mtj58
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2012
Posts: 20
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Post by mtj58 on Feb 16, 2013 16:51:36 GMT -5
Hi guys & girls... I joined I guess a couple months now, and having alot of fun with tumbling! So has one of my twin teenage daughters which really makes it all worthwhile! I have learned a ton here, but I have a question I need some help with, and am hoping for starters I put this post in the right place. Currently when I want to tumble stones, I am simply breaking them with a hammer/chisel. That leads to alot of waste, and also, I see I like it enough now to definately get into it more! I would like to purchase an entry level saw & grinder. I guess I was hoping for your thoughts and advice as to what the best one to purchase for starting out? At therockshed.com I was looking at the Rock Rascal Model T - 6" Combination Lapidary Saw and Grinder. Would this be an appropriate model to start out with? Here is that one: www.therockshed.com/equipment4.htmlI see a use for it mainly in making the stone go further, eliminating alot of waste, creating a little more uniform shapes and working around the patterns in the stone to make them look better....also would love to pregrind alot of what I am tumbling in the hopes I can cut a bit of time off the first tumbling step. Any opinions or suggestions would be very much appreciated, Thanks so much for all of your posts already, have learned a ton without even having to ask any questions yet! Some of the work I see on here is nothing short of amazing... Thank you....
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Post by deb193redux on Feb 16, 2013 16:57:41 GMT -5
that is reasonable. I started with one to shape stuff for my Lot-O.
got it used. if you can get one used on ebay, that would be good.
also you can consider a tile saw and a small glass grinder.
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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 16, 2013 22:36:55 GMT -5
Few years ago I needed a entry level saw for the same purpose. Ended up with a 7" Skil tile saw from Lowes for $80. I beat the heck out of it and it works great. Little noisy like all tile saws. Make sure you stand behind it and "pull" the rock towards you or you'll get soaked. Never found a need for a grinder for tumbling. Just use the tile blade to chip away and grind off the unwanted material. I use this saw to cut down large rocks so they'll fit in my slab saw. Just jam them through with sparks flying. Has a tough blade and if you ruin it, won't break the bank to replace it.
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mtj58
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2012
Posts: 20
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Post by mtj58 on Feb 16, 2013 23:21:04 GMT -5
Thanks guys... I'll look into those options...
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