lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on Apr 8, 2015 18:15:39 GMT -5
Finally got my Royal slab saw going...been sitting on it for a couple years. It's 14" saw but I put a 16" blade on it. First off the saw was these Nether"s Farm Flint Ridge. Not big slabs...I have to start somewhere. Still have to play around with the weight for gravity feed, but I'm a happy camper.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 8, 2015 18:42:15 GMT -5
So walk us through the evaluation of a gravity feed saw. Do you end up timing the cuts relative to specific weights like the power feed saws, i.e. 5 - 7 minutes per inch. Or do you just listen to the saw and make sure its not crowding the rock and slowing under too much weight. The couple of times I tried gravity feed I ended up boosting the feed a bit because it all seemed to slow (i.e. too little gravity). Curious minds want to know and you should be dealing with this with you new setup. Cheers. Tom
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lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on Apr 8, 2015 19:17:42 GMT -5
"do you just listen to the saw and make sure its not crowding the rock and slowing under too much weight" This is the way I'm starting. Got a little too much gravity now and have to take some gunk out of the pail I'm using. This is my first full sized rock saw so I'm learning as I go.
Lee #1
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on Apr 8, 2015 19:57:25 GMT -5
I got to visit Nether's Farm last year. it was my first time in Ohio since I was a kid. I ran into a geology professor and a back woods flint knapper while I was there. I learned stuff from both of them. I mailed myself about 70 lbs of flint from there, but I have not played with it yet. I hear it is some of the best stuff around. I would be interested in seeing what you make from these slabs.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 8, 2015 23:42:50 GMT -5
Like that Ohio flint!!!!!!!!!! I have a 15 pounder I need to get cut into two pieces,so I can work a few slabs............
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 10, 2015 18:19:02 GMT -5
The best weight feed saws I have seen have a damper of some sort to limit the feed speed at the start and end of the cut when you're only cutting a sliver of rock. Most look like screen door closer cylinders with a valve acting as a flow control. One of my early saws was a FranTon 10 inch trim/slab saw set up with weights, if you tried to force things the rock and vice would climb up the blade and bind up. Blade had to be re-sharpened frequently, a general PITA.
My best overall slab cutter is probably the 18" ROC hydraulic saw, but I prefer the screw feed auto shut-off saws for ease of use. With the hydraulic it's important to listen when adjusting pressure to a different hardness of rock just like a weight feed. Nice looking flint, Lee
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lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on Apr 11, 2015 8:13:32 GMT -5
This saw was set up to be hydraulic when I got it. Thought it would be easier using gravity. My new old HP trim saw combo unit I got off Tony in Q has gravity feed and a vise that will ride up...will have to watch that when I get it set up.
The biggest problem I have now is that the vise on the royal will spread open in to a V shape when a rock is in the blade side and the rock comes loose. Haven't wrecked anything yet. I think I'll have to put a spacer in the other end of the vise so it closes instead of spreads on the blade end (until I can come up with something better).
Thanks, Lee #1
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 11, 2015 19:18:00 GMT -5
I have some coupler nuts and various length bolts that I can adjust to keep the vice parallel. I can post a pic if you want.
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