Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 20, 2011 13:52:25 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Just another informational note for you 10" Covington slab /trim saw users. I smoked a drive belt when a rock slipped in the vice the other day. ( again, you cannot leave this saw unattended). Belt was almost gone from a previous time when the rock climbed the bade anyway so I went into my paperwork and found no parts list. Went to the Covington website for their replacement belt listings and found no information for this particular saw but they did list belts in several sizes. One from the saw looked to be a 23" belt that was slightly stretched from melting so I almost ordered some but thought I'd call Brian their rep guy first. Good that I did because the belt needed is a 24" belt which is not even on their price list, not a 23" and he told me how to install it by loosening the two motor bolts on the other side from the power feed. Anyway, when you fry a belt, remember to phone and order 24 inchers, not the 23" from the website.....Mel
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 20, 2011 14:04:19 GMT -5
Hey Mel, why order overpriced belts from Covington, when your local auto parts store has them for less ? Now that you know the size, just ask for it and save $$ on cost and shipping.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 20, 2011 14:34:02 GMT -5
Jake: I live outside a small town. Spent the entire morning driving all over town trying to find a belt that size which it turns out would have been the wrong size anyway. ( thought it would have been a 23") No store had anything near that size, not even 24" belts. Meanwhile I probably wasted enough gas to pay for a couple of belts and half a days time. Sometimes, saving is not saving *L*. Covington belts were only like $6.20 each. That didn't seem super costy to me. I ordered several so I'll get them all in a priority envelope..Mel
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unclestu
Cave Dweller
WINNER OF THE FIRST RTH KILLER CAB CONTEST UNCLESTU'S AGUA NUEVA AGATE
Member since April 2011
Posts: 2,298
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Post by unclestu on Jun 20, 2011 15:17:07 GMT -5
Hey Mel, The saga continues I am sorry to see. I will be getting ready to buy a larger saw right now I have the Rock Rascal model J 6" trim saw. This was the 1st saw that I have ever owned so when it comes to saws I am totally inexperienced. I would like to get a slab saw and I was wondering if you had to do it all over again would you still go with the Covington. If not which one would you choose in the 10" to 12" size? Stu
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 20, 2011 16:11:43 GMT -5
By end of July (hopefully) Barranca's new 10" saw will be available. It will cost significantly more than Covington's though.
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Post by Jack, lapidaryrough on Jun 20, 2011 17:07:32 GMT -5
Hey Mel, why order overpriced belts from Covington, when your local auto parts store has them for less ? Now that you know the size, just ask for it and save $$ on cost and shipping. Auto belts are made to stretch......... Machine Belt won`t stretch.........
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 20, 2011 17:31:29 GMT -5
Stu: The Covington works OK when you get used to it but it does need lots of modifications and IMHO is not ready to use out of the box. It's also the fourth saw I've owned and the crankiest of them all. There is a real learning curve involved with setting the clutch, adjusting the coolant flow, and even using the vice which really needs lots of wood shims as it does not hold as well as my old vice. It's somewhat messy too as the saw oil will not stay on the saw table due to design flaws. My old ten inch Beacon Star was over fifty years old and worked like a dream, plus it had a much larger vice and cut larger material. I bought it used and never had to do a thing except change oil and put on new blades. I could turn it on and simply go do other chores and it cut the rock and turned itself off. This new saw seems to screw up every time I'm more than ten feet from it. I find I have to sit nearby and read a book and constantly listen for changes in cutting noise and any change is usually a f**k up in one of the mechanisms. Even the crossfeed is a slippery knob that is hard to grip and turn and inconsistent in its adjustments. Dang thing even sits next to a rod that gets in your way when you go to turn it. Plus, everything is hard to get to especially the nuts and bolts you have to work with when you disassemble it for cleaning. Long story short. Wait for the Barranca. I'd not buy another of these saws. Even though their service department has been very helpful the machine just has too many sensitive elements and design flaws, especially if you're not mechanically inclined and not into tinkering like me. I just want a damn saw I can turn on and slab rocks with, not a constant engineering project. Again, I hate to have to repeat this but it's like the unit was designed by munchkin sized little people who have never used a rock saw....Mel
PS: Brian at Covingtons latest comment about the hold down knob is the hold down is supposed to have about an eighth of an inch of up and down play in it. I explained this starts the vice bouncing up and down and the rock will climb the blade, jamb the saw and burn up your belt. He said this is because the clutch is set for too fast a feed but if you release the clutch anymore the rock won't necessarily cut harder rocks. Also makes no sense that the same clutch speed that makes four cuts beautifully will start the vice bouncing on the next cut and have the rock climb the blade or why the blade will cut like butter through the thickest portion of the workpiece but the clutch will cut out when in the last little quarter inch sliver of rock when there is no blade drag at all. This saw is like a magical mystery to me *L*.
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