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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Mar 12, 2011 10:01:18 GMT -5
What makes a trim saw a trim saw & why wouldn't you use it for cutting slabs? Or can you cut slabs with it?
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 12, 2011 10:34:45 GMT -5
The main difference is that slab saws come with a vise, and usually a larger blade. A trim saw is capable of cutting small slabs. I've done this by cutting an end off of a small rock, cleaning and drying the rock, and then glueing the flat on the rock to a block of wood. The block gives you a handle to hold, and a flat surface to run on the saw table. Mark the rock at the thickness you want to cut, and starting at the end furthest from the block you cut your slabs.
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meta99
has rocks in the head
Ohio Flint Ridge flint
Member since October 2010
Posts: 540
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Post by meta99 on Mar 12, 2011 11:22:14 GMT -5
I just did this (the gluing part) for the first time this week...I actually have a small (10") slab saw and a vise...
And it worked!
I used carpenter's glue and the blocks have been soaking overnight and still aren't budging...oh well, like everything else with rocks...patience!
Sue
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 12, 2011 11:58:39 GMT -5
Sue, if you cut the block off very near to your slab, it will absorb water and release much quicker.
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Post by roy on Mar 12, 2011 12:38:16 GMT -5
donnie i use my trim saw to cut small slabs all the time there are small rocks that i cant cut in my 10,12,or18"saws. how ever you will go through more blades.
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Mar 12, 2011 15:02:40 GMT -5
Thanks!
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 12, 2011 16:04:14 GMT -5
Donnie, most trim saws are 4", 5" or 6" so at most 1.5" height of cut. 8" and 10" saws are generally "trim and slab saws". !2" and above are generally slab only.
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 12, 2011 16:16:51 GMT -5
The key feather that makes a trim saw is a table. MY LS10 is a slab saw. when the slab is cut it falls down to a shelf or bounces all the way down into the oil. My old Starr is a 10" trim saw. it has a table with a slit in it. You can lay slabs flat on the table for trimming.
A lot of trim saws have a little slide rail and vise. Some better one the vise has a cross feed. You can get these for even 6" saws. You can make small slabbetts.
Some trim saws - especially smaller ones - are set up with very thin blades, that have larger flanges and run faster to keep them stiff. These are for minimal waste - but really will cut crooked if you try slabbetts.
In the 10" size you see the combo very often. There is still a table, but usually some sort of vise, possibly cross feed, and possibly auto feed. Yo can get larger slabbetts and even small 2.75x4 slabs.
So .. no table = not a trim saw. ... no vise = not a slab saw
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