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Post by grumpybill on Dec 18, 2017 15:42:06 GMT -5
I've been wanting to try groove wrapping, but balked at buying a specialized tool for cutting the grooves...especially when it's likely I'll loose interest in a short time. So...I tried using my little Dremel router table and some cheap Harbor Freight diamond discs. If you're not familiar with the Dremel router table: www.dremel.com/en_US/products/-/show-product/tools/231-shaper-router-tableIt quickly became obvious that having a fence to control the depth of cut would be quite handy, so I made one out of a sheet of acrylic from an old picture frame. It's about the right thickness (3/32”) to hold the stone while allowing vertical adjustment of the diamond cutoff wheel for thin stones. After removing the stock fence I marked and drilled holes in a strip of acrylic for the mounting bolts. I mounted it loosely in place (needed shorter carriage bolts), put a 1/8” drill bit in the Dremel (already mounted under the table) and cut a slot for the shaft of the diamond wheel to allow adjustment as the blade wears down. To keep most of the muddy water from flying around the room, I added a 3-sided splash guard. Acrylic can't be glued with typical adhesives and I didn't have any of the right type, so I stuck things together with silicone caulking. If it doesn't hold up, I'll try welding the joints with a soldering iron. If that fails, I'll break down and buy the right stuff. I haven't bothered with a water feed system yet. For now I'm dripping water out of a little applicator bottle. Between using the wrong type of saw blade to cut the acrylic and the sloppy caulking job, it ain't pretty but it works well enough for me and cost nothing other than a few minutes of my time. Comments, critiques and suggestions gladly accepted.
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Dec 18, 2017 18:55:41 GMT -5
Home made is always the best no matter how bad it looks. I did basically the same thing with a drill press, cut off bucket with water and a flat brick. Worked until I got bored but I can set back up in less than five minutes if I want to do more.
Good job Jim
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Post by grumpybill on Dec 22, 2017 4:17:42 GMT -5
I need to figure out a water drip system. Not coordinated enough to hold the rock in one hand and squeeze the little applicator bottle in the other.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2017 6:51:13 GMT -5
More people are into stained glass then rocks so I can almost always find dirt cheap glass grinders that are made for cutting grooves. I have three of them right now just because the deals were too good to pass up. I just searched "glass grinder" and found this one 10 miles away. I usually pay $25 to $40 for them. On glass grinders the water sits in a void beneath the table top and then a sponge goes in the water and up against the blade. The sponge wicks up the water and keeps the blade cool with out spraying water. detroit.craigslist.org/okl/art/d/inland-wizard-diamond-glass/6411319540.htmlChuck
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Post by grumpybill on Dec 22, 2017 8:19:55 GMT -5
Oh, I agree a glass grinder is the right tool, but it cost me nothing to experiment with stuff I already have. If I decide to stick with it, I'll get the right tool for the job.
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Post by grumpybill on Feb 9, 2018 8:28:33 GMT -5
Update:
I've tilted the table slightly so there's less chance of water and mud getting to the motor.
I'm pleasantly surprised at how well the cheap little Harbor Freight discs are holding up. Even when I let the sparks fly. The only downside to the HF discs is that they're too thin for the 20ga square wire I use. Need to cut the groove, change the height of the Dremel, then make a second pass.
The splash guard is getting wobbly. Before long I'll need to reattach it. It's also getting frosted from wiping off the mud.
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Post by Pat on Feb 9, 2018 10:29:50 GMT -5
I need to figure out a water drip system. Not coordinated enough to hold the rock in one hand and squeeze the little applicator bottle in the other. The commercial groove machines just place a wet sponge behind and adjacent to the blade. It works.
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Post by grumpybill on Mar 29, 2018 7:20:43 GMT -5
Update #2:
The caulking holding the splash guard in place was short lived. It's completely gone, but I moved my grinding table into a corner of the room where it's easy to clean up the splatter. If I start using the critter more often, I'll rebuild it with the proper adhesive.
I've given up on any sort of drip system and gone to a grind-dunk-grind-dunk procedure. Works well enough for the small number of grooves I cut.
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