colton9182
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2011
Posts: 13
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Post by colton9182 on Nov 27, 2011 13:23:37 GMT -5
I need some help picking out a saw for cutting slabs. I have very dense rock, high in iron, titanium, and other minerals. Any suggestions?
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Post by deb193redux on Nov 27, 2011 13:42:02 GMT -5
The saw will depend on the size/shape of the rock. There are 10" tile saws with the blade above, and lapidary slab saws that use oil and the work meets the blade at 90-deg.
The BLADE may be more critical. The high metal content will glaze the diamonds on most blades. You may need a blade designed for metorite cutting - carbon boron or some such.
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colton9182
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2011
Posts: 13
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Post by colton9182 on Nov 27, 2011 13:59:42 GMT -5
The saw will depend on the size/shape of the rock. There are 10" tile saws with the blade above, and lapidary slab saws that use oil and the work meets the blade at 90-deg. The BLADE may be more critical. The high metal content will glaze the diamonds on most blades. You may need a blade designed for metorite cutting - carbon boron or some such. Thanks for the blade advice and I'm looking more for a tile saw
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Post by deb193redux on Nov 27, 2011 14:43:53 GMT -5
Well how heavy will you use it? You can get a 1st class 10" tile/lapidary saw for about $700, or you can get the Harbor Freight for $200 on sale. The CBN blade will be about $60: www.gravescompany.com/CBN_Blade.htmBut this blade is kinda thin - .015 - I am not sure it would work in a tile saw setup. If you got a used 10" trim saw with a vise, and pushed real gentle, the .015 thickness might not be a problem. Or you can research some of the concrete/construction blades that cut concrete, but can handle the rebar embedded. How big are the rocks?
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colton9182
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2011
Posts: 13
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Post by colton9182 on Nov 27, 2011 15:11:49 GMT -5
I'm looking to spend under $400 might go as high as $500 for the right one. Also for the size of the rocks they range from a few inches to as wide as 8 or 9 and as high as 5 inches. I figured a nice sliding tile saw would be enough and I don't plan on using it too often, just like anything, a lot at first and then like a couple times a month after that.
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Post by deb193redux on Nov 27, 2011 15:23:27 GMT -5
You can get about 1/3 the blade for depth of cut. You can improve this by rotating the work and making multiple cuts - but the face get rough and marked. You also should not rotate on a thin blade.
Sounds like you want the Harbor Freight saw for your budget. You may want to right a vise that bolts to the sliding table. You can get some sort of turbo construction blade for about $100. Maybe .080 thickness. May need to dress it often. This setup will spray a lot and be wet/messy. Consider outside use.
You will not get clean cuts on anything over 3.25 inches thick. Unless the vise has a cross-feed you will not get uniform slabs, but you can get fairly good with some sort of fence or just a good eye.
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