RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 137
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Apr 24, 2024 8:41:27 GMT -5
The closest rock club with a big saw is over 3 hours away from me, and nobody in the local club has a saw over 12 inches except me. So it's not practical to try to use someone else's stuff. There's a used 24 inch for sale a few hours away but it isn't cheap. I have a 16 inch right now that's a homemade job, and it's not very precise. It bugs the dickens out of me to get a wedge-shaped slab off of that thing, but it's fairly common (even when my rock doesn't move and the previous cut was pristine.) It's just not built with a high level of precision in the carriage and some "drift" can happen. (I also have a 12 inch, but manage to do consistently good cuts with it, which helps me blame the saw instead of the operator.)
This is a hobby for me, not a living. (Not even a profit-generating hobby.) So the bigger saw seems like a ridiculous indulgence. Then again I only get so much time in my workshop, and the time spent wrenching on the 16 inch seems like precious hobby time wasted. And then it'll probably turn into a whole give-a-mouse-a-cookie thing when, once I have a bigger saw I'm gonna want bigger rough to cut in it. You can't dig up the good stuff where I live - I have to go get it or have it shipped in.
those of you who have a beast - was it worth it? Or is it a black hole you pour money into?
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Post by HankRocks on Apr 24, 2024 8:57:08 GMT -5
I would say that unless you have a need and you are able to find a real bargain do not buy one. In my case I had a good selection of large pieces and access to more and I lucked into a bargain 24" saw. In addition I have also developed a bit of a business, 3 to 4 shows a year, to recover "some" of my expenses.
Good luck
Henry
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Post by chris1956 on Apr 24, 2024 9:06:05 GMT -5
That is a big saw. It might help others to understand what type of material you want to cut and what you want to do with it. I bought a new 16" saw and had the same dilemma. I chose the 16" because it seemed there was a large price increase above that approximate size.
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 703
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Post by AzRockGeek on Apr 24, 2024 9:34:12 GMT -5
It depends on the price and condition of the saw. I picked up my HP24 years back for $600 and a 6.5 hour drive to get it, can't pass a deal like that up. If it is cheap enough, you can always sell it in the future when you are done with it and hopefully make a few bucks in the process.
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ThomasT
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2022
Posts: 616
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Post by ThomasT on Apr 24, 2024 9:57:54 GMT -5
If you don't have direct access to the bigger pieces of material the question might be how often you need it.
I have a 24" HP with an oil cleaner on it and we have access to large rough so for us it's worth having that equipment.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 24, 2024 13:31:03 GMT -5
I too live in an area where there isn't much in the way of large native cabbing rough. And have 10", 12" 14" 18" and 20" slab saws and cut mostly materials from the western U.S., Mexico and Australia that have been shipped into the eastern U.S. over the years. The 14" and 18" saws by far get the most use and IMO are the most practical for most average commercially available cabbing rough sizes. That said I still am always on the lookout for a screaming deal on a 24" saw. I have a few rocks worthy of slabbing that are too large for my 20" saw so have been squirreled away just waiting. But if I could only have one size slab saw, for my situation and for cutting slabs primarily for cabbing, I would choose the 14" over the others.
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Post by HankRocks on Apr 24, 2024 15:48:45 GMT -5
When I found my 24" saw I was not really in the market for one, just happened be browsing Craigslist about an hour after it was posted and promptly e-mailed the seller. As it turned out it was 15 minutes before the 2nd buyer e-mailed. In life one has to recognize opportunities when they arise and move on them. The seller threw in about 400 pounds of agate and geodes for free as he was retiring and moving out of the country.
A couple things about my 24 inch Highland Park model, it occupies a good bit of floor space, That and it can cut rocks that I cannot safely place on the carriage without help from someone. There are folks who can place a 50 pound rock gently on the carriage, I am not one of them. It also takes about 15 gallons of oil to fill. And cleanout is a character builder!!
Henry
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 25, 2024 9:03:59 GMT -5
When it comes to saws I'm not telling anyone no, unless it's really cheap and close enough for me to get it...  However, I can advise for sure. What is the brand name, there are a couple of manufacturers who really did the bigger saws well, and a few that are just terrible. Highland Park, FranTom, and Barranca made excellent saws, Covington and others not as good. Most lesser factory saws can be improved on, but then you just have another hobby and not enough time for it. And when you say high price, what does that mean? $100.00 per inch of diameter ($2400) was pretty standard for ready to use old saws until a few years ago, now $150.00 ($3600) is not unheard of, even more. The advantage as a buyer is all sales are local sales, and sometimes they are slow to sell, and if they aren't moving offers are more likely to be considered. I had to adopt out my FranTom 24 when we moved 1400 miles, I would get another, but it would have to be a deal. |
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 137
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Apr 26, 2024 18:46:30 GMT -5
Thank you to all of you for chiming in! I appreciate you helping me think like a grownup! (not easy for someone still fixated on pretty rocks at my age!) The saw sold while I was hemming and hawing, but maybe I'm better off to spend that $2500 on a pallet of new rocks and cut 'em down with what I have anyway. I've got a machinist neighbor who keeps talking about building a saw. Maybe I'll wait for him to get around to it!
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