docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jan 19, 2009 19:37:07 GMT -5
I was in Sears today and thwey have a new Craftsman 7" saw that looks a lot like the new Work Force saw at HD. it was on sale for $79 from $99. Mark H.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 20, 2009 12:55:37 GMT -5
Never thought of using a tile saw to cut rocks and (Or) fossils.......
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jan 21, 2009 0:08:53 GMT -5
Hey, Fossil. Welcome to the board. I'm a newbie in manty ways- my knowledge base is like Swiss cheese, part firmly solid, but full of holes,. A lot of threads have been writtenon the topic. One of our more experienced board members estimated recently that about 10% of our members have a Work Force trim saw from Home Depot. it's a grteaty little tool for little jobs you would use a trim saw for, at a fraction of the price. A diamond saw is a diamond saw. Generally, the smooth edged blades like the one that comes of the Work Force 7" saw (under $90) are favored for smooth cuts and less mess - the blades throw a lot of water.
Recently, this saw was discontinued and has been replaced by a new model that we just don't know anything aboput yet. It may be from a different manufacturer, and built to different specs. It looks different, forsure. Time will t4ll. I have one of the closed out models and I'm really happy with it. It cuts clean and fast. The blades are thicker than many trim saws and aren't suitable for very expensive gem material, where the amount of material the blade chews to dust may cost a considerable sum. Trim saws for this purpose use very thin blades. The WOrk Force (or WF, as its called here) can cut small slabs you couldn't do with a small (4-6") trim saw. It's fine for making preforms (roughly outlined shapes) from slab material. Its good for removing waste and projections from stones to be tumblerd, too.
Again, welcome. You'll find everyone here helpful and the vendors honest and generous. There's a klot of expertise here.
Mark H.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 23, 2009 18:43:45 GMT -5
(thumbs up) ;D
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Jan 23, 2009 19:35:36 GMT -5
A tile saw works great, and so does my angle grinder super grinder.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 25, 2009 8:29:26 GMT -5
Thanks for the lead on the Sears saw. It's identical to the new WF.
Chuck
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Post by frane on Jan 25, 2009 8:40:33 GMT -5
I just ordered mine from sears yesterday. They were out but it will be here on the 28th. Yippy! Fran
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jan 25, 2009 14:06:10 GMT -5
I hope it proves as reliable as the WF was. I saw tghe Ryobi at HD last night and its really nice- it was mentioned in another thread. I forget the store price but the thread mentioned it was about $150. A lot of Sears stuff is made buy Emerson electric. It ought to be OK. It all depends on the qualirt of the supplied blade.
Mark H.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 26, 2009 7:21:09 GMT -5
The supplied blade is QEC (?) brand and thick: about 1/8" at the cutting edge. It looked very heavy duty and would chew up a lot of stone while cutting.
Chuck
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Post by mohs on Jan 26, 2009 11:13:13 GMT -5
I'm pretty satified with my Workforce. Got it at HD. I thought I'd have to upgrade the blade. Buy the thinner kerf blade that HD sales. But the blade it comes with is working out well. I'm just shaping up small pieces of slabbed material for the rough grinding. Yes, I do see the waste but for my application its fine. Does throws lots of water like metioned above. I duct taped a piece of scotch-brite pad over by the back of the blade. Helped considerably.
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jan 26, 2009 20:32:36 GMT -5
I just bought a new blade for my older model WF I recently bought when they were being closed out- I trashed the blade forcing material, I think. I replaced it with some trashty blades off ebay and while they would be OK for concrete, they create way too much vibration and crack my slabettes. The waste is considerable and they are hard to install with their thick edge. i bought a replacement at HD and the choices were a cheaper blade like the eBay blades, the Husky with a slightly thicker blade than the thickness of the plate, and the Rigid which was fairly flush at the edge/plate junction. The Rigid was $40 and, so for $5 more I got a MK 225 which was highly recommended. The MK pricing was about the best I've run across on that blade, and no shipping. Just a little sales tax. Mark H.
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