gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 345
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Post by gunsil on Feb 8, 2023 8:27:45 GMT -5
Hi folks, I am putting together an old Raytech 6" trim saw I've had for a while. I had only purchased the saw itself with no motor or base. I have a 3/4" poly cutting board to mount it on and a 1/3 hp motor (1725 rpm). What I'd like to know if somebody has one, is what is the diameter of the motor pulley? I still need a motor pulley and belt, but need pulley size.
Thanks in advance!
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller 
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 8, 2023 16:12:27 GMT -5
Hi folks, I am putting together an old Raytech 6" trim saw I've had for a while. I had only purchased the saw itself with no motor or base. I have a 3/4" poly cutting board to mount it on and a 1/3 hp motor (1725 rpm). What I'd like to know if somebody has one, is what is the diameter of the motor pulley? I still need a motor pulley and belt, but need pulley size.
Thanks in advance!
Hey Gunsil, the blade RPM depends on what type of blade is being used. For example the popular MK-301 speed for a 6" blade is 1910 - 2870 and the MK-303 is 2870 - 3820. There are lots of pulley calculators online where you can figure out what pulleys you need to reach the desired final RPM with that 1750 RPM motor. Many of the older style blades were designed to run slower than more modern ones, so a lot of people swap out the original pulleys on old saws to match the specs for the newer style blades. Hope that helps! Looking forward to hearing about you getting that saw back in action. |
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gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 345
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Post by gunsil on Feb 8, 2023 17:42:39 GMT -5
Thank you for that, I am aware of the available pulley/speed charts. My question is still what size pulley came on the motor from Raytech? The original pulley is on the saw and I'd like to use factory size on the motor. I have a variety of blades, mostly Raytech, not gonna be changing pulleys for different blades. That may be recommended by some but nobody I know changes pulleys for different manufacturer's blades.
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Feb 8, 2023 18:54:47 GMT -5
Re the last comment about not changing pulleys for different blades, I found a pronounced difference in how MK 301 and 303 blades cut at different RPM.
Since that time, I've recommended running any saw blade in the RPM range specified by the manufacturer.
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 9, 2023 1:15:37 GMT -5
I agree with Vince. The manual that came with the saw originally probably recomended changing pulleys based on type of blade used. There was no such thing as a "stock" pulley. For a 6" trim saw with a sintered blade I would run a pulley on the motor between 1.5 and 2 times the size of the arbor pulley.
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gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 345
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Post by gunsil on Feb 9, 2023 10:02:05 GMT -5
Thanks for your input folks! Rockoonz, there most certainly was a "stock" pulley, when you bought a Raytech saw complete new it came with a blade and a motor with pulley ready to work. I'd call this a stock pulley. That is the size I was looking for, and all Raytech 6Ls came with the same size pulleys when purchased complete with motor, blade, and base. I think I'll just run 2:1, gives me 3450. It's only trimming after all, and I think fast is good. I just dug out one of my old stock new Raytech 6" blades, the sintered Green Blazer says "do not exceed 10,185 RPM"!
Again, thanks for the replies, ordering a pulley from Grainger today. (Got lucky and found a 1/3 HP motor in my garage that has built in switch and overload protection and turns the right way from an old table saw I stripped years ago, just needs a new cord)
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 9, 2023 11:58:08 GMT -5
gunsil you are correct that they went out of the door with a setup somewhere near the middle of the speed range back when they were built, but that saw has probably been manufactured for 20 plus years, so it has definitely changed over that time. I think I have had at least 2 RayTech saws pass through my hands for refurbishing, and many trim saws in general. Just got 3 more Tuesday and a couple in storage to be prepped up before the shows this summer. Fun thing is saws with belt guards, sometimes a better set up won't fit inside of them without modifications that I hate to have to do, BTW guards strongly suggested especially if children are around. Your motor sounds perfect, but check the speed. My old Sears table saw had a 3450 motor instead of 1725ish.
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gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 345
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Post by gunsil on Feb 9, 2023 13:29:54 GMT -5
Thanks!! I just looked at some Raytech blades on ebay and one had instructions stating the Raytech 6" saw came with a 4" motor pulley. Grainger didn't have a 4" pulley for a 3/8 belt do I ordered a 3.91" cast iron pulley, dang thing was $55 shipped! Yes, my motor is 1725. This motor is overkill, it is at least 1/3 larger than the one on my Raytech 10" saw. I'm a retired master mechanic and am pretty familiar with machinery and electric motors. Regarding the life of the Raytech trim saws, they made them for more like 40+ years and never changed a thing. I have an 18" Raytech saw that I think is the best big saw ever made, with an infinitely adjustable power feed and the best rock vise I have seen. I also actually prefer my Raytech GPS-8 over my Titan simply because it is variable speed with a pressure water feed to the wheels. I do my rough grinding on the Raytech and use the Titan for the final four wheels.
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 9, 2023 23:51:45 GMT -5
gunsil any chance that your Raytech collection includes a Raytech/Shaw faceting machine? I bought an estate Tuesday and it includes one. Hopefully I will get to it by next week, haven't even plugged it in yet. The handpiece design is pretty cool, I may try it out first but won't be keeping it, got a Sapphire brand with every accessory imaginable and this one only has a single lap, one index wheel, and a set of dops. I helped an estate sell a GP8, like a Star diamond with the motor on top. I like the design, have an older Star 8" arbor with the motor on top, plan to set it up as a super grinder and expando belt machine.
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gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 345
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Post by gunsil on Feb 10, 2023 8:46:23 GMT -5
No, I don't have the faceter, I never had interest in that side of lapidary work. I think the Star copied the Raytech when Raytech stopped making the GSP-8. I actually prefer expando drums and belts to Nova wheels, the drums and belts are softer providing more drape. I go from 80 and 120 sintered to a 220 then 400 belt on the GSP-8 for shaping and go to the titan for the finer grits. I have another two GSP-8s, one rough to try and make another good one and then I might part with my Titan. I was sorry to see Raytech lose their lapidary business, they had some innovative designs and their machines were built like tanks. The Raytech 18" saw has the blade spinning the opposite direction of other saws which means the blade is bringing more oil to the cut from the tank and spewing less at the top cover. Raytech was in CT which is probably why their machines are often found in the east.
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Post by catmandewe on Feb 11, 2023 1:21:57 GMT -5
No, I don't have the faceter, I never had interest in that side of lapidary work. I think the Star copied the Raytech when Raytech stopped making the GSP-8. I actually prefer expando drums and belts to Nova wheels, the drums and belts are softer providing more drape. I go from 80 and 120 sintered to a 220 then 400 belt on the GSP-8 for shaping and go to the titan for the finer grits. I have another two GSP-8s, one rough to try and make another good one and then I might part with my Titan. I was sorry to see Raytech lose their lapidary business, they had some innovative designs and their machines were built like tanks. The Raytech 18" saw has the blade spinning the opposite direction of other saws which means the blade is bringing more oil to the cut from the tank and spewing less at the top cover. Raytech was in CT which is probably why their machines are often found in the east. Raytech didnt lose their lapidary division, they sold it off. One guy bought the saw division and another company took the rest of the lapidary division, I havent really seen much progress from either since then though. Tony |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 12, 2023 2:05:51 GMT -5
Many years ago ( think it was in the late 1980s or early 90s) Raytech sold out to Lyman Products. Lyman Products is a shooters supply company that wanted the Raytech line of Vibe Tumblers to sell to their customers who do ammo reloading. So they bought the whole Raytech company, including the Poly-Arbor line which Raytech had acquired from Poly Products and added to their line of lapidary equipment back in the late 1970s. Lyman's didn't give a rat's yack about lapidary and discontinued production of several Raytech lapidary machines and the Poly Arbors. Which was a #$%^ shame because those Poly Arbors were among the best made. About 10 or 12 years ago I had a phone conversation with a man there who if I remember correctly was the owner at Lymans about a problem I was having with one of their then-newly outsourced South Korean diamond blades. He seemed clueless and it was nothing short of painful trying to deal with him. Fortunately Lyman's eventually sold the rights to produce the Raytech-Shaw faceting machines to Rick Scott of Scott Enterprises in Littleton, Colorado. Rick is the son of the man who was the original manufacturer of the Raytech-Shaw faceting machine. A few years later Rick acquired the rights to produce the rest of the Raytech lapidary line but at this point as far as I know he is only producing the "45 Jem Saw", the 6" trim saw, the 10" trim/slab saw, the 15" Hustler Vibrating lap, and the Raytech-Shaw faceting machine and accessories. I have dealt with Rick Scott several times over the last 15 years and he has always been friendly and helpful, and has shipped my orders quickly. Rick for the most part runs a one-man-show. He doesn't do a lot of advertising and his web sites are modest. For parts and accessories it's best to email or call him. You can see his saw and vibe lap page, and PDFs of the Owners Manuals of current and a few out of production Raytech machines at this link: rick8260.wixsite.com/raytechsaw...and you can see his Raytech-Shaw Faceting Machine page linked here: raytechshaw.com/ |
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