Contributor
Bandsaw ... I've 'heard' of people knocking the peaks off the set to improve the finish, and save a little material in the process. Make them somewhat resemble a carbide tip on a circular saw blade.
Keep the RPM down, and use coolant, and a hollow ground HSS slitting saw should work well too.
Contributor
One little, bad, detail re HSS saws. All of them I've seen have teeth that are milled before hardening. Then they're ground, bore and faces.
So they run out and usually only cut with a few of the teeth. So consider you might need to have them properly ground before use.
Contributor
re HSS saws. All of them I've seen have teeth that are milled before hardening. Then they're ground, bore and faces.
So they run out and usually only cut with a few of the teeth. So consider you might need to have them properly ground before use.
Amen!
Years ago, after making plenty of tooling, i came to the conclusion that somehow, over mulitple tries, i just did not manage to make good saw arbors.
Then one day i busted a saw, and the replacement had already been used up/dull.
So i groaned, pI$$ed & whined, and finally hauled out the fixture for my Cincinnati #2, set up, and sharpend the blade.
Whoa!
What a revelation!
It almost scared me - there was barely any noise. No throbbing, jerking "nYerk! - nYerk! - nYerk! - nYerk!" pulsing the infeed handle.
Just a quiet, steady "whirr" sound and chips pouring out with no fuss or bother.
Gear cutters are often about the same way.
Contributor
I assume this plastic will melt with friction, but if not, perhaps a 4 1/2'' grinder wheel with a 1/16 thickness?
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
Contributor
Look also at a tool grinder. They are designed to run with a drip oil or water on the wheels.
Bill D
Member
That saw is a lapidary unit. Diamonds are merely rocks, chuckle. I would look at what is available for lapidary. Then check local rock and gem clubs for used equipment. I have repaired some for my wife, the rockhound, and the rock and gem club see belongs to.
[OP]
Member
Hi, Rick, thanks for your post. 1/16" is too much kerf/material loss. The material we're cutting in rod form costs $50/foot. That's not an exaggerated number.Originally Posted by Rick Potter
[OP]
Member
Oh, my gosh, Ray, I'm sitting here slapping my forehead. I had looked at this option years ago, but thought these saws were too fast. This should do the trick -- and it's cheap! Thanks!
https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Tech-Diamo..._source=1&th=1
[OP]
Member
Agreed, Bert. I've got a segmenting saw, but it only goes up to 300 RPM. I need something possibly ten times that fast.
Just be clear, Bert, are you talking about a CNC machine for the slitting? If so, I would have to job this out, which wouldm make our costs too high. I do have a CNC machine, but it is a small benchtop model with no water or coolant.
If you're referring to benchtop units, the industry standard is pretty much the Buehler Isomet line. However, the high-speed model I need is $4000-5000 for a clean used one, well beyond my means at this point.
If you have another specific saw or application in mind, I'd love to hear more.
Thank You,
Scott
Thank You,
sm
Last edited by Scott Memmer; 05-19-2024 at 3:55 PM.
[OP]
Member
Wes, hi, you and another poster mentioned the same thing, something about a smoother blade for a bandsaw. The little nine-inch band saw I have cuts this stuff beautifully, but the surface is very rough. Are there other blades I might try? I'm cuirrently using a metal-cutting blade with 18 TPI.
sm
Member
Lapidary saw blades are measured in thousands of an inch. Gem stones are even pricier.
[OP]
Member
Ray, yes, I'm familiar with the specs on lapidary blades. That's not the problem. As far as pricing, that is also not a problem. There are "diamond" blades to my spec (.025" or thinner) that will work just fine. (I suspect the cheaper diamond blades are synthetic, but they work just fine.)
The challenge is what kind of machine can I mount these blades on that will do the job. All the lapidary saws are water-cooled, as the excessive heat -- esp at 5000 RPM -- can burn and damage the diamond edge. I already own a Buehler Isomet segmenting/wafering saw, but at 300 max RPM it is far too slow. I cannot afford the faster Buehler saw, even used.
Again, I need the following features. I am now leaning toward a DIY solution, which I can do for probably under $500.00
Contributor
Why not just change out some pulleys for a higher rpm. Is it plain bearing?
Bill D
Contributor
I meant using a spindle from a CNC machine to make your own slitting machine. Something like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Spindle-Inver...6-9d8efb903409
(No experience with them, just searched "cnc spindle")
You'd need to make your own system, but you could stick a slitting saw into one of those mounted horizontally and make a small slitting machine.
Member
I repair the machines, I don't use them.I work with wood and metal, not rock. I checked one of the wife's 6" trim saws, it uses a 1725 motor 1to1. Just a quarter horse. This one uses mineral oil for coolant and lube. Her other one is for opals. The colour in opals is in contained water, so any heat would be a great problem, it would ruin the stone. They make your material seem like chicken feed. This 6" trim saw has even finer blade and uses water. The saw bases are filled with oil or water and the blades run in it. It is not quick. We paid around a hundred for the used saw, about that much for the blade, and we had a 1/4hp kicking around. I mounted them to a plywood base, added a guard and switch, and one of those lamps on an arm. A magnifying one would be deluxe. . The larger 10" trim saws also slab the stone. They have clamps for holding the stone for cutting. You could easily work something like that out in wood.
I joke I'm so cheap my wife has to make her own jewelry . She also does silversmithing.
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