Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 8:46:40 GMT -5
I am wondering if anyone else uses this technique or if my friend is the true inventor. I have not had one stone come off. In fact I can not break them off if I clean the stone with alcohol first. I wet the wood then apply the glue. I let it set clamped over night and it is good to go. No more left over end cuts. My friend uses a 4 X 4 and larger stones with no break offs.
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Nov 15, 2011 8:58:37 GMT -5
Sorry, not a new trick. I've seen this done for many years.
|
|
|
Post by deb193redux on Nov 15, 2011 11:36:38 GMT -5
yes, old trick.
it is important to select a glue that is not soluble in your coolant. For example don't use Elmer's Wood Glue in a saw with water, or a oil-soluble glue in an oil-saw, and for the final cuts, glue that melts can be a problem because there is often heat down in the cut. One guy here uses water glass as the glue (for oil saw only).
The glue method can deal with unevenly-faced stones, but when there is a cut-face as shown in your picture, this generalizes to the method of some kind of slab-grabber clamp, which do well with cut faces - an no waiting for glue to dry.
Harmons, the Montana agate folks, sell a ball-joint device that can be glued onto a rock, and the device clamped into the saw, but there is quite a bit of reorientation possible by loosening the ball joint, repositioning, and re-tightening. This is how they chase scenes into Montana agate without committing to one orientation.
I use a trim saw in conjunction with my 12" slab saw. I trim off uneven bits to get a window into the stone and to block it better for clamping in the saw. I then slab my block, sometime turning 90-deg or even cutting at an angle to get the best patterns I can see. When it gets small I either put it in a slab-grabber and continue, or I take it back to the trim saw where I continue to get not too bad slabbetts at whatever angle fits with the best pattern I can see. I always felt the glued block was an option when needed, but in most cases (for me) it seems too restricting and time-consuming.
|
|
LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Nov 15, 2011 12:03:23 GMT -5
Thanks for all the tips deb193redux. I mostly work with local Mojave jasp-agate that's full of pits & cracks. I'd say 90% of my sawing comes up with negative results. It's not uncommon for me to spend 5 days slabbing and come up with a bucket of junk. Gets frustrating at times but I don't give up. I might be expecting too much and looking for perfection. But that's ok and I pay the price. There are size limitations working with a 10" Covington saw and the vice is not the greatest. Using water with Lube Cool, easy clean up. The slab grabber sure comes in handy and I'm currently brain storming ideas of making my own.
LarryS
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 12:18:35 GMT -5
My friend Mike talked with the Gorilla glue people and there is nothing that will dissolve the glue so it can be used with any oil or water. With my top clamp saw there are not too many options. With the wood I can spin it up to 45 degrees forward or back. I use my trim saw on all my small to medium stones. It is much faster. My 12 in saw has one speed. Extremely slow and there is no adjustment. But I bought it for $75 from a friend of family so I am not complaining. Thanks for the input. Jim
|
|
|
Post by deb193redux on Nov 15, 2011 13:37:35 GMT -5
|
|
keystonecops
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2010
Posts: 957
|
Post by keystonecops on Nov 15, 2011 21:07:56 GMT -5
I use a product called water glass. It takes just a thin film, and when done drop the whole works inna bucket of water. Itll just fall off. Later Clyde
|
|
LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Nov 15, 2011 21:25:06 GMT -5
Cut open about a dozen rocks today looking for the hidden treasure inside. Only ended up with one slab. Still need to get the rock locked in at weird angles and was fighting with the vice the whole way. Those who own a Covington can relate. That darn knob that secures the vice from ridding up the blade is in the worse spot. Even gets in the way of the slab grabber. Had one rock come loose, lucky no damage. I need to design a rock grabber! Maybe I'll try gluing the rocks to wood as mentioned and see how that works.
|
|
|
Post by stoner on Nov 16, 2011 0:44:57 GMT -5
Old trick, but still works!
|
|
|
Post by frane on Nov 19, 2011 7:31:42 GMT -5
That is something I am going to do soon for all my end cuts. Some have such beautiful patterns but I just can't get them secured enough to cut. Thanks for the reminder! The first time I heard someone talking of gluing the endcut onto a piece of wood here, I just didn't know how that would work because in my minds eye, I was picturing the rough end glued to the wood to continue...Your pictures will really help some of the new members here! Fran
|
|
keystonecops
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2010
Posts: 957
|
Post by keystonecops on Nov 19, 2011 8:23:41 GMT -5
I found what I hope is a good agate, goin by the outside. Small an odd shaped. Managed to get a face cut, now Ill glue it an continue on. Slabbn a jasper right now that I hope will continue with the color. I work for UP and found em by the tracks. Some of the rock Ive found I wish I could get into the quarrys. Later Clyde. PS will post pics later today
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Nov 19, 2011 22:11:57 GMT -5
I have tried a few using elmers wood glue to attach the rock to the wood. I have to drop it into a bucket of water for a few days and still pry like crazy to get it apart.
Lee
|
|
rockhound97058
freely admits to licking rocks
Thundereggs - Oregons Official State Rock!
Member since January 2006
Posts: 760
|
Post by rockhound97058 on Nov 19, 2011 22:41:51 GMT -5
Another old school trick for smaller stones - Take a cardboard milk or juice box cut the top off and fill it full of small stones. Mix a thin batch of plaster of paris and fill the container. Once hardened you can slab the entire brick - It is a bit messy though, and the only other thing is trying to get your stones orientated for proper cut.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
|
Post by quartz on Nov 20, 2011 10:05:13 GMT -5
We found some mtl. near Malheur Lake in southern OR some time ago that we call "cow patty agate"; in size and shape, that's what it looks like. It's a bunch of roughly 1" size agates mixed in a gray-brown slurry looking mtl. Had to slab and polish a few pieces, and casting them in plaster of paris worked great. Easy to clean up too. The other thought, maybe it is fossilized cow patties.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2011 11:29:09 GMT -5
To remove the stone I just took a saw and cut the wood close to the stone. From that point it was easy to scrape the glue and remaining wood off with a wood chisel. Jim
|
|