Wire Saw

["Clive Murray-White" <clivemw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

I read with interest the Wire Saw topic, I too have been down the path of
tearing my hair out trying to work out what may be the most economic (
cheap) and effective way of slabbing and cutting boulders and after much
consultation with a very friendly and very creative saw sharpener we can up
with a most satisfactory solution.

We've converted a 1930's vintage piece of timber industry equipment to cut
stone very effectively, in Australia these machines were called "drag saws"
they may have had different names in different parts of the world. Basically
these saws utilise the same principle as any hand saw, a long saw blade is
attached to a bar that is itself attached to a fly wheel , there is a guide
through which the blade can move freely, the whole unit is mobile and can be
wheeled up to what ever needs cutting.

To operate it all you do is rest blade on top of what you want to cut turn
it on.

The saw sharpener re-cut the old 5ft wood blade and coated its cutting edge
with fairly corse diamonds.

We replaced the primitive motor with an electric one.

It is slow but very effective and only needs the smallest dribble of water
to keep the blade cool and to clean out the dust.

I use mine almost exclusively on marble, the diamond blade will cut anything
but I feel that I would need to make a few modifications to the whole thing
if I was regularly cutting much harder stones.

Slabbing is easy as it is just a matter of setting up guides and makes cuts
up to about 4ft. If you needed to go longer all you would need is a longer
blade.

Of course finding one of these old machines could prove difficult for most
of you. The principle is so simple that if anybody is interested I could
send them enough drawings to make one themselves.

Regards to all Clive