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Post by beefjello on Nov 12, 2011 14:02:39 GMT -5
My old 18" HP is giving me some fits and hope to get some instruction from all you experts here. I'm including a vid here (hopefully works if you click the pic) to show what is happening. Saw started binding and flipping the breaker. I backed it off, made double sure it was secure in the vice and tried again with the same results. I noticed the vice had a lot of slop side to side, which I'm pretty sure should stay put.. that's the gist of it. The vid will show what I mean, now I need to correct it, but how? Thanks guys!!!
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Post by roy on Nov 12, 2011 14:12:54 GMT -5
i would loosen the set screw and tighten up the slack that should fix the problem i would think
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Post by beefjello on Nov 12, 2011 14:22:35 GMT -5
Thanks Roy, that's what I'm thinking but didn't want to try it and end up making it worse. I'm not the most mechanically inclined and Murphy's Law always seems to apply
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on Nov 12, 2011 14:31:50 GMT -5
Sounds more like your blade needs attention. Try cutting some abrasive material to expose more diamond.
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Post by beefjello on Nov 12, 2011 15:08:50 GMT -5
So I found on the handle side, the 'dial'(?) with the numbers spun easily, and after digging lots of ancient rock snot found the set screw for it. I moved this up tight and tightened it good and reduced 1 and a half turns of play to half a turn. Steve I'm gonna cut an old sic stone, to expose more diamond. It's an old blade, looking forward to Quartzsite to pick up some new cheap blades from the Australians.
Thanks guys!
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Post by tandl on Nov 12, 2011 16:22:08 GMT -5
Is it working ?
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Post by Rockoonz on Nov 12, 2011 20:27:01 GMT -5
Sounds to me like you're doing everything you should be. Check under the front of your vice, my smaller HP saw has a thumbscrew that can be turned in to lock down the side to side play when you're cutting, I have mine slightly snugged down to create a little drag when moving the side feed. It seems to keep things from moving around too much when it's cutting. If the screw is there and you want to cinch it all the way down for each slab you should replace the screw with a brass one.
Lee
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Post by Woodyrock on Nov 13, 2011 2:43:33 GMT -5
Brian:
There should be a slight slop in the cross feed screw. One more thing you can do is call Don at Diamond Pacific, and get a copy of the saw'a drawings. They do have the 18" Don sent both the 18, and 20 when I asked for a drawing. It is a pretty fiddly process, but you can readjust the carriage to track tighter. Like Lee said, the brass screw is a good idea. Woody
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Post by beefjello on Nov 13, 2011 11:26:28 GMT -5
Thanks Lee and Woody. I'll take a look at that thumb screw. I cut a smaller piece of rough after my adjustment and dressing the blade and there was improvement, but the next larger piece ended up bogging down after a while and binding. Looking I think my blade has a dish. Oh well I got a lotta miles out of it. just gotta wait 'till January for a new one.
Thanks again everyone!
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on Nov 13, 2011 16:40:04 GMT -5
Under Lapidary Tips -- Care and Feeding of Rock Saws -- I've posted a link to a document which gives directions on how to hammer out a dished blade. If the dish isn't too bad you can reverse the blade and let it start to dish in the other direction - bringing it back to almost true. Since I cut mostly sphere preforms my blade is often hitting the rock at an angle, which is a perfect recipie for dishing a blade. In that document are also directions for tapping the edge of the blade with a hammer to renew the kerf and expose more diamonds. This may shorten the life of the blade, but it really brings back the ability to cut.
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Post by catmandewe on Nov 13, 2011 19:48:40 GMT -5
Sounds to me like it is dished also. If it is not a directional blade just turn it around, it will self correct after a while. The little bit of slop in the carriage allows for some small amount of self adjustment while it is cutting.
Tony
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Post by beefjello on Nov 14, 2011 19:53:49 GMT -5
Thanks Steve and Tony. I reversed the blade and was feeling pretty confidant through the first couple slices. It was showing a wavy kinda pattern on the slabs but I'm guessing that's because it had been spinning the other direction for years. Then it started bogging down again (and I saw lotsa sparks on the back side of the cut through the window) until it stopped. I think my blade is simply shot
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Post by stoner on Nov 16, 2011 0:53:42 GMT -5
Put in a bigger circuit breaker Brian! No, just kidding. Sounds like you could use a new blade.
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Post by catmandewe on Nov 16, 2011 1:02:45 GMT -5
A wavy pattern usually means that part of your blade is not as thick as the rest of the blade. Either one part of your blade is worn out or you need to tap on the edge and flatten the rim out to make it fatter than the main part of the blade. You can usually see if part of the blade is worn out, the rim will be gone in a small section of it.
Tony
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