Mike Menzie
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since October 2012
Posts: 96
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Post by Mike Menzie on Feb 24, 2013 2:57:53 GMT -5
Hey there guys. First of all, thanks a lot for everyone's priceless information throughout this forum! Moving on... My main questions- 1. Anyone have some solid ideas where and how to get ahold of a vise (good condition, or needing a bit of work, no biggie) for a 10" Frantom? I think they're the same for the combo unit and the standalone saw. 2. Anyone have an idea (maybe with pictures...? ) of another way to set up a vise on these guys, or a vise from a different saw that'll work? For instance, I also had a 10" Star Diamond slabber I recently sold to my mother and I liked that particular vise better that the one on the Frantom. Not a huge difference, but enough, I suppose. Thanks guys! -Mike
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 24, 2013 9:32:39 GMT -5
One of my old lapidary books has an ad for the Frantom combination unit. It says Felker made the saw for them. You may want to search Felker as well as Frantom. Highland Park vise was very similar as well but I don't know if it would be interchangeable without modification. An expensive but possible source would be Diamond Pacific. I believe they bought out Frantom. My first saw was a Frantom 10" stand alone and I had a combination later as well. The owner of MK Diamond was friends with the couple that owned Frantom back in the day. Fran and Tom were their names.
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robsrockshop
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2012
Posts: 715
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Post by robsrockshop on Feb 24, 2013 9:56:58 GMT -5
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robsrockshop
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2012
Posts: 715
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Post by robsrockshop on Feb 24, 2013 10:07:07 GMT -5
Back to the subject at hand probably the easiest vise to make would be the clamp type like Lortone. You don't want to use a thick bottom plate or you'll lose too much blade height I would design it like a Covingtons, a piece of 10ga on the bottom with shaft collars that go on the guide and then a another shaft for the crossfeed. You never know maybe get lucky and someone doesn't use the vise but that could be forever finding it. I prefer the Frantom vise over the HP vise on this style saw. On my HP I am going to weld a 3/8" allthread to each side of the vise and use it as a lortone style clamp I just havn't got around to it. I am thinking I could put bigger rocks into it but really havn't looked into it yet.
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Mike Menzie
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since October 2012
Posts: 96
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Post by Mike Menzie on Feb 24, 2013 18:03:08 GMT -5
Wow! That's a killer frame job! (pun intended...) I should look into getting a frame like that for my saws. Seems way more solid and user friendly than a wooden plank that keeps needing replaced, and makes it so hard to adjust the belt tension!
I've thought about trying to find a way to make my own vise, but I, unfortunately, don't have the metalworking skills (or tools) to do much in that way. So far, I've been able to get by with some very low-tech metal jobs, and mostly woodworking.
Makes me frustrated as all get out, because most of the construction for all this machinery is relatively simple as far as design goes (nothing like the .001" tolerance for some musical instrument parts I've made, thank the Lord!) I just don't have a welder, and wouldn't know how to use one if I did, and my tap and die set from Harbor Freight isn't all it's cracked up to be...or, rather, it is just that...cracked. heh.
I'd looked into the history of FranTom, but thanks johnjsgems for the more concise info! I didn't know the name had passed through so many hands.
-Mike
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cherdarock
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2012
Posts: 140
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Post by cherdarock on Feb 26, 2013 1:47:19 GMT -5
OMG that saw is either owned by a very anal clean-freak, it is brand SPANKIN' new, or just had a refurb done and only cuts plastic rocks... JK, JK, JK...(?) NICE lookin MA-CHEEN!!! Have to send ya some Lavic Jasper to give it that nice red-brown gunky patina... Even after a night spent on break-down, scrubbin' and scrapin', and solvent wipedown, my saw don't come CLOSE to looking that sweet, and my cutting oil is... well Jasper and wonderstone ain't clean cutting so... lol
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Mike Menzie
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since October 2012
Posts: 96
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Post by Mike Menzie on Feb 26, 2013 5:01:49 GMT -5
Heh. I wash my saw once a week, and do a real good job once a month, and it still ends up looking like it belongs behind a barn sometimes. But she runs good and cuts smooth and hasn't let me down, so I must be doin somethin' right.
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robsrockshop
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2012
Posts: 715
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Post by robsrockshop on Feb 26, 2013 9:33:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the compliments Cherdarock. LOL. Actually that's right after the refurb. I'd post another one but photobucket is acting stupid this am. Oh and btw I avoid that type jasper like the plague.
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cherdarock
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2012
Posts: 140
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Post by cherdarock on Feb 27, 2013 4:07:05 GMT -5
I love that jasper, hate the slurry. ;D
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