carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jul 20, 2012 2:58:52 GMT -5
I was wondering what material you consider to be hardest on your equipment? Blades, diamond products... etc? I have what I feel are "decent" accessories, but I primarily work with Labradorites and can not comment confidently on how well my blades or lap disks hold up under different materials. Also, what would you think is the most common materials? I do not want to suggest anything to anyone or even offer them for sale with out knowing. Was hoping for some suggestions so I can really abuse my equipment, lol.
Carleton
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2012 7:15:08 GMT -5
There are harder things out there but blue agate has been it for me. Tried to drill it with a diamond hole saw and destroyed the saw. I use diamond impregnated plastic pads and I could see the black coming off the pad when I got to the edge of the rock. Awesome polish when finished and will be going into a bracelet for myself. Jim
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Post by paulshiroma on Jul 20, 2012 8:45:42 GMT -5
I've found that the agates my boys and I picked up from the Mojave Desert area to be the hardest stuff my saw and discs/wheels have had to work with. The material is extremely dense and I usually end up dressing the saw every three or four cuts on a three inch rock. Paul
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 20, 2012 8:50:56 GMT -5
Some jade will glaze my blade after just 1 cut.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 20, 2012 9:28:58 GMT -5
Definitely agate. I have a large one I picked up cheap, dying to find out what it looks like inside. However, I haven't yet decided if I want to try and cut it with the used blade I've got on my saw now, or wait until I install a new blade (and dull it right off the bat!). Jean
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Post by Rockhobbit on Jul 20, 2012 10:12:23 GMT -5
For me it is Pet Wood and Brazilian Agates. I don't like working with either one!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jul 20, 2012 10:54:50 GMT -5
In order with hardest first: 1. Texas Palm Bog 2. Flint Ridge 3. Brazilian Agate
The messiest by far is Binghamite. It turns everything red due to the high iron content.
Chuck
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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 Jul 20, 2012 11:45:10 GMT -5
montana, brazilian agates. willow creek jasper.
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Post by phil on Jul 20, 2012 12:20:15 GMT -5
Petrified wood and NM Agates. Some of our agates are hard as jade.
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jul 20, 2012 14:08:05 GMT -5
Ok, great!
I was thinking agates myself. That was what killed my first ever blade. A $70 blade, dead in about an hour or two actually. I think it was "black skin agate"? Does that sound right?
Jaspers and pet wood sound like a winner too.
Thank you for the ideas,
Carleton
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Post by gr on Jul 20, 2012 14:53:53 GMT -5
The hardest by far is Azpet wood. I read somewhere that it is actually harder that steel, hence - that, I believe, is why it is so brittle. 2nd to that in my limited experience is Willow Creek. W C labors my lap plates, even with tool cool
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 20, 2012 15:26:16 GMT -5
Hmm. A couple of different things for different reasons. California agatized palm root is very tough to cut ( in my book probably the most difficult to slab of all) Rhodonite glazes blades real bad.. Pet wood in general and AZ rainbow wood in particular tends to fracture and break blades. And for some reason, some wonderstone type materials tend to suck the oil right off the blade and bind it real bad in the cuts.....Mel
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2005
Posts: 1,775
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Post by Roger on Jul 20, 2012 16:17:32 GMT -5
Agate all types and I find Polka dot jasper hard to grind.
Roger
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jul 20, 2012 17:33:25 GMT -5
I decided to go with black skin agate first and my 6" oblique tooth sintered blades. The agate was roughly 1.25" thick. After 30 mins of very aggresive cutting, the blade is not doing so good, lol. It trims 1/4" slabs like butter, I guess thats why there "trim saws", but I figured I would see if I could push it.
Thanks for the ideas.
Carleton
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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 Jul 20, 2012 20:11:03 GMT -5
Well I can't speak with respect to what is hardest on a saw blade as I only have a 6" trim saw. However I can talk about what is the hardest on my diamond wheels. It is Brazilian Piranha agate. I am in the process of doing a cab with this material and after over 1/2 hour on the 220 wheel it is still infested with scratches. The material is very hard and dense. I have cut cabs with Piranha before but this specific piece is way more dense and hard. You can see some pictures in my thread (pesky scratches). Stu
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Post by roy on Jul 20, 2012 20:38:45 GMT -5
pokadot is hard as heck and i found some jasper in the owyhees last year it completly stop my saw
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Jul 20, 2012 23:17:23 GMT -5
Rust has always been pretty hard on my equipment.
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Post by Tonyterner on Jul 21, 2012 9:42:01 GMT -5
The toughest to slab and cab for me is the local copper bearing rock I have. The copper just seems to stick to anything making it very grabby when working. Hardness wise Bruneau is one of the toughest I've worked.
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Post by phil on Jul 21, 2012 10:48:41 GMT -5
Carleton, If you trashed your blade that fast, you're probably trying to rush the cut. Remember, the blades aren't "cutting" the rock, they are slowly grinding and chewing their way thru. If you're having to push hard, you're trying to go too fast. That, and cutting a rough agate on a 6 inch trim saw is bad. a 6 inch Trim saw is for trimming thin slabs up to 1/4 inch plus or minus, and soft rocks up to MAYBE 1 inch only. anything else is sheer folly. (and gets expensive). We won't allow agates to be cut in our trim saws at all (except for 1/4 inch max slabs). All rock MUST go to the 10 inch slab/trim saw combo or even larger. And we have banned all asbestos bearing rock along with Jade in any saw. Are you sure your blade is trashed? Or could it simply need "cleaning and renewing"? If you've mushroomed the edge but there is still diamond underneath, try "refreshing" it with a brick or old 220 grit stone. You might be able to salvage it this way. But if the diamonds are completely gone from either side, it's now a target out on the shooting range. my 2 cents.. Phil
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jul 22, 2012 18:52:27 GMT -5
Montanas, Brazilians, blackskins, and any of the porcelain jaspers and chert. There are a few others, but these are the first that come to mind.
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