sawing, the sequel

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

Hi Bill,

Your sawing story has us all sucked in. I also live in the country but there
are lots of small engineering shops around and I can get most things done,
diamond coating has to be done about 2 1/2 hours drive away.

Firstly I think your main problem is that this is, or sounds like it is a
one-off job so tooling up big time for it isn't really an option, whereas
cutting square is something that I have to do quite regularly.

If you think about the time involved with driving a long way to get it cut
and the cost, against tooling up, acquiring the necessary skill to use
whatever you get and the time trying to work out what is best you will
realise that you could probably have it done by now.

Prior to making my diamond saw - I made it because everything that you could
buy was far too expensive, my 7' saw blade cost AU$ 600 the whole machine
was up and running for under AU$ 1000 (US$ 740) - I made another machine
that did quite a good job, cutting square has always driven me up the wall.
I really think the main problem is that we've become used to perfect
finishes made by industrial tools.

Anyway here's the principle of the saw's predecessor. Place the stone on a
flat surface, make a trolley that can fit on to rails that also sits on the
same flat plane, I used a ladder for these, the trolley had a 3ft square
tube post welded vertically and a 3ft horizontal square cross bar that could
move freely up and down it, threaded rod was attached to this with a handle
at the very top so the cross bar could be accurately moved up and down. A
similar threaded and handle rod system was used to make the cross bar move
accurately along the horizontal plane. both movements could be locked. I
then welded a square tube on my big angle grinder guard with a lockable
square receptacle on the horizontal tube.

So I now had a machine that could run backwards and forwards beside my lump
of stone, with an angle grinder ( with cutting disc) attached to it that
could move up or down, in or out in a controlled way, All that I needed to
do was turn it on, run pass the stone, make a cut, adjust the hight  and
repeat over and over again, when it had one flat surface ( with angle
grinder lines) on the stone, I would roll the stone on it, set the machine
up again and repeat 'til I had the desired slab. Note: quite some care was
needed setting it up.

This machine did not cost me anything at all as I made it from stuff lying
around my shop.

I was then left with the job of carefully dressing off the angle grinder
lines.

I previously tried drilling holes and many other "hand methods" many of
which nearly worked but were so subject to skill and accuracy that I often
spoilt the job.

Best wishes Clive

Web: www.cowwarr.com