bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Jun 20, 2017 10:33:02 GMT -5
Ok...so we somewhat concluded that water can be "evil" to machinery in another thread.... so lets talk about materials that should NOT BE CUT using oil. This is typically softer, more porous stone that can absorb and and discolor the material - even ruin its value....often times these are expensive materials that would be costly to f... up. Lets start out with an easy one (I think most know this...especially since John mentioned it in the other thread): Chrysocolla But what about - Malachite, Variscite, Covellite,......... (edit: thanks for everyone's collective input, I will continue to up date this post as a "masterlist" as more entries are made to the thread...cheers) List of do not cut in oil (or at least be cautious of and make your own call...some of these simply absorb oil, others get stained/ruined by oil....): Alunite Apache Rhyolite Chrysocolla Covellite (?) Flowering Tube Onyx Howelite Lepidolite Malachite Opal (with potch) Pcture rock (some softer varieties) Tigeriron (?) Turquoise (natural, unstabilized) Variscite |
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 20, 2017 17:18:09 GMT -5
Unstabilized turquoise
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Post by fantastic5 on Jun 20, 2017 17:37:05 GMT -5
I bought a thunderegg in Utah last year and the shop owner told me not to cut with oil. Water only.
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 20, 2017 17:48:16 GMT -5
Resins like copal and amber. Oils can dissolve resins.
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Post by Rockoonz on Jun 20, 2017 22:19:59 GMT -5
I bought a thunderegg in Utah last year and the shop owner told me not to cut with oil. Water only. Possibly an opal egg. Some of the more unstable opal potch tends to fall apart in oil. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Jun 21, 2017 8:54:58 GMT -5
I cut all my eggs in oil,never ever seen or had a problem..Some where even opalized...
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jun 22, 2017 12:03:41 GMT -5
Ok...so we somewhat concluded that water can be "evil" to machinery in another thread.... so lets talk about materials that should NOT BE CUT using oil. This is typically softer, more porous stone that can absorb and and discolor the material - even ruin its value....often times these are expensive materials that would be costly to f... up. Lets start out with an easy one (I think most know this...especially since John mentioned it in the other thread): Chrysocolla But what about - Malachite, Variscite, Covellite,......... List of do not cut in oil (I will update this post as others add to the thread): Chrysocolla I don't cut Malachite, Variscite, Turquoise or Chrysocolla in oil. All can absorb oil. Also I don't saw Howlite, Tigeriron, and some varieties of picture rock in oil. Larry C. |
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Post by captbob on Jun 22, 2017 13:09:29 GMT -5
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jun 22, 2017 14:05:14 GMT -5
I've had the softer areas of the brown matrix absorb oil. Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jun 22, 2017 14:09:40 GMT -5
Also should probably add Flowering Tube Onyx, Apache Rhyolite, and Alunite to the list.
Larry C.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818
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Post by Mark K on Jun 22, 2017 14:59:16 GMT -5
I was told to take the chryso and put it in water for a few day before cutting. The water will fill the pores and the oil is repelled.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 22, 2017 15:08:26 GMT -5
I don't cut soft stuff much but Lepidolite and howlite do poorly in oil.
I've cut t-eggs, even opal ones, tiger iron, and many types of picture rock in oil with no problems. Have never had problems with any kind of travertine onyx or chrysocolla I've tried to cut....Mel
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Jun 22, 2017 16:26:09 GMT -5
Nice Sabre52 I added Lepidolite above.... Agreed, I have never has any issues with travertine onyx either collected much here in MT from various locals. Cheers |
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Jun 22, 2017 16:26:58 GMT -5
I was told to take the chryso and put it in water for a few day before cutting. The water will fill the pores and the oil is repelled. I too have heard of this "work around" - good add to the thread Mark, thanks. From my perspective, the problem with this approach is that once you make a cut it is doubtful that water penetrated all the way thru a rock. Cheers |
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Post by Peruano on Jun 22, 2017 19:57:09 GMT -5
I'm not dealing with high ticket materials, but I have cut quite porous opalized wood in oil and yes it absorbed some oil, but with time even mineral oil evaporates and posed no problem. It also absorbs water without permanent effects. Turquoise can change color slightly when it absorbs oil from your skin, but that's not necessarily a damage. I've cut untreated turquoise, but did use the water soak as mentioned and again saw no problem. Mineral oil will mix with water so it probably is diluted and washed away in the cabbing process. Me . . . I'm not going to worry yet.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Jul 1, 2023 15:47:55 GMT -5
Older thread but exactly what I was looking for. I just discovered this on my own cutting some lepidolite. And there’s others listed here that I have planned to work on and would not have thought I needed to be cautious using oil with. So… what’s the work around? Do people have a separate water cooled rock or trim saw? Also, if you do have a softer material that soaks up oil, is there a method for removing the oil? Here is a piece of lepidolite trim sawed in oil. It did soak up a ton of oil during that process, turning from its usual pale purple to a very deep purple. I have no idea how the original rough and slabs were cut. As I cabbed it, the oil became really not noticeable, to the touch anyway. Working it with the water, it seemed no longer oily after a time. So, I don’t know, it doesn’t seem to have caused a detriment, but it will be interesting to see with time.  |
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 1, 2023 16:09:55 GMT -5
I cut small, soft, rough like variscite and chrysocolla with my trim saw using water. Too much waste and breakage using a slab saw.
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 1, 2023 18:53:30 GMT -5
posted on wrong topic.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Jul 1, 2023 19:12:33 GMT -5
stardiamond So is your trim saw already set up with water coolant, and maybe a water conditioner additive? Or are you draining oil, using water just to do a bunch of these soft rock cuts, and then refilling with oil? My trim saw is filled with oil. Maybe a little tile saw could be an option for water cuts. 🤔
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 1, 2023 19:23:39 GMT -5
stardiamond So is your trim saw already set up with water coolant, and maybe a water conditioner additive? Or are you draining oil, using water just to do a bunch of these soft rock cuts, and then refilling with oil? My trim saw is filled with oil. Maybe a little tile saw could be an option for water cuts. 🤔 I have an Highland Park reboot 10 inch slab saw. It has .032 kerf which is the same as my Genie trim saw attachment. The Genie is designed to work with water and an additive. The HP10 is designed to work with oil. I have an HP14 reboot that needs to be uncrated and set up. It is the same design as the HP10. I have only one large Mookaite piece of rough that requires a larger saw and I have no immediate need for Mookaite slabs. Most of the large rocks I cut were done on my 16 inch Covington saw and I have cut a bunch of slabs. Any large rough that I would buy would be too expensive. Those of you who are lucky enough to self collect can really benefit using a large slab saw. I have to buy all my rough. |
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