karock
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 667
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Post by karock on Feb 8, 2009 17:49:39 GMT -5
In March I will finally have the dough to purchase the next phase of equipment. You all have convinced me to get a WF. However, I have some larger material and now I am debating to get either a 10 in Covington Slab saw or ... a 10" wet tile saw. I have seen a number of them in pawn shops and on Craigs list.
I am attracted to the overhead blade and sliding table such as the MK-101 and the Brutus and they are alot cheaper than the Covington. I had a guy at a Rock Shop make an amazingly smooth cut "feehand" on a Baranca overhead with 10" blade on a piece of very hard Chalcedony.
Do slabbers use vises on the sliding tables? Decissions Decissions!
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Post by Bikerrandy on Feb 8, 2009 22:58:27 GMT -5
If you can find one in a pawn shop for a good price, I'd say go for it. I don't have the "overhead" 10 inch saw, but I still do all of my cuts freehand on the 10 inch and the Workforce. I'm guessing that it would be just as easy to cut freehand on the overhead version, probably even easier since the rock is held stationary on the table.
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hope
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2008
Posts: 477
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Post by hope on Feb 8, 2009 23:06:32 GMT -5
The Covington will be the most expensive of the bunch, but if you decide to go that route, rest assured that the guys at Covington are great people to work with in getting your saw up and running. I have a workforce that I use for trimming and it works great and I have water in it for the lube. The Covington saws I have both use oil and while the sixteen inch Covington comes with a table so you can use it to trim with, it is a little tricky to keep yourself from getting sprayed with oil. I am not sure about whether they recommend water or oil for the 10 inch saw and how they are set up for trimming.
Hope
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Mudshark
fully equipped rock polisher
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. Will Rogers
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,083
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Post by Mudshark on Feb 9, 2009 16:49:46 GMT -5
I have the Covington 10 inch.You can buy it with all the accessories or you can get just the saw base and add in the other options later on.I got the saw with everything but the plexiglass cover and the power feed.I didnt get the mounting board either,I put mine in a big plastic tray to catch the oil that drips over the table.I just added the power feed but made my own cover out of scrap plexi that I got from a carpenter.The cover went for about $90 and the power feed about $160 so you can save a few bucks there.I forget what the mounting board went for but you really dont need it.You can get it without the motor too.It can be used with water or oil.The vise flips up so you can cut freehand.So far the only thing I find tricky is getting the table off to change the blade but after doing it a few times it got a lot easier. Mike
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karock
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 667
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Post by karock on Feb 9, 2009 20:23:31 GMT -5
Thanks. What advantages, if any would having the Covington offer? What kind of oil does it use? Has any one here used the overhead blade style of tile saw?
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Post by akansan on Feb 10, 2009 9:17:18 GMT -5
I don't have the overhead blade for a tile saw, but my slab saw is a 14" drop saw. One of the few differences between the overhead and the under table versions is amount of blade showing and how the coolant is delivered. I have no problems with the way the coolant is delivered to my drop saw (two tubes on either side of the blade) - works just fine.
I think the main differences between the Covington and the MK would be the same differences as lapidary versus construction. Construction saws are made to run a lot faster, which can lead to additional chipping. You also have to check the blades you use to be sure they can run at that increased speed. Lapidary saws run a lot slower (1/2 the speed), making for a smoother cut.
Sheri (Rockhobbit (or sbreed by PM)) used to have a 7" version of the MK overhead saw. And I know someone else has the 10" version, but I can't remember who. Perhaps steveholmes?
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