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Post by cabby on Jun 27, 2024 7:10:47 GMT -5
1/4” slabs are fine on my 18” vintage Covington, but I’ve found that 3/16” has me fishing through the muck around 75% of the time! Has anyone else had that experience with a big slab saw? How did you solve that issue? My star diamond 10” slab/trim saw spews oil like crazy through the armholes (beautiful cuts though) so I am using the 18” exclusively until I house train the SD.
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Post by Rockoonz on Jun 27, 2024 7:31:06 GMT -5
The tray the slabs drop onto may be too far from the blade. I don't remember the arbor on a Covington, there may be collars or set screws that position the arbor that have shifted, or maybe the tray just moved. A blade that is cupping towards the vice will also do that, if that was happening there would be a gap between the blade and the rock in the vice after a cut.
Gushers on smaller saws can be from overfilling, water coolant or oil only needs to cover 1/4 inch of blade or less, as long as it's flinging enough oil on the blade cover to drip it's enough.
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Post by cabby on Jun 27, 2024 7:57:07 GMT -5
Thank you! I did wonder about the overfilling, due to just how much spewed on the first use! I was shocked that there was any oil left. It had been filled before it was given to me, so I assumed that it was supposed to be deeper than the 1/4” that the Covington wants. Supposedly the original owner taped a plastic bag around it, so we all assumed it was just expected to be messy!
The Covington 18” does have an ever so slightly cupped blade but not nearly that level. I only figured it out because the pitch was causing me pain (hearing disability) while people with normal hearing said it sounded correct! Just leaves a bit more dull and rough of a surface than the 10”, but can only see the “wobble” if you are watching closely.
I was thinking maybe some kind of extra tray added on? It looks like the gap between the catch tray (no clue what the term is) and the blade is part of the design.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818 
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Post by Mark K on Jun 27, 2024 8:08:24 GMT -5
On my 18 inch Frantom, I use a lid from a plastic shoe box with lots of holes drilled in it. It was just a little bit wider than the space I put it in so it former itself to the size needed by rubbing on the blade until it was perfect. Now I catch almost every slab that falls. It is also a convenient way to remove a boat load of the small stuff that wants to fall down into the bottom. I also have a heavy screen below at the level of the drop off to catch other stuff.
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Post by cabby on Jun 27, 2024 8:17:45 GMT -5
Ooooh could I get a picture of that?! Sounds like exactly what I need. I don’t mind getting messy now and then but when I cut an agate that I want thinner than 1/4” I end up having to fish again and again! And I already learned what will happen if I leave things soaking! Pic is due to letting the saw finish the cut after I went inside for the night, then forgot to look for the slab the next day. No wonder it made weird noises!  |
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Post by cabby on Jun 27, 2024 8:27:58 GMT -5
Thank you for the suggestion, guys! Made me realize that I need to put effort into learning more about my machines. I was trusting/relying on father in law since he gave them to me… while he does know more about machinery than I do, he does NOT know lapidary machines and is also way more the bare-minimum-to-make-it-work-good enough type. I should be examining every tiny thing and looking around online to make sure it’s correct, like I would if I had purchased from a stranger! Will rely on this forum a heck of a lot since I don’t know what to terms to even search for when I am trying to figure something out!
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818
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Post by Mark K on Jun 27, 2024 15:42:11 GMT -5
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Post by cabby on Jun 27, 2024 16:03:28 GMT -5
OMG that is brilliant!!!! Tytytytyty!!!!
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Post by chris1956 on Jun 27, 2024 16:47:09 GMT -5
Covington must have changed this on the newer saws. Mine is very close to the tray. Only time I have things slip through is when I am trying to slice something in the 2 to 3 mm thickness range.
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