Rock Saw - Water Or Oil? And Other Questions

[Tom A.]

Hey there,

 

I just picked up a used Rock Saw Highland Park Model E-5 (so says the sticker anyway). I'm using a 1/3 hp motor.

 

I've been busy make a stand and some covers, tore it all down, cleaned it all up and have started cutting some Jasper.

 

Its set up as a gravity feed (little bucket of lead balls) and has a nice little clamp to hold the work.

 

Questions:

 

Oil or Water for lubricant? Why?

- I'm using oil now but I'm inside - I did not consider how much mist it would create when setting up

- basically I'm in my shop - not outside - water would be fine but oil is going to be an issue and will require design changes

 

Speed of cut? - consider a used blade (50%)

- how long should I expect a 1" cut to take? (on jasper) I assume the harder the rock the longer the time. Currently I'm over an hour and based on current speed I will be another.... the whole cut is about 2"

- is there a range of time and how big is it?

- I would consider slower better but there comes a point i'm certain where I am just wasting time..

 

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Tom

[marcel beaudry]

Hello Tom

 

You should look at fundamentals of lapidary. some saw blades are made for water , some oil and other dry

if you want to clean your blade cut a brick and it will clean your blade you may have to repeat the operation till it cuts

 

Marcel

[yloh]

Hello Tom

 

Oil is better for your saw, you do not wantyour saw get rusted, bearings , ways...., but it is nasty.

If you have a plated saw blade, not thing you can do since the plated diamond is gone. if it is a sintered diamond blade, you can dress it with a brick or a grinding wheel.

yloh

[Tom A.]

Thanks Guys,

 

Starting to sort it out a bit. Its messy though! I need to fix up the shielding some.

 

I needed to oil the slide and then when it started making a slurry in the reservoir and I adjusted the gravity feed it cut like crazy. I made sure to back it off a bit so there were no sparks and started each piece off slow by hand.

 

So far so good. The adventure continues!!!

 

Tom

[lopacki]

Yolh,

I hate to disagree but I have been telling people for years (30+) that a piece of old grinding wheel works far better than a brick, any old coarse wheel will work and if you don't have one go to the hardware store and buy the cheapest they have, work much better than a brick and also much quicker.

 

All my best ........ Danny

 

P.S. I use water when done I spin the blade dry and drain the sump.