Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 9, 2016 10:49:12 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Life has been busy lately so yesterday I decided to be brave and run my saw pretty much unattended while I did some other chores. Actually managed some cutting without the damn saw breaking down. Well, that is not strictly true, as the power feed did overheat and shut down a couple of times. Have to rest it half an hour to cool it down before resuming the cutting. Anyway, here are what I cut. Red jaspery one that has a little orby zone: Decided to start cutting atypical Rio stuff too. Lots of high silica sort of rhyolite half turned into agate. Like this stuff as it runs very solid and unfractured.
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Post by captbob on Mar 9, 2016 10:55:19 GMT -5
I like 'em both, the red especially!
Why does your power feed overheat? I never stick around when the saws are running. Too much like watching grass grow.
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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 Mar 9, 2016 11:16:45 GMT -5
Bob, According to the Covington people, there is a fan unit available to help stop this problem but I can only assume, as I've said before, that the engineers at that place do not really understand how a rock saw should be designed or take into consideration that some folks live where it gets hot. Soon as the Texas temps hit the eighties or sometimes even lower, the power feed heats up about every three or four slabs and shuts down. Rest it about 30 minutes till it's cool to the touch and it starts right back up. Guess it's just another of the many design flaws in this unit. The customer service folks at Covington are nice folks and helpful ( I talk with them a lot) but that does not help with the crankiness and unhandiness of the ten inch slab saw design. The whole power feed/ clutch design is especially sensitive. I spend about as much time messing with the saw as I do cutting with it and the sensitive- to- hardness/feed rate clutch means you better sharpen your blade after almost every agate...Mel
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Post by captbob on Mar 9, 2016 11:32:30 GMT -5
sensitive- to- hardness/feed rate clutch? You have to adjust something depending on the type rock you are cutting?
Granted, I don't cut the quantity of rock you go through, but in 10 years I have never sharpened a blade. Maybe that's because I don't only cut hard rocks like your Rios?
Not to be contrary, but why don't you sell that saw and tell the Mrs. that it is time for a new (different brand?) saw? All the time you spend cutting, it shouldn't be a battle! Life's too short.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 9, 2016 12:02:12 GMT -5
Nice cuts Mel....
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
|
Post by Sabre52 on Mar 9, 2016 13:03:11 GMT -5
Bob, Yes, the saw has an adjustable clutch. Feed rate has to be adjusted for various stone types. Many soft stones act to sharpen your blade so that may be why you don't have glazing issues I experience with hard stones. I really miss my old Beacon Star that never failed till the electronic eventually burnt up *L*. If I could guarantee a new rig would be any better, I might follow your suggestion. As it is now even though this rig is problematic, I know what the problems are, as opposed to learning the oddities of a new setup. As you said, life is too short and rocks are no longer that big a part of it. Plus my rolling table is all plumbed for this rig too. By the way, every saw I've ever had except the Beacon Star has been cranky with the hard stuff I cut and the larger the saw the more cranky....Mel
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 9, 2016 15:38:48 GMT -5
Mel, hot weather ain't the only thing that effects Covington power feeds. Unless they've redesigned the cover over the power re my suggestion, in cold weather the cover on the power feed shrinks just enough to bind the motor. I had to take the cover off of my power feed so I could do cold weather cutting. By removing the cover it also allows more air over the motor in hot weather.
Strangely enough, I have an older 10" Covington with power feed which has never caused a problem. Could be the early American made motor versus the cheap Chinese motor they now use. Or maybe it's the early cast aluminum cover versus the cheap sheet metal cover they use now.
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