copiahdad
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 72
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Post by copiahdad on May 7, 2012 14:02:17 GMT -5
I'm attempting to make some crosses. Trying to cut cross shapes on my cheap Home Depot 4" tile saw and they keep breaking during cutting. Appears to be related to vibration, stress during the cut. I'll get it partly cut and one of the legs will just snap off. I'm using a regular tile blade that came with the tile saw instead of a thinner lapidary blade. Would this be easier with at real lapidary trim saw?
Also, after rough cutting the crosses, can they be ground/sanded/finished in the a vibratory tumbler?
Walker
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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 May 7, 2012 14:40:47 GMT -5
what material are you cutting?
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copiahdad
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 72
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Post by copiahdad on May 7, 2012 14:45:57 GMT -5
I've tried some agate and jasper. Same result with both. It is a cheap plastic one, even the table. Figuring the vibration along with the flex of plastic table is causing stress to stone as I push it through the blade, causing breakage.
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Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on May 7, 2012 14:47:20 GMT -5
sounds like a dull blade and too much force/pressure on the stone.
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Post by deb193redux on May 7, 2012 16:36:03 GMT -5
if it is the small red saw body with the black plastic table, the blade that comes on it is thick and dull. You want a better blade. Is the blade 4" or 4.5"?
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Post by kk on May 7, 2012 17:20:49 GMT -5
Yeah, happens all the time when you use too much pressure or twist it just a little. Try cutting diamond/kite-shape and then grind your way to the cross. Grinding usually does less damage to any stone.
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copiahdad
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 72
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Post by copiahdad on May 7, 2012 17:57:44 GMT -5
It's solid black, table and body. It's probably 10 years old I bought back when we remodeled our house. I laid 800 sq ft of tile. Still got that blade on it. Probably is dull, which is causing me to put too much pressure to get it to cut. Probably ought to swap the blade. Don't know for sure if it's 4" or 4.5". But i really want to get a real lapidary saw. Been looking at the Lortone 6", 8" and 10" saws.
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on May 7, 2012 18:18:07 GMT -5
If you can still see diamond on the blade you may just need to cut a brick or silicon carbide sharpening stone to expose more diamonds.
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Post by johnjsgems on May 7, 2012 18:30:03 GMT -5
If it has a 5/8" arbor replace it with a .020" 4" 303C BD/MK blade. Iit will cut your slabs like butter. Tile blades use a very hard matrix compared to lapidary blades. Tile saw blades make great grinders but lousy hard rock cutters. When you get a good blade cut almost to the line and flip the stone and finish from other side. A round blade will over cut one side and under cut the other. This is why wet diamond band saws are popular with cross cutters. The vertical straight blade is capable of cutting right to the line.
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Post by johnjsgems on May 7, 2012 18:32:34 GMT -5
As for your second question, if you can cut the lines smooth then the vibe tumbler will sand and polish the surfaces. You would need lots of ceramic media (about 70% ceramics) either small or mixed.
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