Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Dec 31, 2009 21:44:13 GMT -5
I've read discussions here about using inexpensive tile saws to cut slabs. One of the models mentioned is a 7" Husky. The specs say the maximum cutting depth is 1.5". The blade cannot be raised more than 1.5" above the table? The blade may be 7", but with a maximum cutting depth of 1.5", it sounds more like a 4" slab saw to me. Help me understand, what are you talking about?
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Post by deb193redux on Dec 31, 2009 22:24:06 GMT -5
Slabbett would be more accurate. Some 7" saws yield closer to 1.65" - depends on the exact construction of the table.
Taking a 3" long by 1" height stone (preferably flat on the bottom) you can cut some strips. Taking a 1.5" round rock collected in the field, you can cut it in half or cut a slice out of the center.
With a little practice, you can take a 2.5x2.5 chunk of rock and kind of roll it onto the blade so that you cut a full slab. There may be saw marks where you come full circle, and if any larger than 2.5" there may be a nub in the middle. Hand held rocks 1.25" thick may give tapered slabs if you hand and eye are not trained, but the chance of a taper is much greater when rolling.
If the slabbette is to be trimmed and ground, or tumbled, then what matter saw marks or even a taper. But, if you absolutely need perfectly flat and smooth 3x4" slabs, the min blade is 10", and you want a vise with an autofeed.
Some (not all) 4" saws take advantage of a thinner arbor, a thinner table, and a smaller flange to approach the 1.25" cut depth, but the same RPM will not give the same feet per min and it will be slower.
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Post by tkrueger3 on Dec 31, 2009 23:38:31 GMT -5
Daniel, I think most, if not all, 7" tile saws have the motor and shaft mounted stationary below the table. The blade won't be able to be either raised or lowered, although with most saws the table can be tilted to get a bevelled cut. So if it says max 1.5", that's how much of the blade is exposed above the table. No more, no less.
Tom
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Dec 31, 2009 23:40:43 GMT -5
Thank you, now I get it. A tile saw works, but you are pretty restricted as to the kind of rough rock that "fits", you aren't likely to get many cabs out of a slab unless it's a long stone, and you aren't going to have a lot of choices as to where to cut the cab from the slab. I was already looking more towards a good used 8" lapidary saw with a vice and a new blade, and it sounds like that's maybe a better way to start if I want to be able to cut bigger, or irregularly shaped rock. I was being facetious about a 4" slab saw.
My nephew is a senior at KU. Happy New Year!
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 1, 2010 0:22:28 GMT -5
The rough rule of thumb for cut depth is 1/3 the blade size. It varies a little depending on the table construction.
An 8" saw, even one sold with a vise is not going to give what you describe. You get a max cut depth of about 2", and despite the vise, 8" is a trim saw. The amount of additional "choice" in cab layout is going to be small. And usually there is no cross-feed, so you may still get tapered slabs.
The tile saw yields less, but they are fast. Usually 3400 RPM. ... and they are half the price or less. I used the 8" Lortone at the Salem club when I lived in Oregon, and it seemed so slow. And while you can cut slabs with yours, they forbid it with theirs. It really wears the blade out to cut slabs on an 8" trim saw.
A 10" saw with a cross-feed and auto fed is really entry level for good slabs that give you some surface area/choice. Also, you can take off the autofeed, and use it as a good trim saw.
I ended up with a 10" Lortone slab saw that cannot be a trim saw because of its box shape. I bought it used for $300, but after a year the auto shut off did not work and I ruined the arbor. I had to pay an old timer $185 to replace the arbor and tune it up. He saw I used a MK-225 blade that can spin faster, so he also put on a larger drive pulley so I got faster than 1750 RPM. It works great now and I enjoy it a lot, and even with the repair was 60% the cost of a new one.
My trim saw is a old Beacon-Star 10" with no vise or feed. I got the basic saw used for $125, added a $79 new 1/3hp TEFC motor, and an MK-225 blade that I got online for $30. I spend another $25 on switch, mounting board and belt. IT kicks ass. I can trim with great speed and accuracy, and I can hand-feed 3-4" chunks to cut them in half or prep them for the slab saw.
I know this is a lot more investment than a $90 tile saw with a $15-$30 blade, but the setup rocks.
If you do want to cut slabs start saving for a 10" slab/trim combo. If you want to get started now, reconsider the tile saw. I suspect for what you would spend on an 8" trim saw you would not be happy unless you also had a separate slab saw.
But, if you get a good deal on a used one, consider running it with a bigger pulley ($10) and a thick (.050) agressive blade - and start saving for a slab saw so the 8" can become just your trim saw.
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Jan 1, 2010 2:06:52 GMT -5
All I know about saws now is that I'm not buying a tile saw. It seems like it might be a lot cheaper to buy 100 nice slabs than to buy a saw and cut 100 nice slabs. What about 250 slabs? 500 slabs? The question for me is: How many slabs am I going to cut and when does it become cost effective to cut my own slabs, and how do I want to do that? I sure don't want to be that guy who has all the best equipment, but who doesn't really use it much (and his cabs are mostly mediocre anyway). He's the guy that's going to sell me his saw.
: )
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bendsum
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Post by bendsum on Jan 1, 2010 2:24:36 GMT -5
another solution would to be build your own saw can you make a playwood box? line it with fiberglass resin? and a few other hardware parts you will be up and runnin with a 14"-16" saw for less then $500 like this ![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/bendsum/saw1.jpg) and here are some of the slabs i cut with it ![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/bendsum/DSC07045.jpg)
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Post by parfive on Jan 1, 2010 3:23:09 GMT -5
That's a really cool setup, Bendsum!! Neat idea.
A fiberglass/plastic slop sink on legs has gotta be pretty cheap at Home Depot, and save a lotta work.
Rich
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 1, 2010 9:00:51 GMT -5
Yeah Bendsum, that's sweet.
Hey Daniel, on the slab vs. saw thing, all I have to say is that about 80% of people who go ahead and buy the saw, get hooked on the awesome feeling it is to open up a rock. It's like discovering buried treasure.
If you do not have the chance to self collect, then cutting open thundereggs, or geodes, or many agates to see what is inside can be such a thrill. If you do have the chance to self collect, well, the saw is the ticket. Nothing better than spotting something that you suspect might be unique, taking it home and cutting it open and finding you were right and then some!
But, everybody is different, so the slab vs. saw thing is a matter of preference.
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Jan 1, 2010 9:37:11 GMT -5
So then, what is the biggest rock I can cut with a 7" Husky?? Or do I need to wait til I can get a 10" saw? Donnie
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 1, 2010 11:19:53 GMT -5
Jo makes several great points. If you collect and want to cut your own stuff, just buying slabs is not a solution. Also it is true that almost everybody likes the tile says even if they have other saws too. Something about the sturdy blade, the versatility, the speed - maybe even the spray. It is cheap and it works for smaller rough.
Donnie, I will say again that cut-depth is about 1/3 the blade. If you roll the rock you can almost double that. If you have a 2.5x2.5" fairly symmetrical rounded piece of rough, you can make a fairly decent slab with a little practice. A tile saw is an economical compromise - not a miracle. SO the question as to whether you need to wait, just begs the question what do you want to do?
Another point is that the tile saws also get used a lot for chunking up rough, for chopping up rocks to tumble, for making slabbetts, for cutting shapes out of slabs, and for starting to grind those shapes on the side of the thick and sturdy blade.
The better the slab saw, the less trimming possibility. The better the trim saw, the less chunking and grinding possibilities. IF your interest is only in well-designed well-crafted cabs and not in tumbling or cutting open nodules, then buying good quality slabs and trimming them up is the way to go. .... that and investing in some good grinding, sanding, and polishing equipment. But, if you need to spend the $$$ on the cabbing equipment, using a tile saw to trim purchased slabs is very reasonable thing to do.
For the hobbyist the tile saw is a reasonable (and almost disposable) starting point. I loved mine, my friends loved it too. Spending an afternoon in the back yard with a bucket of rock was something special. Just recently I almost got one of the $109 Husky saws because I needed a trim saw and was not sure how quick I could rebuild my Beacon-Star. I'm glad I rebuilt the Beacon, but the $80 motor was almost as much as a new tile saw.
BTW .. you can be the guy who has a variety of equipment (even if used and rebuilt) AND they guy who draws praise when he finished a piece - they are not somehow exclusive. LOL.
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Jan 1, 2010 15:56:21 GMT -5
OK. thanks. I have a Genie so I guess I straight as far as the grinding, sanding & polishing goes. I have rocks that are too big to tumble or I just wish they were a different shape of flatter so it sounds like a tile saw will fit the bill. Now I am not talking about boulders, just 3 - 4" or so rocks. Thanks again! Donnie
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chromenut
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Post by chromenut on Jan 1, 2010 20:03:07 GMT -5
another solution would to be build your own saw can you make a playwood box? line it with fiberglass resin? and a few other hardware parts you will be up and runnin with a 14"-16" saw for less then $500 like this ![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/bendsum/saw1.jpg) and here are some of the slabs i cut with it ![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/bendsum/DSC07045.jpg) Nice configuration. Been thinking about doing this with my 10" tile saw, it hardly ever see's any use, might as well convert it to a trim saw like you did. Great idea!
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chromenut
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Post by chromenut on Jan 1, 2010 20:04:56 GMT -5
That's a really cool setup, Bendsum!! Neat idea. A fiberglass/plastic slop sink on legs has gotta be pretty cheap at Home Depot, and save a lotta work. Rich Brilliant idea! This is why I love this site, so many good ideas to be found!!! Wow, now just gotta think about mounting the motor and making a good clamping system like he did. That was also a brilliant idea, his vice that he has and how it looks like it's on a threaded rod to allow you to move it in or out without having your hands in the bucket near the blade. Great ideas!!!
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chromenut
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Post by chromenut on Jan 1, 2010 20:07:24 GMT -5
Whatdyathink about this one? lol ;D ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png) :drool:
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chromenut
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Post by chromenut on Jan 1, 2010 20:14:10 GMT -5
Okay, for real, $25 at Lowes! Going to go look at one tomorrow! Will have to add some stiffening to the motor side, probably tray it out and add weight to the opposite side so it won't tip over. Going to mount this on a small wheeled platform, use a submersible pump to wet the blade. Should work great. Now to work on ideas for the clamps.... ![](http://images.lowes.com/product/739348/739348100591.jpg)
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 1, 2010 22:12:01 GMT -5
that cord is part of a gravety feed right?
the tub from Lows lacks a lit which is definately needed. also this is a slab saw, so you still need a trim saw solution, but if you have a 10" tile saw it can be the trim saw.
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bendsum
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Post by bendsum on Jan 2, 2010 1:08:38 GMT -5
yes the cord is hooked to a 5lb lead weight that pic was taken just before i got it done there is another cord that runs up through the lid so that i can lower the rock in slowly till the blade bites then let the weight take over the threaded rod is cut off and i didnt think of the cross feed part till after i have to loosed the set screws in the stop collars and slide it over i guess you cold call this version 1.1 lol i cant take all the credit though i got the plans from e-bay had to modify a little
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