zrock541
off to a rocking start
Hobbyist
Member since April 2022
Posts: 2 
|
Post by zrock541 on Apr 15, 2022 5:53:24 GMT -5
Hello everyone this is my first time ever using a slab saw and I joined this forum because I noticed there are members who are familiar with this specific brand saw(Roc)18” Pneumatic hydraulic feeder slab saw. I would love to know if anyone has any advise for someone who is just learning how to use a lapidary saw? In order to get this saw working properly I had to fix the vice by building a new brass screw box and replacing the brass inserts along the vise thread bolt. I bought 5 gallons on orange scented mineral oil. Do I use the entire 5 gallons or do I need more or less? My saw is equipped with a hydraulic feeder screw system and I was wondering how big of an air compressor do I need to run this saw? Any advise before I try my first cut? Thanks guys I’m new so all advise is welcome for a first time user.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on Apr 15, 2022 6:08:14 GMT -5
NO! Unless you have oil delivery system to the blade edge (pump), don't use any more oil than necessary to cover 1/8 to 1/4" on your blade at the bottom edge. Too much oil (too high on the blade) will result in major oil mist and droplet flung around. Someone else will have to guide you on air compressor needs, but my guess is that a small capacity compressor with meet your needs depending on air tank capacity. You are trying for a slow feed rate (on the order of 5-7 minutes for an inch of travel). I'd start with a small (softish) rock, clamped really tightly, and experiment before you go for the giant rock you've been wanting to cut for oh so many years. I hate scented oil, but maybe you will like your choice. I tried a small bottle of baby oil not long ago, and I'm still trying to avoid that saw because of the lingering baby oil smell. Good luck firing up the saw.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Apr 15, 2022 22:49:14 GMT -5
I responded to your other post thinking you may have had the saw I restored a few years ago, but this description indicates it probably isn't. As far as compressed air requirements, you need a compressor capable of about 60 PSI or more, I never ran it above about 45PSI on the regulator on the machine, but if you don't have it set higher it would be running way too much. As far as air volume CFM it is pretty minimal, the ram is only moving about 1 inch every 5 to 7 minutes. The only real issue I had was that with the air on one side of the hydraulic cylinder and oil on the other, some air would get through the seals and the ram would get kind of bouncy instead of moving smoothly. When that happened I would open the flow control all the way and cycle it as far as it would go both ways a couple times, which cleared the air out. Oh, and make sure your accumulator oil reservoir has hydraulic oil in it, check with the vice carriage all the way to the rear.
The flow control sets the maximum forward speed, the way I set it was to close it all the way with the lid open and motor off, then move the lever to forward and slowly open the valve till I felt it move. I then used a tape measure and the stopwatch on my smart phone to find the position that moved it 1 inch in 5 minutes with nothing on it and marked the dial so it was easy to find.
If you are on social media of any kind, or even if not, you should talk to Michael Sage of Sage Designs. He bought mine and added some neat upgrades that made it more user friendly, and he can also show you his glue up that he uses to cut every piece all the way without the huge end pieces that the vice makes from being so far from the blade.
I would like to see pictures of what you worked on, if it's possible.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Apr 24, 2022 17:33:09 GMT -5
As it turns out this is the saw. Our email conversation got the photos below, and a ton load of memories. This saw was the 2nd big saw I ever purchased, when I bought a complete estate in 2008, first one I ever purchased. It had a piece of palm root in the vice that, once cut into slabs, would today probably pay for the estate purchase price. I took the vice carriage apart, put on new roller bearings for the feed, and line bored the crossfeed on the vice platform, installing bushings to get rid of the slop it had. It originally had run the rods directly through the aluminum, which unsurprisingly was egg shaped from use. I honed the bushings a bit to make it easier to turn the crossfeed, but in retrospect not as much as I should have. It was always tough to turn for slabs, I figured it would correct itself over time, but a little more relief would have been better. It went immediately into service, replacing the jury rigged Hilquist 20" saw I started with (the reason I DO NOT recommend Hilquist saws) and faithfully cut hundreds of lbs of rough for me. After a couple years and a house purchase with somewhat sufficient shop space I began buying saws on a regular basis, old posts here probably document about 1/4 of them, and got the 24" FranTom that replaced it as the "chunker" saw. Michael Sage came by to get something else somewhere in there, and started regularly asking me if it was for sale. Eventually it was, and I sold it to him probably around 2015 when I parked the HP 18" that I'm about to sell in it's place. The pics are from zrock541 zeke     |
|
... to the New Guys from The ChatBox V.2 Crew