Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 19, 2017 17:03:10 GMT -5
Hi Duke.
Let's see. My smaller saws are:
7" Skil tile saw that I run with a Barranca Diamond Blade (I think 303c). Makes a cut up to about 1.25-1.5".
4" MK Diamond tile saw; total workhorse for cutting preforms out of slabs. As well as cutting anything else under about 3/4" thick.
and lastly my new favorite,
Ameritool 4" trim saw which I run with a Barranca Diamond 5" blade.
John, @jsgems, has been my blade supplier - he does drop shipping and knows which ones are good for what, as well as giving very good prices.
The only reason you might want the 7" tile saw (imo) is that it would be great for trimming rocks for tumbling. Other than that, you can use your 10" or your 4" (or a lot of people have a 6" trim saw - good size). The blade on the 7" is a little thick for cutting out preforms. It still works great, but the 4 and 5" blades are thinner and waste less material, and allow more precision.
Decision points on small saws:
1. RPM. The tile saws all run crazy fast RPMs. Cut slabs like butter. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to a "made for lapidary" saw. Faster cutting = faster blade wearing out too though. A lot of people like that trade off.
2. Cut height. Depending on where the arbor is mounted relative to the table (height wise), you can cut a thinner or thicker rock. The BD-10 kind of sucks in this regard, in my opinion. All saws kind of do.
3. Messiness factor. With a tile saw (wet tile saw), the way you work it is turn the side that ejects water away from you, stand behind it, and pull the slab toward you at the blade. Works fine, and you only get sort of wet. You really have to work these outside, and whatever surface you're working on will be permanently coated in un-removable sheen of rock slurry. I ruined our condo association's patio table that way. Oops.
4. Cleanup hassle.
a. With the saws that must be used outdoors, you can't really (or I can't) leave it set up all time, and just go use it when you need to cut something. You have to move the saw, bring the extension cord, bring the hose, bring your rocks and gear, (cut your rocks), then do all of the above in reverse, maybe including hosing down the patio, depending on where you're working. Total PITA. Lends itself to doing big batches of preforms at once. Plus, if you live where it gets too hot outside or too cold outside, it impinges on your opportunities for cutting. This is actually why I got the 4" Ameritool - it's tidy enough to use indoors, barely sprays water at all unless you fill the little tank too full.
b. Cleaning up the saw. As you probably already know/have experienced/have listened to folks on here griping about, saws fill up with sludge. Both oil saws and water saws. Tile saws win the prize for easy cleanout - just turn it up on its corner and hose it out. The little Ameritool I have to lift the whole saw up and pour the water/sludge out, and that can get messy - they should include a pour spout on it. The BD saw is a royal pain in the m-f-ing ASS to clean out (excuse my french). You pretty much have to take the blade off and dedicate an hour to a tedious scooping and swearing session. (They decided it would be a good idea to put a drain hole in the bottom of the tank, with a rubber stopper plug. But they made the plug stick up into the tank. So you can't reach in with a cup and scoop the sludge. And there isn't room for the cup on both sides of the blade. You COULD probably, under the right arrangement of table, hoses, dirt patch, etc., stick a hose in the tank and just hose all the gunk out the bottom. But your table has to have a hole in it . . . I might try it now that I have a yard, but it was a no-go living in a condo complex. If you decide to go with water, you might want to make a custom cart for the saw for cleanout.
5. Noise. You seem like a handy type, you've probably operated a wet tile saw. You can wake the dead with those things. Most lapidary saws are a lot quieter.
I guess that's pretty much it. I think most people who cut cabs have either a small tile saw or a 6" trim saw. I think I'm the only one on here with the Ameritool saw. I did a write-up of it about 8 months ago or something if you're interested.
That's all I can think of. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your setup!
Susan
Let's see. My smaller saws are:
7" Skil tile saw that I run with a Barranca Diamond Blade (I think 303c). Makes a cut up to about 1.25-1.5".
4" MK Diamond tile saw; total workhorse for cutting preforms out of slabs. As well as cutting anything else under about 3/4" thick.
and lastly my new favorite,
Ameritool 4" trim saw which I run with a Barranca Diamond 5" blade.
John, @jsgems, has been my blade supplier - he does drop shipping and knows which ones are good for what, as well as giving very good prices.
The only reason you might want the 7" tile saw (imo) is that it would be great for trimming rocks for tumbling. Other than that, you can use your 10" or your 4" (or a lot of people have a 6" trim saw - good size). The blade on the 7" is a little thick for cutting out preforms. It still works great, but the 4 and 5" blades are thinner and waste less material, and allow more precision.
Decision points on small saws:
1. RPM. The tile saws all run crazy fast RPMs. Cut slabs like butter. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to a "made for lapidary" saw. Faster cutting = faster blade wearing out too though. A lot of people like that trade off.
2. Cut height. Depending on where the arbor is mounted relative to the table (height wise), you can cut a thinner or thicker rock. The BD-10 kind of sucks in this regard, in my opinion. All saws kind of do.
3. Messiness factor. With a tile saw (wet tile saw), the way you work it is turn the side that ejects water away from you, stand behind it, and pull the slab toward you at the blade. Works fine, and you only get sort of wet. You really have to work these outside, and whatever surface you're working on will be permanently coated in un-removable sheen of rock slurry. I ruined our condo association's patio table that way. Oops.
4. Cleanup hassle.
a. With the saws that must be used outdoors, you can't really (or I can't) leave it set up all time, and just go use it when you need to cut something. You have to move the saw, bring the extension cord, bring the hose, bring your rocks and gear, (cut your rocks), then do all of the above in reverse, maybe including hosing down the patio, depending on where you're working. Total PITA. Lends itself to doing big batches of preforms at once. Plus, if you live where it gets too hot outside or too cold outside, it impinges on your opportunities for cutting. This is actually why I got the 4" Ameritool - it's tidy enough to use indoors, barely sprays water at all unless you fill the little tank too full.
b. Cleaning up the saw. As you probably already know/have experienced/have listened to folks on here griping about, saws fill up with sludge. Both oil saws and water saws. Tile saws win the prize for easy cleanout - just turn it up on its corner and hose it out. The little Ameritool I have to lift the whole saw up and pour the water/sludge out, and that can get messy - they should include a pour spout on it. The BD saw is a royal pain in the m-f-ing ASS to clean out (excuse my french). You pretty much have to take the blade off and dedicate an hour to a tedious scooping and swearing session. (They decided it would be a good idea to put a drain hole in the bottom of the tank, with a rubber stopper plug. But they made the plug stick up into the tank. So you can't reach in with a cup and scoop the sludge. And there isn't room for the cup on both sides of the blade. You COULD probably, under the right arrangement of table, hoses, dirt patch, etc., stick a hose in the tank and just hose all the gunk out the bottom. But your table has to have a hole in it . . . I might try it now that I have a yard, but it was a no-go living in a condo complex. If you decide to go with water, you might want to make a custom cart for the saw for cleanout.
5. Noise. You seem like a handy type, you've probably operated a wet tile saw. You can wake the dead with those things. Most lapidary saws are a lot quieter.
I guess that's pretty much it. I think most people who cut cabs have either a small tile saw or a 6" trim saw. I think I'm the only one on here with the Ameritool saw. I did a write-up of it about 8 months ago or something if you're interested.
That's all I can think of. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your setup!
Susan