brunomoki
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by brunomoki on Feb 11, 2012 22:51:35 GMT -5
I need a new 10" saw blade. I cut mostly agates, pet wood and geodes. What is the best blade you can get for $100? Thanks in advance for all your help.
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jcinpc
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2009
Posts: 722
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Post by jcinpc on Feb 11, 2012 23:10:30 GMT -5
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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 11, 2012 23:25:40 GMT -5
The BD 303 would be about the best you could get for under $100.00.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Feb 12, 2012 9:58:48 GMT -5
JS Gems sells BD 303 blades for $55. John is #1 in service too.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Feb 12, 2012 10:13:31 GMT -5
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Post by deb193redux on Feb 12, 2012 17:04:30 GMT -5
i love my 10" and 12" 303c
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 12, 2012 17:13:31 GMT -5
10" BD 303C $53-$55. BD 301 $94.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 12, 2012 20:07:02 GMT -5
I'd spend a little extra and get the MK/BD 301 Gem King blade. MK Diamond Direct has them on sale right now for $98.95 which is a very good price.
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 12, 2012 23:33:30 GMT -5
But John has the 301 for $94.00 I'm not sure why it cost more than a 303C, I prefer the sintered blades. If for some reason you don't want to use oil for a coolant and use water instead Then you are better off using tile saw blades, they hold up better with water and cost less.
Lee
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brunomoki
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by brunomoki on Feb 13, 2012 0:47:52 GMT -5
Does the 303 or the 301 hold up better ? Is it worth it to pay for a thicker blade ?
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 13, 2012 0:56:02 GMT -5
Blade thickness is a trade off. Thicker is more durable and likely to last longer, but you lose more material per cut. The value of the rock you cut should be the deciding factor. I have never used a 301 and never had a problem with a 303
Lee
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brunomoki
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by brunomoki on Feb 13, 2012 1:03:45 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I am brand new to cutting so as of now I am only cutting stuff I collect so the material loss is not much of a factor. Would the thicker blade last alot longer?
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Post by Woodyrock on Feb 13, 2012 1:35:50 GMT -5
Thicker will last much longer, and are much less easily damaged.
Woody
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 13, 2012 9:39:18 GMT -5
The 301 has approximately a 25% taller rim than the 303C so you get more cutting surface. The wedge shaped segments in the rim self clear while you cut. If you hand feed, thicker blades are more durable but will cut a little slower as you are pushing a bigger hole through the rock. .040" blades are a good choice as they will flex less (less chance of deflecting) than .032" and still not a huge kerf loss.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 13, 2012 18:42:23 GMT -5
My apologies to John. I missed that he had the 301 for $94.00. I hope 303 users won't get offended but I've used both the 301 and 303 and there is no comparison in performance. The 301 will cut hard agates more easily and larger rocks more easily than the 303. The 301 requires fewer blade dressings and isn't as likely to bind when under stress. The 301 has more diamond and the notched rim helps carry oil to the cutting area better and helps remove swarf from the cut.
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 13, 2012 19:02:18 GMT -5
The303C blade is such a good blade most users can't see spending more. I've only tried the 301 on my MK 10" tile saw and it cuts big agates like butter. And, Larry, the new style 301 is sintered and made with same tool steel core as the 303C in same Korean factory. They call it a notched rim but it is not to be confused with the old style 301 and 297 notched rim blades where notches were rolled into a mild steel core and diamond mixture fused (also sintered) into the core in a high temp oven. I sold the old notched rims for some time and describe the new 301 as "notched like segments in the rim" to try and avoid confusion. To be honest Ive sold both the 301 and 303C blades to many people and so far only two told me they preferred the 303C better. Everyone else switched to 301 after trying both . Daniel (deb193) was one of the two that liked the 303C better. I can't remember who the other person was but I believe also a forum member.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Feb 13, 2012 20:31:25 GMT -5
Is the notched 301 noiser than the smooth 303? I know the cheap notched gold series Covington blade was extremely noisey. My 10" saw sounded like a trim saw. My BD 303 takes a beating because I don't use oil.
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Post by paulshiroma on Feb 13, 2012 21:22:22 GMT -5
Well, being sorta new to the slabbing side of this hobby, I will state that the 303 John sold me works very well. Haven't had any problems cutting some large agates pieces. I'll also second Larry's comment on the noise. The 303 is much quieter than the Covington Gold Blade that I was using originally. An order of magnitude quieter.
Note, however, that I have not used the 301 blade so take my comments with a grain of salt. Overall, I'm pleased with the 303 blade. Also, regarding some of the other comments made earlier on blade choice, I fall into the "casual hobbyist" classification who doesn't work with "precious" gems or minerals, so the 303 is probably the best blade for folks like me.
Paul
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 16, 2012 20:05:50 GMT -5
My apologies to John. I missed that he had the 301 for $94.00. I hope 303 users won't get offended but I've used both the 301 and 303 and there is no comparison in performance. The 301 will cut hard agates more easily and larger rocks more easily than the 303. The 301 requires fewer blade dressings and isn't as likely to bind when under stress. The 301 has more diamond and the notched rim helps carry oil to the cutting area better and helps remove swarf from the cut. I had the exact opposite experience with my 12" 301 & 303
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 16, 2012 20:51:18 GMT -5
Daniel, you are in the minority from feed back I get. And the current 301 should be as quiet as the 303C as it has the same basic rim matrix material.
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