offbeat
no posts
Member since May 2010
Posts: 0
|
Post by offbeat on Aug 8, 2006 14:12:06 GMT -5
I had another member ask me about this so I thought I would post a demo with photos. Didn't know where to put it so I figured the General forum would work the best. If it needs to be moved that's fine. Hope you get an idea as to what I am showing here! The rock, a small heal very hard to mount in saw vise. Biggs jasper if memory serves me....   The slab grabber...   Heal mounted in slab grabber...  Rock/grabber mounted in saw vise (my nice clean saw!)...   After a couple of cuts (too much coffee, sorry!)...  One slice left in grabber, ready for the kitty litter...  The heal sliced up!!   Sorry for so many photos, hope I sized them down enough. Any questions feel free to comment. Hope this gives you an idea as to how a slab grabber works. Great for those odd pieces that are a bugger to get mounted up in your regular saw vise. Bill |
|
|
|
Post by sbreed on Aug 8, 2006 14:23:58 GMT -5
Wow! Awesome pics! Exactly what I needed to see. Thank you so much!!
Sheri
|
|
|
|
Post by xenaswolf on Aug 8, 2006 15:22:21 GMT -5
What is the kitty litter for? GREAT tutorial, hopefully it will get saved in the lapidary tips section.
|
|
blarneystone
spending too much on rocks
Rocks in my head
Member since March 2010
Posts: 307
|
Post by blarneystone on Aug 8, 2006 15:46:03 GMT -5
Oh Cool! Thanks Bill... I just posted a thread the other day asking about these things so your timing is great! It looks like I might be able to make one with a little effort.
|
|
|
|
Post by pho on Aug 8, 2006 15:47:11 GMT -5
Man..I sure need one of those. Just what I been looking for. I toss a lot of pieces because they just can not fit into my rock vice for one reason or another. Gonna have to get one of those. Thanks for the info.
Pho
|
|
offbeat
no posts
Member since May 2010
Posts: 0
|
Post by offbeat on Aug 8, 2006 16:36:08 GMT -5
Xena,
After the slabs come off the saw, the grabber too, they are covered in saw oil. I just toss them in the kitty litter to soak up the excess oil. Most of the time over night. Then I pop them in the sink with some dawn dishsoap or simple green and give them a little bath to clean them up.
I don't think it would take much to build one, Blarney. The hardest part would be to mill in the lips on the outer edge to grab the stone. With alum. I'd bet you could even give it an edge with a hand file and a little elbow grease! Take care, Bill
|
|
WilliamC
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 416
|
Post by WilliamC on Aug 8, 2006 17:03:19 GMT -5
Greetings All,
Nice tutorial Bill, the pictures and descriptions all make perfect sense. Thanks!
William C
|
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Aug 8, 2006 17:08:37 GMT -5
Heres one I made for sands quite a while back. Bill you're right about milling the slots.The actual milling is cake but finding a tool with the correct angle isn't.I had to grind my own tool to get it just right.If the angle is off one way or the other the "jaws" won't grab right and look out!!! There goes your blade!!Jusr like mel said!!  connrock |
|
HarryB41
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2004
Posts: 605
|
Post by HarryB41 on Aug 8, 2006 17:31:40 GMT -5
Now this is what all of us need! OK.... Here is what I see. It looks like a modified muffler clamp. Auto parts store on my list next.  Harry |
|
|
|
Post by Bikerrandy on Aug 8, 2006 17:35:40 GMT -5
Daniel told me about this but now I really see how useful it is, thanks for posting!
|
|
offbeat
no posts
Member since May 2010
Posts: 0
|
Post by offbeat on Aug 8, 2006 17:44:37 GMT -5
They sell a model like the one I have shown for $22.50 at Kingsley North. I have dealt with this company before and have been very happy. I like the Alum. for blade saftey and have found that mine does a very nice job of gripping the rock tight, never had it loosen on me. It's kind of like the oak strap on my saw vice. Has a little give being softer and that seems to help. Bill
|
|
|
|
Post by joe on Aug 8, 2006 18:21:27 GMT -5
Ok, if a picture is worth a thousand words then this post is a novel! But I finally get it!!! Thank you Bill. |
|
|
|
Post by sandsman1 on Aug 8, 2006 18:21:53 GMT -5
good idea bill when i first started i had no idea what one looked like or how it was used after i seen one hahaha --- and xena is right we should move this to tips so it dont get burried too far -- if you dont mind ill move the whole thing to tips cause i think many will get info from your tutorial
|
|
|
|
Post by deb193 on Aug 8, 2006 19:23:38 GMT -5
Yeah, Ron's Rocks on ebay has them for $17.95 with actual shipping. It is a few bucks cheaper than anywhere else.
|
|
offbeat
no posts
Member since May 2010
Posts: 0
|
Post by offbeat on Aug 8, 2006 20:19:10 GMT -5
Feel free to move the thread over to the tips section, John. I thought about posting it there but figured as long as it was new a few more might see it in the general section, thanks!
I looked at the one Rons Rocks had on ebay. The model that Kingsley has is larger. Rons only opens to 3 inches, the one at Kingsley opens to 4 1/2 inches. I needed the extra space between the wing nuts for the top strap of my rock vise. That is one thing to keep in mind, what kind of vise you are going to use the grabber with then go from there. There are so many differing types of vises out there it is good to have the different styles of slab grabbers. Bill
|
|
|
|
Post by sandsman1 on Aug 8, 2006 22:43:02 GMT -5
hey it came in handie here im sure--- i just dont want a good topic to get so deep nobody can find it -- this is the kind of info that will get alot of hits every time more people start cuttin and slabbin they will be looking for this kind of info,, hell i might have bought one sooner if i had seen someone use it hahaha
and theres two dif sizes to the gold lortones i bet if ya asked ron he might have one in his store he could sell -- hey im not pushin the store or the grabber its just thats the only kind i have and they work fine even though id love to get the large size made in steel also but i think my machinest is retired hahaha
|
|
offbeat
no posts
Member since May 2010
Posts: 0
|
Post by offbeat on Aug 8, 2006 23:01:03 GMT -5
Move it over when ever you feel it should go, John. It is nice to know a little about tools before you buy them for sure. I never thought to check with Ron to see if he had other sizes. I don't care much where I get my stuff, as long is it is what I need and at the best price with a bit of service thrown in! I see these come in different sizes and some are of a different style, this is good with all the different style saw vise's on different saws. Like I said, I need the style that has room for my top vise clamp. I have another saw that has the vise that squeezes the rock to hold it that would need a style more like the one that was pictured above. The one pictured I got used at a rock shop for $10, I just love it. I would have had a bugger of a time getting that odd shaped end piece of jasper in my saw vise. I can get my last cut pretty close to 1/4 inch with the grabber, can't ask for more than that. Few things in life work as well as you think they might, this has been one of them for me. Take care, Bill
|
|
|
|
Post by sandsman1 on Aug 8, 2006 23:41:43 GMT -5
bill try this see how you have the bolts standing up in the vise well depending on the rock and how i have to grab it ill slide it to one end of the grabber or the other in the jaws and then lay it down in the vise with the part with mosta the rock sticking out at the top and it works great that way too it would make you not worry about the room between two wing nutts and it holds alot tighter too when ya grab the two pieces with the vise bar when its laying down
|
|
RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
|
Post by RedwoodRocks on Aug 9, 2006 0:59:26 GMT -5
Excellant tutorial, much appreciated. I need to get one of them! I saw the nut on the backside bolt, great idea so that the top bar doesn't get to lop sided.
|
|
carpqueen
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2006
Posts: 93
|
Post by carpqueen on Aug 9, 2006 8:15:57 GMT -5
Oh, now I get it Bill! Excellent instructions! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question so thoroughly! Another thing for my anniversary/Sweetest Day/birthday/Christmas list.
Happy Day,
CQ
|
|
... to the New Guys from The ChatBox V.2 Crew