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Post by MyNewHobby on May 8, 2009 22:51:20 GMT -5
I just got done putting it together and it is a neat little toy.
However ... I now understand what everyone is talking when you say that I will always want a bigger one.
I already want a bigger one.
The blade cutting height is only about 1 1/2". So for the time being I will be slicing and cutting down to size a lot of the little slabs I have gotten over the past few months and since I have ordered my Gryphon (which I should have by Thursday). I should be in cab making heavy.
Now all I have to do is get a vibe. But I am going to try to tumble some of the cabs with a lot of cushion in one of the Lortones.
Any ideas, input, suggestions??? Bring it on!!!
As always Julie
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Post by Michael John on May 9, 2009 1:47:27 GMT -5
"Any ideas, input, suggestions?"
* Take off the fence, the blade guard, and the table.
* Stand BEHIND the blade to cut.
* Don't wear any loose clothing or jewelry.
* Line-up your rough with the blade so that your slab will be the same thickness throughout the slab ... not as easy as it sounds!
* Cut LOTS of rocks!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on May 9, 2009 6:03:46 GMT -5
Don't twist or turn the rock as you cut; cut straight through.
Have plenty of water ready to refill the tray.
As for vibes, assuming you're doing low volume, several people like the Lot-O.
Chuck
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Post by MyNewHobby on May 9, 2009 16:00:47 GMT -5
Deep .... Thank you for all the great notes. I just got done printing it out along with Michael's and Hard Rock Cafe's notes.
I got set up at the kitchen sink. I have a really great BIG hardened plastic board 18" x 24" x 1/2".
However ... even though I did my first small cut, I am soaking wet, head to toe!!!! It's actually funny!!! I am still wearing my pajamas, so no harm with clothes there.
Michael ...
Cutting from behind the blade ... will that help with the splash factor? Being at the kitchen sink is ideal as there is really nothing that the water can hurt.
The blade guard seems to help with the splash. But, if the cutting from behind as stated above will help keep that down ... it's a good thing?
Right now, due to the limited blade capacity .... uh ..... wait ... can I cut something larger all the way through, then flip it over and finish the split?
Hard Rock ...
Right now I am still so nervous about getting it right, that cutting a straight line is my only goal.
And .... I have received so many slices already that my intent now is to slice em up a bit and then next week when I get my Gryphon Studio (John has already dropped it off at UPS) I can play with grooving and maybe work a bit with the 120 bit to smooth (somewhat) the edges on the slices.
I am then going to try to put as many slices as I can into one of the Lortones with a LOT of cushion probably into 120/220 for the edges and then into pre polish for a couple of days and then final polish.
I do not know when I will be able to get a vibe.
And .... I have an extra (no longer used) Mr Coffee pot filled with water to do just that. The blade guard is easily removed so I can check the level I would think every two- three slices.
As always Guys!!!! Thanks Julie
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Post by Michael John on May 9, 2009 17:02:57 GMT -5
Take the saw outside!
If you're BEHIND the blade (top of the blade spinning away from you), you won't get aywhere near as wet, BUT, the main reason is safety. When rocks bind, they sometimes go flying from the saw, and if you're standing in front of the blade, you're gonna get hit. Also, when rocks get kicked from the blade, they can hit other stuff, too ... take the saw outside!
The trick to cutting bigger rocks is "rolling" the rock. Once you've started a cut, you then expand the cut tilting forward and backward until you've actually rotated the rock in a full circle. This allows you to make slabs almost twice as wide as the exposed blade. It takes practice to get good at it, but it's not that hard. The other "trick" is to remove the table, as I said in my previous post. This allows more of the blade to be exposed.
The blade guard is dangerous, plus you can't roll rocks with it on. Take it off. You'll soon experience the strange feeling of bumping a spinning diamond blade and not being hurt.
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Post by stonesthatrock on May 9, 2009 17:15:00 GMT -5
ok michael has explained it best. just play with it and you will learn. but i would Take It Outside. if you can
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Post by mohs on May 9, 2009 17:22:00 GMT -5
that is a concern, Michael I haven't had a rock fly Yet... but its a concern when slabbing misshape rocks
I cut from the side & try to stay away from the front less wet too but getting wet is part of it
I did duct tape a scotch brite pad toward the back of the blade that cut down the spray- pretty good when just roughing out a slab i don't mind standing front of the machine then but the pad gets in the line of sight when slabbing
but for slabbing a booger of a rock its best done from behind or at least off to the side
learning how to roll a rock that will be sweet
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Post by cpdad on May 9, 2009 17:38:44 GMT -5
julie there is a 100 diff ways to do things of course ;D...i have been called the master of the workforce before....i dont believe it....and have seen others better than me ;D heres my deal....and much of it said before. do cut from the back of the saw if possible...pulling the rock towards you....and go ahead and use both hands to hold the rock....the blade wont cut you...maybe a little burn....but no real danger at all. do not remove the water guard...it helps greatly with spray.....just pull it up somewhat....so you can see.....use the fence if you want...it can help in learning to hold a rock straight.....but you will remove it shortly ;D its boring...making straight cuts only....after getting used to the feel of the cutting process.....you will need to start rolling your rocks on the blade...as said before try not to move your rock left to right....that binds the blade....but rolling the rock can double the capacity of the saw.....and by rolling the rock...it constantly lets extra water in for cooling the blade. i do not block rocks at all...after practice....you can cut perfectly straight slabs by using both hands to hold the rock....up to 3 inches in diameter...it does take a lot of practice rolling the rock though....to get good straight cuts. i say...just practice cutting smaller rocks in half at first....that will get you used to the blade and cutting action.....then try slabbing a few of them smaller rocks....then use them same smaller rocks....to start to learning to roll rocks on the blade....using both hands. once you get used to your saw this is possible....its 3 inches tall....and almost 5 inches long done on the workforce....it is not thicker in the middle as the pic seems....some kind of weird angle or something i got .....but you can do it.....its 1/16 thick end to end. click the pics. grab some rocks....cut them rocks....you can do a lot more than you think you and that saw can do ;D...kev.
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Post by Michael John on May 9, 2009 17:52:28 GMT -5
"Off to the side" doesn't give you the straight-on perspective needed to to cut even-thickness slabs. In order to have that perspective, you need to be either in front or behind the blade. Behind is safer and drier. Cutting from the side is good for cutting slabs into shapes.
Rolling rocks can yield slabs of up to about 2.5-3", but the shape of rocks doesn't always make the task easy, and sometimes impossible. "Rolling" also causes the greatest possibility for binding, which in turn often causes your rock to become a projectile. Roll slowly and steadily, taking great care to keep the cut even, and keep your hands very steady. Don't grip the rock too hard, and DO NOT STAND IN FRONT OF THE BLADE!!! Always stand BEHIND the blade if you're going to roll.
My experience and perspective ... you can roll rocks to make wider slabs, but unless you really need a BIG cab, it's much better to just cut rocks that are small enough to cut on the WF in the normal fashion. You just cut "one cabbers" and long, skinny slabs. It's easier, faster, safer, and puts much less wear-n-tear on your blade.
So, IMO, there are some rocks that you don't want to risk making into rubble by attempting to break them smaller to fit the WF for normal cutting, and those are the ones you should roll. Otherwise, make rolling the exception and not the norm.
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Post by mohs on May 9, 2009 17:58:14 GMT -5
Man! you said it well Michael lots of experience -- right on !! a pic always helps in these discussions i really was asking for to much from my level of experience & skill but i did get some slabs from these pieces doing the small work
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Post by Michael John on May 9, 2009 18:15:29 GMT -5
I agree with much of what Kev just said. With practice and patience, slabs much larger than you'd think possible are do-able with the WF. The "issue" to the individual is whether you need or want slabs that large. If you're just wanting to go from rough to cabs, then cutting smaller chunks "the easy way" makes most sense. OTOH, if you have gorgeous agate or other material that you want to turn into specimen slabs, or don't want to break into smaller pieces (as I mentioned before) then rolling is the obvious choice.
As Kev mentioned, don't use the fence or block your rocks. You're asking to get hurt (by rocks which bind and become projectiles). Use two steady hands. You WILL NOT get hurt by the blade!
The only disagreement I have, again, is with the blade guard. Yes, it deflects some water, but that's trivial compared to the possible danger that the device creates. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to remove it.
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