fakdaddy
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2023
Posts: 2
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Post by fakdaddy on Aug 10, 2023 16:42:24 GMT -5
Hi guys and gals My wife collects a lot of petrified wood We have cut previously using. 7” tile saw with ok results but we have some rocks over 40lbs.
Any suggestions on a 12” or larger saw for a beginner ?
Thx
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Post by liveoak on Aug 12, 2023 6:10:45 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum Having big Petrified pieces is a good thing !
Sorry, I don't have a recommend on a larger saw- I have a MK 10" saw which I adore .
Maybe some one else ??
Patty
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,665
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Post by Tommy on Aug 12, 2023 10:11:52 GMT -5
Hi guys and gals My wife collects a lot of petrified wood We have cut previously using. 7” tile saw with ok results but we have some rocks over 40lbs. Any suggestions on a 12” or larger saw for a beginner ? Thx Welcome! There are several things to unpack in your post so I'll just start with I'm not certain that there IS a 12" or larger saw that can really be classified as a beginner saw. Outside of the transporting and setting up, the learning curve and process of cutting on a 12" saw vs. a 30" saw is fundamentally the same so I would say go with the saw that best fits your life, and space. When I think of cutting a 40lb rock I'm thinking along the of an 18" to 24" HP. If she or you are handy and able to tinker and repair things and have a good sized ventilated area for a large oil cooled saw, maybe look for an older HP type saw on the online sales networks etc. If you have a truck or trailer and are up for a drive our trusted member catmandewe has used saws coming out of his ears in south central Idaho. Maybe he can chime in here. Last time I was at his place in summer of 2020 he was fixing up a Royal 16"
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 12, 2023 10:39:02 GMT -5
Welcome from AZ. Choosing a saw, seems like I've been choosing them all lately. Where do you live? The market for saws is pretty regional for price and availability, and also in many areas there are rock clube that operate member shops with saws, an opportunity to try before you buy and get familiar with the operation. You have the tile saw for little hand cutters, so personally I would skip to at least 14 inches if you can. A slab saw will cut a rock about 1/3 of the blade diameter in height, length depends on vice capacity, I think my old FranTom 14 will do about 6" long and the 18 opens up to about 10". A 40# hunk of pet wood can be pretty big. Older FranTom and Highland Park saws are fairly common and good quality saws, though there are many lesser known brands that are good as well. I personally avoid Covington and any kit saw in a wooden tub. When it comes to saw operation, the most important things are having the rock firmly in the saw and making sure the saw is dialed in. There are a lot of good videos on YouTube for saws, I like the ones from John and Sherman at HP lapidary, though I won't be buying one of their saws, too expensive.
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Post by Pat on Aug 12, 2023 10:57:25 GMT -5
Welcome from California. Can’t help with the saws. I have a 4” tile saw, and a 4” thin blade Ameritool saw for finer things. I like them both.
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Post by stardiamond on Aug 24, 2023 12:53:51 GMT -5
Except for a trim saw, I don't believe there is a beginner's saw. Anyone who wants to start slabbing should go through a program, like driver training and introduction to equipment repair.
A trim saw is simple. Make sure there is coolant for the blade and that you don't bind it. Worst case, you buy a new blade.
I waited 7 years to unpack my 16 inch Covington combo saw. When I started using it we had a rocky (no pun intended) relationship. Blade binding, clutch slipping, carriage drifting, rock slipping in the vise and expensive blades getting damaged.
I bought a 10 inch Highland Park slab which is almost idiot proof. Put the right amount of oil in it and not much can go wrong. Most slab saws have a vise like a wood vise which is great for wood. This saw comes with a vertical vise which is good for cutting small, odd shaped rough. The only issue I had with the saw was the carriage release lever was balky and the clutch spring (very small part broke). Supposedly, they fixed the carriage release problem which was likely responsible for the spring breaking. It is slow, doesn't jam and the blade thickness (kerf) is small (.032) which wastes less expensive material.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 24, 2023 20:02:05 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona!
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fakdaddy75
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2023
Posts: 2
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Post by fakdaddy75 on Sept 24, 2023 13:25:50 GMT -5
Thanks guys(gals) For some reason I didnt get these notificaitons then forgot about teh post - I think somehow I have two accounts - unsure where the emails go to. Is there somewhere on the site where there are plans that someone is willing ot share for a 12->16" lapidary slab saw ? I can fabricate most things with a bit of guidance thx
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Post by liveoak on Sept 25, 2023 6:26:17 GMT -5
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fakdaddy75
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2023
Posts: 2
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Post by fakdaddy75 on Sept 25, 2023 10:21:31 GMT -5
thanks Patty
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