rogerr
starting to shine!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 31
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Post by rogerr on Sept 9, 2008 15:50:30 GMT -5
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 9, 2008 17:05:26 GMT -5
I think you want at least the MK-215
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Post by johnjsgems on Sept 11, 2008 8:08:01 GMT -5
"Tile and stone" means marble/granite counters and tile, not hard lapidary ough.
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 11, 2008 17:08:29 GMT -5
I'm sorry but referring someone to a lapidary supply house for tile saw blades is not correct. I agree that these suppliers offer blades best suited to cutting hard stone, but the question is about a blade for a tile saw which must consider faster speeds, need for 7" diameter, and the need for thicker blades to take the abuse of hand feeding. Many pluses to the "true" lapidary blades. Since the question was asking about a blade to cut hard materials on a tile saw , I figured cost as well as the whole "tile saw thing" was in the mix. Blades for cement, tile, marble will disappoint. Blades rated for granite/porcelain are generally good enough to cut agate and jasper on a tile saw. Brazilian agate (and some chert/flint) may offer more challenge than some - its not just hard but also dense. Some of the lapidary blades are only designed to run at 1750 RPM, while most tile saws run at 3400 RPM. I would not put any type of notched rim or bonded diamond blade on a tile saw and expect it to last at those speeds. But, the newer stainless steel slintered blades mostly seem designed to run over a greater range of speeds. I would not hesitate to put a slintered lapidary blade (e.g., MK 303) on a tile saw if it was .050 thick, except it is harder to find that one in 7" ( www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=MK+303+7%22&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title) and stepping back to 6" may bring other issues. I like the MK 225 because it is a 7" construction blade and perfectly suited to tile saws. It is also for harder material and fast cutting. The MK 215 may not cut as fast (I have no personal experience) but it appeared to be for harder material than the MK 200. If you want to avoid all chipping and can afford to ruin the occasional MK 303 while hand-feeding rocks, spend $50'ish and get one. Don't get .032 or .040 - get .050 thick. If you want to have a reasonably good, reasonably clean cutting blade, thick enough to take some abuse, stick with the MK construction blades for granite/porcelain, or other construction blades rated for granite or harder. Avoid the $6 tile blades sold on ebay, and even the MK-99 and such.
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 11, 2008 23:25:16 GMT -5
Jack (lapidaryrough) deleted his denigeation of me for daring to talk about tile saw blades instead of lapidary ones, but I'll leave this here in case anyone else is concerned that I did not say hard-rock=lapidary-blade-only
... There is a practice here of using tiles saws and tile saw blades at the low-end or entry-stage of cutting up rough to tumble. It is a 1st step beyond the cold steel chisel. See the thread with over 100 WorkForce saws in use here.
Yes, you did list lapidary blades only. My point exactly. The question was about which tile saw blades would be usable on a tile saw to deal with harder material. (Could you have possibly missed the way I put tile saw in bold and quotes in my prior response??) Using these saws is something many folks here are doing - and for the most part they do not put lapidary blades on them. I am sorry if you do not like that, but I suspect we will not stop. So, it might be best to wait until someone asks about lapidary blades, or how they differ from tiles saw blades, before you go beating the lapidary blade drum so loudly and so exclusively.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Sept 12, 2008 10:16:17 GMT -5
?? Where is there a ref. to LSH and who is Jack, did I miss something...I'm cofused.
Dr Joe
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 12, 2008 17:53:17 GMT -5
Jack is lapidary rough who had deleted several posts. I am not sure what LSH is
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Sept 12, 2008 22:56:30 GMT -5
LSH=lapidary supply house
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 13, 2008 18:46:27 GMT -5
Oh, that was in the deleted posting with all the links to MKDiamond, and Kingesly North. I like Kingesly, but you can't find any tile blade there. They don't even carry the 7" size form the MK lines.
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Post by johnjsgems on Sept 13, 2008 19:22:44 GMT -5
Spend $60ish to $70ish and buy a 7" x .067" MK303P blade. I personally have used it demonstrating the MK 7" tile saw (5500 rpm, 1/2 hp). Both their 7" and 10" tile saws marketed to lapidary come standard with the 303P and cut agate like butter. The down side is list price for the 7" blade is $84. Standard tile blades make great grinders/shapers but won't cut fast or smooth through hard materials. Lapidary blades as mentioned before are not designed for high speeds so need frequent dressing and will wear out much faster. I'd say if cost is an issue skip the really "too good to be true" $6-$10 blades and work your way up the tile blade line until you find one that works for you. None will last very long hand feeding hard materials as they are designed for abusive (labor costs more than tile so hurry up) cutting of soft materials. I use a 4" tile saw as my primary trim saw with 303C blades. Works great but uses up blades pretty quick (5500 rpm).
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 13, 2008 21:03:04 GMT -5
Good advice - both about skipping the too good to be true, and the working up until what suits best is found. For each person, variation in material being cut, how heavy the hand is, and budget might put that point up or down a notch in quality. Thats pretty much what I did, settling on the MK 225 as my cost/benefit tipping point. I tried the 303C though and not the 303P, and may have to repeat the experiment one day,
I think eventually I will just have to go with two small saws. One, workforce or similar, with the less expensive and thicker balde that I throw rocks at, and the other, maybe an 8" trim saw that I keep a better thinner blade on, use mostly for trimming slabs, or a careful cut on the occasional nodule. T think I would change the pulleys to run the blade a bit faster if it was set for 1750 RPM. Or maybe the tile saw, and then trim good slabs with a C-40.
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ksk
having dreams about rocks
Member since October 2008
Posts: 69
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Post by ksk on Dec 1, 2008 16:13:11 GMT -5
What is the differece between the MK-303C and the MK-303P blades? I only can find the MK-303 plain on the MK Diamond site?
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Post by Tonyterner on Dec 2, 2008 11:13:19 GMT -5
I've used the MK-225 with great success on my Workforce saw. It just gave out on me the other week after 9 months of heavy cutting. That is twice as long as any other blade has lasted. Daniel you really need to chill out sometimes.
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