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Post by Bejewelme on Apr 19, 2009 21:40:39 GMT -5
Well since my man is too busy with school, and I am the most impatient person, I figured I needed to buy a Work Force to cut my own rocks, rather than waiting on Tony! I really hate cutting rocks! I know many of you really seem to enjoy slabbing, I really don't!! I like giving Tony a box when he leaves and getting them back all slabbed up!! LOL Not to mention I was the one that noticed how Randy cuts backwards and do you think I remebered that today, NOOOOOO as I was getting soaked and obsidinan thrown at me, that stuff hurts!!! Now I need a saw station or something outside, so now I am thinking I need a patio, and a stand, and a roof over it, and water, all for an $89 saw!! LOL!! Here are my first attempts at hacking rocks! By the time I got everything washed, they were starting to dry, a storm was brewing, sorry they are not the best photos! Obsidians Rainbow, gold sheen, and royal velvet, and silver sheen. The rock shop near us had rainbow obsidian, for .78 for a potato sized rock! Botswana Agates- the local crappy rock shop had these, I bought 4 of them not expecting to be impressed for $4.48! The one was full of amethyst crystals, beautiful bands of color! But man they are hard to cut! I love bots almost as much as lagunas! Brazilian Banded Agate! These were $1.00 at the crappy rock shop, they were suppose to be banded agates. No banding but rather a peach crystal filled one, and this solid black and white one, still neat, I wish I had a flat lap now! Tony and I went collecting along the railroad tracks again by the quarry and found some interesting stuff. Rock and Gem had an article on collecting slag in Birdsboro near me, and finally we found the creek and there was this big hunk of slag just waiting for me, that is the swirly stuff! The conglomerate rock is cool, with almost gold like blobs. And we found some good Prehinite specimens. Tony has all the rocks so I hope he will post a report! Found out there are several wire bridges to cross! This was some of the stuff from the rock shop in VA Beach last weekend, pet wood, zebra lace, bruneau, red imperial jasper. So that was my first workforce encounter. I think I need a lesson, or 2 more months until Tony's graduation, and I get my saw man back!! Amber
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Post by beefjello on Apr 19, 2009 22:05:52 GMT -5
Wow you was busy there!! Very cool cuts Amber, you'll grow to love slabbing, I'm sure
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randy
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2008
Posts: 117
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Post by randy on Apr 19, 2009 22:35:01 GMT -5
I don't think that I cut that much on my WF in the 6 or 7 months that I have owned the saw!! I am a big fan of Botswana, so I liked those best. Have fun.
Randy (non-biker)
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Post by Michael John on Apr 19, 2009 23:35:57 GMT -5
Sheesh! That was a LOT of cutting! Now, isn't it hard to imagine how you ever did WITHOUT it?
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Post by Bejewelme on Apr 20, 2009 6:02:34 GMT -5
Well I was using my 4" wet saw, and that thing is really loud, so I thought a little bigger one would help! I guess it is like anything else, trial and error. The 4 inch does a good job with the slabs, I think I need to invest in the better blade for the WF now.
Randy-now I know not to get you confused with Biker Randy, LOL!!
Amber
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Geo-Ing Crazy
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2008
Posts: 238
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Post by Geo-Ing Crazy on Apr 20, 2009 6:23:12 GMT -5
I bought a Work Force a few weeks ago and havent cut NEAR that much. You have a lot to work with! I'm also going to try the trick of working from the back and pulling the rock towards me, because I was SOAKED the last time I used mine. Barb
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Apr 20, 2009 7:38:47 GMT -5
Way to go Amber! It gets addicting see what's inside and figuring out the orientation of the first cut! The hours fly by.
There's no comparison cutting from behind. A few splatters on the glasses, and that's about it.
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Post by akansan on Apr 20, 2009 9:23:18 GMT -5
LOL - your crappy rock shop seems to be better than anything I have around here.
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Post by NatureNut on Apr 20, 2009 10:32:45 GMT -5
Yeah Amber! Congrats! Jo
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nancyid
has rocks in the head
No stone goes unturned.
Member since January 2009
Posts: 563
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Post by nancyid on Apr 20, 2009 10:52:00 GMT -5
You cut all that stuff on a WF? Wow! You are a tough woman ;D
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Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 20, 2009 11:16:35 GMT -5
Congrats on the tile saw. Given that you are a "cabber", I guess I always assumed that you had one. It is by far the cheapest piece of equipment that you can get for the hobby costing less than most rotary tumblers.
I think you will get to like cutting more as you lose your fear of the saw. Istarted out trying to use the table guides to do a straight cut, but after an hour or so, started free hand and took off from there.
You cab not cut yourself, even if you try. The worst damage that I have done is ground down a fingernail a little short trying to do a thin slice. Didn't even feel it, or I would have stopped before I ground it down.
The biggest thrill is when you slice an ugly rock with little or no expectation, and rinse the slab to be WOWed by what's inside. In the case of agates, often the most beutiful rocks inside are crusty and distorted on the outside. (Kind of like some people.)
Don't bother with an expensive lapidary quality blade. If you self-collect, or trade, you don't have to concern yourself about wasting a little extra rock because your blade is a few 1000's of an inch thicker than the expemnsive blades. I use the QP replacement blades sold at Home Depot. I have cut about 400 hundred mini-salbs over the past two weeks, and my $17.95 blade still has a little life in it.
Everything I post is limited in size to what I can cut on my tile saw, and every cut amazes me. I hope you continue to amaze yourself.
150FromFundy
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Post by frane on Apr 20, 2009 11:24:45 GMT -5
Well, your first time with the saw and you did great Amber! I sure love all the rocks you cut up and I know they will be turned into beautiful cabs! next time, you have to turn it around. It really works great! Fran
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Post by Tonyterner on Apr 20, 2009 13:02:03 GMT -5
Well that takes some of the pressure off of me. One less thing on the honey do list. lol I know you hate doing it but at least you are willing to do it go get your rocks slabbed.
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Post by Bejewelme on Apr 20, 2009 13:20:06 GMT -5
Now a patio, a stand and a waterproof cover are on your honey do list, LOL! Would have been easier to just slab my rocks huh? Amber
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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 Apr 20, 2009 15:29:32 GMT -5
Amber,this setup works just fine for me 8-)Should only take Tony a couple weekends ;D Mike
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Post by Michael John on Apr 20, 2009 16:45:14 GMT -5
Mike, I couldn't help but notice that your chair/saw positioning indicates that you're cutting with the rotation of the saw coming toward you. PLEASE turn your saw around! That's REAL dangerous! When a rock binds and kicks, your face is a prime target with that setup! Once you've turned the saw around, you'll find that not only is it a bit easier to cut, but you'll get wet a LOT less.
Amber, as time goes on, you'll enjoy cutting more and more. Once you accidentally bump the blade with your fingers a few times (it WILL happen, and it'll scare the hell out of you), you'll experience the strange feeling of not getting cut by a power saw, and you'll get much more brave and aggressive with it. Since you have the little 4" trim saw, there's absolutely no benefit to your changing the WF blade. That blade is darn-near indestructible, and for lack of better terminology, it just flat-out kicks ass. Believe me, enjoy it while you can! There are "replacements", but they're not the same. You could keep a thinner blade around for when you want to cut expensive material where you don't want to lose what's eaten by the kerf of the WF blade, but otherwise, use that WF blade!
BTW ... anyone who doesn't want their stock WF blade, feel free to send it to me! LOL
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Post by Bejewelme on Apr 20, 2009 18:27:37 GMT -5
I am not afraid of the blade, I am more afraid of the sparks and burning I seem to create! I guess I push the stuff through too fast, and then trying to turn them to get them cut the whole way. After hitting myself previously with a rock in the face I learned to roll it towards me! DUH!!!
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Post by sitnwrap on Apr 20, 2009 20:24:31 GMT -5
Well for someone who does not like to cut rock, you really cut a lot of them. Big congrats to you. You cut some beautiful stuff there.
Remember to keep loose clothing away from the saw so it wont grab and pull you in.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Apr 20, 2009 21:00:03 GMT -5
Go cut some more. ;D Those Bots are sweet!!
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kjohn0102
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 774
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Post by kjohn0102 on Apr 21, 2009 14:59:14 GMT -5
Yay for you Amber! It's so much fun slicing into a pile of rocks and seeing what's inside. I got a folding work bench from Home Depot that I use for both the saw and the CabMate. I cut in the garage and then squeezie out the water when I'm done.
kj
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