matt2432
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2014
Posts: 171
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Post by matt2432 on Jan 10, 2015 13:18:14 GMT -5
Hey Everyone,
I'm new to rock tumbling and quickly starting to realize the limitations of the equipment I have (Model B, AR-2 and a cheap 7" tile saw). I've been playing around with pre-shaping my tumbles on the tile saw and it works decent for general shaping of the stones, trimming, etc...
My questions is, what's the most economical way to start slabbing? I have a few larger agates and pet wood (3-5") that I'd like to slab and try my hand at making pre-forms before tumbling, but only have a limited budget. I don't need a huge saw, only the most basic on a dime.
What would you recommend? Is a place you can send rocks to and have them slabbed for a fee? What would be the best cheap beginners saw? Could I make my own?
Thanks, Matt
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 10, 2015 13:25:49 GMT -5
To bad a rockhounding club wasn't near you Matt....Trim saws are good for small stuff....Rock saws for the bigger rough.... I started out with a 14" saw,still use it.... Some people do hire out to cut too....Yes you can make your own saw......
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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 Jan 10, 2015 13:39:26 GMT -5
Howdy Matt, About the smallest saw that will do a good job of slabbing rocks of the size you've mentioned would be a ten inch saw. Depending on model and vice size, a ten inch saw will make cuts about 2 3/4 by 4 inches (my Covington rig). I am not, by the way, a fan of Covington ten inch saws. Used to have an old Beacon Star that has a much larger vice and more space in front of the blade that was a very superior saw. That one would handle 3" by 5" stock easily. Not sure how big the vice is on the Barranca 10"saws. A good vice, with a good cross feed and and power feed will let you cut nice smooth surfaced parallel slabs which is what you want for cabbing. Ten inch saws cut smaller slabs but then it usually means less trimming too. Doesn't matter if you cut a three by five slab if you only trim out the sweet one by two inch spot for a cab anyway.
My old used beacon star cost about $250 with a decent blade which was quite reasonable. Most new 10" saws run about $800+ which is not cheap. The neat thing about a ten inch saw is blade cost which really jumps up on larger saws but on ten inchers is usually under $100. I think if I went new again I'd go for the barranca 10" which I've heard is a very good saw. No matter how you figure it though, unless you can find a good used rig, slabbing is not, by any means, real economical. Slabbing larger rough is not a cheap hobby......Mel
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Post by Pat on Jan 11, 2015 0:23:24 GMT -5
My 4", 7", and 10" saws are all second hand tile saws. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Don't know much about saws, but I like them.
Good luck and welcome!
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 11, 2015 0:39:35 GMT -5
cheapest is to learn to roll rock on your 7" tile saw and get 3x3 slabs. you can get pretty good at getting fairly uniform thickness. it don't matter if the face has saw marks because you can rough a dome on the side of the blade and then tumble finish for a smooth surface.
For a little more, a used 10" saw with vise, but that will run a few hundred. and another hundred for an auto feed. if you are handy you can get a kit for a new 10" but still a few hundred.
there is something to be said for buying slabs. shipping off rock to have it slabbed is a loser unless you have really good rocks.
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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 Jan 11, 2015 8:09:49 GMT -5
Daniel makes a very good point. Considering how long it take to make cabs, you can buy enough slabs for a lot of cabs for what a saw and blade costs. And, when you buy slabs, you already know quality, pattern etc. Cutting rough is often pretty much a crap shoot and most of us spend a lot of saw time cutting stuff that turns out to be duds or kind of ehh. I own a saw but still buy more slabs than I do rough.....Mel
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matt2432
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2014
Posts: 171
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Post by matt2432 on Jan 11, 2015 9:11:25 GMT -5
cheapest is to learn to roll rock on your 7" tile saw and get 3x3 slabs. you can get pretty good at getting fairly uniform thickness. it don't matter if the face has saw marks because you can rough a dome on the side of the blade and then tumble finish for a smooth surface. For a little more, a used 10" saw with vise, but that will run a few hundred. and another hundred for an auto feed. if you are handy you can get a kit for a new 10" but still a few hundred. there is something to be said for buying slabs. shipping off rock to have it slabbed is a loser unless you have really good rocks. Thanks everyone for the input, Using the 7" sounds like my best option at this point. Once I'm more comfortable with working with the rocks, maybe I'll get a bigger saw. I'd hate to invest too much on good slabs and not have any idea what I'm doing with them and ruin good material. I assume I'd want to get a blade with a fairly small kerf? The blade that came with it is pretty thick
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 11, 2015 9:26:16 GMT -5
the difference between .020 and .050 is not a lot of material. the thicker blade is more forgiving and allows some side grinding. mk-225 is a great choice.
start with slabs of densely patterned material that will give high yield, maybe $4 to $12. you can cut alot of shapes.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,547
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Post by tkvancil on Jan 11, 2015 10:29:31 GMT -5
I roll "larger" rocks through my 7" tile saw. Make one straight cut then use the kerf as a guide to roll the rest of the rock through. Used some junk pieces for practice first. More times you do it the better your cuts get of course. It's not too difficult to get a reasonably parallel cut by eye.
Mostly I'm just making slabettes for tumbling. Use cheap diamond grinding wheels on my drill press to grind off the saw nub and bevel the edges of the slabs. Beveling the edges seems to help keep the flats from going concave when tumbling.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 11, 2015 11:15:30 GMT -5
Matt, All good advice here, but another option is to develop a working relationship with a fellow lapidary that may just be willing to let you watch him/her slab a few for you, teach you how to use the saw, even help look for a used one through his/her network of like enthusiasts, and or share, trade, or expedite acquisition of material. When it comes down to it, none of us is very far from someone else who is interested in the field, but finding those folks can be difficult. Go to rock shows, ask at rock shops, and for sure scan and use the Craig's list, senior citizen bulletin boards or 'grapevine". With some bravado, and perseverance, you probably will trip onto that slab saw you can afford, and better yet gain human support that is oh so valuable when starting into this ever so intriguing field. Learning to stub rocks so you can hold them steady, and to go slow so you can avoid trashing blades and rocks, and evaluating those cuts to be made will go a long way in allowing you to make progress with the tile saw and set you up to evaluate a 10" or larger saw more appropriate for big slabbing. There's nothing wrong with working small and you are currently set up for that. Cheers, tom
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