5
I got an old ls-18, great saw. had to have new jaws made for the feed a while back, works good again. Yeah, I'm loving it! Really works great, and SO easy to get good cuts! |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2019 22:11:11 GMT -5
I have found that using additional"wedges of wood" in addition to the vice can help secure funky shaped rocks that
will not cooperate.
also try to avoid lining up the blade on the rounded side of the rock,
this can make your blade veer off course and cause dishing if the rock is sizable
just my 2 cents worth
i have had a saw for 2 years,and roached 3 blades already!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 10, 2019 22:43:13 GMT -5
I have found that using additional"wedges of wood" in addition to the vice can help secure funky shaped rocks that will not cooperate. also try to avoid lining up the blade on the rounded side of the rock, this can make your blade veer off course and cause dishing if the rock is sizable just my 2 cents worth i have had a saw for 2 years,and roached 3 blades already! I haven't heard that phrase in a really long time! Made me laugh, you did. 
(Sorry about your blades)
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Post by woodman on Jun 11, 2019 9:44:06 GMT -5
I have found that using additional"wedges of wood" in addition to the vice can help secure funky shaped rocks that will not cooperate. also try to avoid lining up the blade on the rounded side of the rock, this can make your blade veer off course and cause dishing if the rock is sizable just my 2 cents worth i have had a saw for 2 years,and roached 3 blades already! If you have roached 3 blades in 2 years, you are doing something wrong for sure. I have been cutting for 20 years and never have destroyed a blade. The main thing is to get the clamp as tight as possible and then a bit more. Use a wrecnh if you have too. and then tug on the rock to make sure it is not loose. If you can move the rock, reset it and try again. I cut a lot of thundereggs and old shaped pieces. JMHO |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jun 11, 2019 12:55:14 GMT -5
There is no reason a properly clamped rock should "fall out" of the vise. And once a first cut is made the rock should not be removed from the vise and re-clamped until all slabs have been cut that can be cut (unless the material is found to be unworthy of continuing slabbing) and the rock clamp has become too close to the blade to cut further without the blade hitting the vise. If there is still good material left on the rock then at that point the rock will need to be moved over, or repositioned in order to produce more slabs. And if just moving over, sometimes the shape of the rock can be a little difficult to get the slabbed face exactly flush or parallel with the blade again.
As hookedonrocks suggested, get a good assortment of wooden wedges in various sizes and cut at various angles to use to help secure the rocks in position prior to the final tightening of the vise. When using medium to large saws I've also found having several rectangular shaped pieces of 3/16" and 1/4" thick, 2" wide Masonite ranging from 2" to 6" long to be helpful for filling gaps between a rock face and vice. These can be stacked and Masonite is soft enough for the rock surface to bite into. And when the vise is tightened and they are compressed they do no have a tenancy to slip.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jun 11, 2019 13:25:32 GMT -5
... also try to avoid lining up the blade on the rounded side of the rock, this can make your blade veer off course and cause dishing if the rock is sizable just my 2 cents worth i have had a saw for 2 years,and roached 3 blades already! One of the "old timers" tricks I was taught when slabbing into a rounded surface is that once the cutting action begins, let the blade cut about 1/4" deep into the rock and then stop the saw and back the vise carriage and rock back to the original position and then restart the saw. By doing this, if the rounded edge of the rock has started causing the blade to veer off from straight, the blade will not be damaged by continuing to be forced to cut further on a non-straight path. The 1/4" deep notch from the first cut will relieve some of the resistance stress on the blade when restarted. And the rock facing side edge of the blade kerf will grind away a little of the meeting edge of the 1/4" notch in the rock and this will help the blade follow a straighter path once cutting resumes. This trick is not foolproof, and if done often will cause some wear on the outer side edge of the blade kerf. But it does lower the risk of cupping an otherwise good blade. Larry C. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2019 17:36:06 GMT -5
I have found that using additional"wedges of wood" in addition to the vice can help secure funky shaped rocks that will not cooperate. also try to avoid lining up the blade on the rounded side of the rock, this can make your blade veer off course and cause dishing if the rock is sizable just my 2 cents worth i have had a saw for 2 years,and roached 3 blades already! I haven't heard that phrase in a really long time! Made me laugh, you did. 
(Sorry about your blades)
My whole purpose in life is to make you drool and laugh
just try not to do both at the same time.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 11, 2019 19:07:11 GMT -5
I haven't heard that phrase in a really long time! Made me laugh, you did.
(Sorry about your blades)
My whole purpose in life is to make you drool and laugh
just try not to do both at the same time.
I'll try, but I can't guarantee it won't happen.  |
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