Last week I finally broke down and purchased a new Lapidary Saw. I had been looking for a good used 10″ rock saw for months now but they either had already been sold or it was not what I wanted.
The saw I decided on was the base model Lortone TS 10 Lapidary Saw which is a stainless steel saw. This was going to be just a starter saw but I was quite amazed at the quality and construction of the Lortone rock saw. The rock saw was purchase off of eBay from at great seller by the name of Rons Rocks.
I purchased the Lortone Ts 10 from Ron on a Tuesday and it was at my house on Friday. Now thats what I am talking about. If you are looking for fast friendly service with some very reasonable prices talk to Ron.
After purchasing my rock saw I of course needed a blade. I talked to quite a few people about what kind of blade I should purchase and every single person mentioned MK if I could afford it. So I decided to bit the bullet and purchase a 10″ MK 301 diamond lapidary saw blade. I shopped online for about a week to find the best deal. You would be amazed at the price variance on these blades. I found them from $90 to $160 man somebody must be out of there mind to sell the same saw blade for almost twice as much. I decided to purchase my MK 301 Lapidary Saw Blade from Dads Rockshop. I found that they have some of the best prices on internet for Lapidary items.
Last but not least I needed a lubricant for my new rock saw. I had been told that the Covington Rockhound Oil is very good, so I purchased 1 gallon to test it out. The oil is almost the consistency of water and has zero odor. I like the oil but I have noticed over the last couple of days that the oil is irritating my skin a little.
Well off to cut some more rock and I should have a few more field trips on the site in the next couple of days. So keep your eyes peeled for the Rabbit Springs Fluorescent Thunderegg dig, and the Jamieson Oregon Petrified Wood Dig.
6 Responses
Geoff Hubbs
July 14th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
1Nice saw. I have found mineral oil to be the best for my 10″ saw. It has no odor and food or technical grade will do.
Jason
July 14th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
2Geoff,
I have come to find out that the Covington Rockhound Oil is technical grade mineral oil. So when I get more oil it will be at my local D&B farm store it’s much cheaper.
Steve
August 31st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
3Baby Oil! It’s mineral oil with fragerance. (The wife won’t kick you out of bed). Or,
You CAN use water. Add a few teaspoons of Borateam (20 mule team)
(This is an old rock hound secret.)
The borax (that’s what it is) is a rust inhibitor and it works GREAT! There! No oil mess and no rust! It also works as a fantastic lubricant improvement - slick! I gave up on even the baby oil and I’ve had NO PROBLEMS after including the 20 mule team borateam! Of course, if your saw is going to sit idle for awhile, drain, clean and dry. If you’re using water, you can SAVE THE TRIMMINGS FOR THE TUMBLER! It’s a great grinding medium additive!
I took some fiberboard and cut it to fit the pan of my trim saw (with a slot for the blade - rough side up). This GREATLY reduces the vibration and rate of slab breakage!
I also cut some 1/2″ plywood to fill the space beween the left side of the pan and the blade - leaving around a two 1/2 inch gap. The board went all the way from the front to the back of the pan and fit “snugly”. Then, I cut some sticks of various widths - that also went from the front to the back of the pan. By putting the sticks between the board and the blade, I had a variable “guide” for making straight cuts!
Steve
August 31st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
4By the way - the fiberboard in the pan also prevents your blade from hitting the side of the metal slot and “toasting” your blade!
Finally, one more tip. You CAN use your finger (or a stick) to hold the blade straight as it cuts - especially, if you make the guide I was talking about. Don’t put your finger at the edge of the blade of course. But with a little counter-pressure, your blade stays straight and true.
sandsman1
October 28th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
5i found a very old lortone 8inch on ebay didnt look like much so i threw a coat of paint on it, but i gotta say its a work horse and i dont think ill ever have to get another for triming i have a panther for slabbing
Jason
October 30th, 2008 at 12:16 am
6Sands
My next purchase is going to be a 18″ slab saw.
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