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Post by MyNewHobby on Sept 13, 2010 18:24:59 GMT -5
Hi All!
I am looking at the possibility of getting a diamond band saw and was reading in another thread where Kap talks about getting getting some blades from John for the Gryphon Diamond Band Saw.
I am thinking that this would be great for me indoors.
Any and all input would be greatly needed, wanted, and appreciated.
How does these work for those that have them and has anyone here tried the diamond wire saws?
As always!
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 13, 2010 19:35:34 GMT -5
I like my c-40. I use the fuser blade because it is heavier. John does sell them.
It is much much slower than a tile saw or even a trim saw. But it can do curves and does not waste material. You cannot expect to knock out 40 or 50 preforms in a good weekend. Maybe 6-8 in a multi-hour session. I like it in addition to my other saws and not in place of.
I find water splashes and runs off the table. You may want to sit it in a shallow tub.
The blade is holding up. I have trimmed about 15 or 20 slabs, but it is cutting slower, and replacement blades are 3x more than tile saw blades.
IMHO, a small 6" or 8" Lortone trim saw with a plastic hood is going to be less expensive to operate, and likely less wet, and for sure more productive.
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Post by kap on Sept 13, 2010 20:18:28 GMT -5
I love my Gryphon band saw. Like deb193redux said it is a GREAT addition to your saws. I don't have any water splash problems as long as I don't put too much water in the base. What I like the most is you can cut right on your lines and really cut back on wasted slabs. There is a place to get cheaper blades that work good but do not last as long I have been using them to cut my knife scales when you buy them bulk(10) they are only $15 each so you can afford to abuse them a little more. But the Gryphon blades are better and last longer. Keith
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Post by MyNewHobby on Sept 13, 2010 21:13:33 GMT -5
Thanks Guys!!!
I am not looking for speed ... I am looking for something to keep me going if I cannot get into the backyard to use the WF.
Since my furbaby is gone, I have been feeding the birds and squirrels and do not want to upset their balance.
So, I am looking for something to use inside.
I am glad to hear both inputs ....
As always
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Post by johnjsgems on Sept 13, 2010 23:16:28 GMT -5
I demonstrate them at indoor shows and as Keith said if not overfilled they are not messy. I put a towel in front to catch drips from hands. The band saw is slower than a trim saw but you save the next step of not grinding all the corners left by trim saws. Somewhat of a trade off. The thin blade on the band saw cuts maybe 4 times faster than the thicker ring saws. If you think the band saw will be too slow you will hate the ring saws. They do cut in all directions so you can do more intricate cuts. Both are best used for slab trimming only.
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Post by MyNewHobby on Sept 14, 2010 17:33:58 GMT -5
If I can cut slabs on the smaller chunks and also cut out designs, that would make me a happy, happy girl.
John ... you should be seeing my little face at your site in the next couple of months to get going on this.
Thanks everyone for your help!!
As Always
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 14, 2010 19:06:04 GMT -5
If you cut any thicker than 5/16", the cost is $12/cut for a new set of guides, or $20-$60/cut for a new blade.
It will not make slabs. Except maybe on the softest <5 MOHS rock. I had a 30mm x 18mm teardrop that was about 1/2" thick and I wanted to cut it into two - ie., butterfly. I took about 15 minutes, and seriously damaged the plastic blade guide.
Works best with <1/4" on MOHS 7, and does OK with 5/16" on things like Cherry Creek, Picasso Marble, Rosetta Stone ...
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Post by MyNewHobby on Sept 14, 2010 20:27:47 GMT -5
Deb ... thanks for that .... I need all of this information .... good and bad ...
I am not made of money and need to make sure the equipment I buy, I am not going to break by over using it.
As Always!
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Post by johnjsgems on Sept 14, 2010 21:04:18 GMT -5
I've cut 3/8" Brazilian showing off at shows. Anything thicker is nearly impossible to get a straight line due to blade flex. When I first went to the Gryphon factory I took along some agate slabs to try out their saw. I cut out some 1" circles and the guy there turned them on edge and sliced right straight through the middle. I've ever been able to do it myself. It really is good at cutting curves, crosses, etc. in 1/4" slabs. Not a slab saw.
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Post by rockmanken on Sept 14, 2010 21:17:50 GMT -5
I got mine from John and I love it. Cut probably 50-60 cabs and knife handle blanks on the first blade and it still works good as I don't force it. As for the water thing, I use a small piece of cardboard about 2 x 2" and clip it to the post with a spring paper clip. Forces the water back onto the table so I don't have the water problem. I like to use a LOT of water. It is not a trim saw, but is great for cutting cabs out of slabs in any shape you want. Smallest curve I have cut is 1/2", but it will cut smaller if you go slow. It takes 10 times longer to cut a teardrop shape cab than on a trim saw, but you don't have to grind as much of the excess off. Ken
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Post by MyNewHobby on Sept 14, 2010 22:09:16 GMT -5
Thanks Ken ..... that helps me a great deal!!!!!
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