Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2013 20:46:35 GMT -5
Tonight I am making first cut with the water based lube from JS Gems. I have a 24" Frantom whose blade has ~1/8" of cutting area left.
I have a friend makes an environmentally friendly but very aggressive soap for the military. He gave me a gallon a few years ago. I out this in the saw with water and ran for an hour. I then tested compatibility with Smokey's, small amounts in concentrated form and no reaction. So now I am making a cut with this mix. I am hoping the stone will spray the soap all over and wash away the old oil/rocksnot. I gotta lose that smell!
Smokey's EZ Cut has definitely got ammonia in it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2013 20:53:02 GMT -5
No change in saw sound volume.
Good news!
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
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Post by LarryS on Oct 29, 2013 21:44:32 GMT -5
Ammonia? Huh, mine is odorless. Hope it all goes well for you. Sure would be nice to be rid of all the oil issues. What are you cutting and what size?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2013 22:29:41 GMT -5
Actually the bottle John sent me is indistinguishable from concentrated windex, blue color and all. I am NOT saying it is windex, but that is the user experience, color, texture, smell...
I am cutting a hunk of variscite colored "jasper". It is hard and SOLID! The cut working now will leave an oval slab 3"x5". The two I have sliced off are indistinguishable from oil cut slabs from the same material.
The oil/rock snot coating the inside of the box is 30-40% removed from the splashing around. Maybe is a week or two of daily cutting all the old oily cr@p will be cleaned out. The rock vice is noticeably cleaner too.
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Post by johnjsgems on Oct 30, 2013 11:34:28 GMT -5
If you have an amonia smell it is from the soap. The EZ Cut is odorless. Unless you are smelling the old oil. The Pella in my old HP24 had a very strong smell. If you filled the saw to cover blade bottom rim you may not have enough splashing to wash as you cut.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2013 12:45:39 GMT -5
If you have an amonia smell it is from the soap. The EZ Cut is odorless. Unless you are smelling the old oil. The Pella in my old HP24 had a very strong smell. If you filled the saw to cover blade bottom rim you may not have enough splashing to wash as you cut. It is not my point to argue. I'll double check the smell. My first impression was in the kitchen away from the saw and the soap. The small mix of soap and ex cut I made smelled of orange oil and ammonia. The soap smells of citrus as "citrus oil" is a component in my friends proprietary blend. I have the water an inch up the blade. I'll see how that goes.
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Tom
fully equipped rock polisher
My dad Tom suddenly passed away yesterday, Just wanted his "rock" family to know.
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,557
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Post by Tom on Oct 31, 2013 8:32:21 GMT -5
This is sounding promising, can't wait for my bottle to get here, cleaning out saw this saturday, it needs it bad anyway LOL
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2013 10:00:56 GMT -5
I double checked the smell. I smell ammonia. No questions asked. I stuck the cap under wifey's uber-sensitive schnozz (she smells dog farts in the neighbors backyard) and she says "it smells pleasant" I said "windex?" she says "no, pleasant". I say "odor free?" she says "definitely not odor free but not bad either."
I have made ten slices thru agate/jaspers and the inside of the saw is getting cleaner. I notice no difference from oil, but blade life may take awhile to see.
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Post by johnjsgems on Oct 31, 2013 10:13:14 GMT -5
I'll have to check my bottle again. I didn't notice any odor in Denver but I've been wrong before.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2013 21:06:00 GMT -5
Well, after 10 or so cuts the blade needs dressing. I have to remove a stone mid cut and am now cutting obsidian, which is taking a precious long time to dress the blade. I may have to get a grinding wheel to really dress it well.
For me, having to dress every 8-10 cuts is a deal breaker.
My saw is getting cleaned very well and I may continue until this batch is spent. Plus that allows for more learning.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2013 22:41:36 GMT -5
I dress mine while cutting. Open the little viewing port and dress with about a 2" x 3" chunk of 60 grit AO grinder wheel held in my hand.I do the sides and the top of the segments. There is a simple shower curtain in my saw made out of a piece of like 5 mil construction plastic hanging down that allows me to dress in front of that splash shield. I never allow the blade to cut a grove though. I just keep rubbing the chunk up against the left top and right side of the segments. Every 10 cuts is a lot... You can see the sheet of 5 mil poly hanging down in this open saw and the plexi opening that lifts off
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 31, 2013 23:28:53 GMT -5
Well, after 10 or so cuts the blade needs dressing. I have to remove a stone mid cut and am now cutting obsidian, which is taking a precious long time to dress the blade. I may have to get a grinding wheel to really dress it well. For me, having to dress every 8-10 cuts is a deal breaker. My saw is getting cleaned very well and I may continue until this batch is spent. Plus that allows for more learning. Obsidian cleans a blade good, but it won't remove steel to expose new diamond, you need a dressing stick grinding wheel or firebrick.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 11:11:35 GMT -5
yes, I am learning that. Thanks Lee. Off to Lowes for a grinding wheel.
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juzwuz
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 526
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Post by juzwuz on Nov 1, 2013 14:24:51 GMT -5
the firebrick at Home Depot is pretty cheap and works good at dressing the blade
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utdigger
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since January 2012
Posts: 84
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Post by utdigger on Nov 1, 2013 20:09:04 GMT -5
I'd call around for the firebrick. I live in Utah where lots of people burn wood and the snow is deep in the winter and when I called Home Depot and Lowe's they acted like they didn't have a clue what firebrick was. Turned out neither one had it. Course, I lived for 40 years in Orange County, Ca, so probably Home Depot in So Cal has it. Go figure.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 20:27:52 GMT -5
I just bought a medium grade grinding wheel for a grinder. It's what LarryS uses. I'll dress the blade and clean the water out of my saw. Sorry folks, I am back to oil. I cannot put myself in a situation in which I cannot have a single day of uninterrupted cutting. Horse laxative mineral oil it is. The only REAL issue is increased blade wear. It seems the stones wear away the diamond but not the steel in a water based environment. So I have to use an abrasive to do it for me. That means shortened blade life and at $500ea, that is simply not an option. Plus all the time spent dressing is wasted. Overall, for me this was worth the experiment, because I cleaned the smelly oil out and will replace with odorless. I will still deal with oily stones but soap helps in that respect. Look for a slightly used bottle of Smokey's on sale soon! lol
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Post by Peruano on Nov 1, 2013 20:38:23 GMT -5
1. Drain that slab to recover superficial oil. I drain them on top of a trim saw in which I also run oil. 2. Bury it in the cat litter (give away the cat first), and leave it for an hour to overnight 3. Even an hour or two later a dusty stone can be rinsed in soapy water and processed as desired. Whats not to like about oil. It makes me work in batches. Tom
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 20:51:28 GMT -5
What's not to like?
It's expensive, messy on cleanup day, it's messy when I cut. Now that I'll be odorless, that is it!
Batches? I like to run continuously when I am cutting.
Water allows for batches. Cut a batch, dress your blade, cut another batch.
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Tom
fully equipped rock polisher
My dad Tom suddenly passed away yesterday, Just wanted his "rock" family to know.
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,557
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Post by Tom on Nov 1, 2013 20:54:49 GMT -5
I am going to try the water base, still waiting on bottle, damb borders!!! I only have an LS12, I am hoping it works and I don't mind dressing the blade daily or whatever. Thanks Scott for the great report, I will report on the smaller blade as soon as I am able to...come on pony's, ride, ride, ride LOL
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 21:52:15 GMT -5
12" blade is both easier to manage as far as dressing and also easier on the pocketbook!
Please feel free to use this thread, or that of your own, to generate your own thoughts and feelings. One saw ain't enough. I may buy a 12" someday!
Actually, thinking it thru, I feel my perfect shop would have the 24", a couple of 16"'s, a 14" 'chop saw', and some form of trim saw. 5 saws all working and ready for action makes for a nimble one man rock shop. I could still keep 4 sphere machines bizzy.
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