Read full description for better thoughts a year later. @Jemstone 6 Hello. I bought the (Harbor Freight) Diamondback 10 inch Bridge Saw with a 2 yr extended warranty for $585 and thats with tax included. I wanted to be able to cut material at least 3 inch thick or tall and still cut small things as well. Overall I like it, but it has some drawbacks to it. It came with a blade for cutting up to about 5-6 on the hardness scale and struggles to get through anything beyond that. I did by a "agate kutter" blade ($135) online but, that didnt turn out any better then the $40 blade that came with my saw. The main issue with the type of saw I have, is since the blade comes down from the top, like in this guys video above; the blade tends to "pull" down hard at times. This can cause your piece to "slant" or "warp" if you loose grip or a piece chips or crumbles; this is because it has a groove in it for the saw blade to pass through. I also have a Hi-Tech flat lap/polisher and so trying to get a warp or slant out is near impossible on ones that are affected a bit more. You would need a machine that spins round like a cabbing machine and good skills to remove those warps and slants. On softer pieces I can get them out if they are at the edge of the piece, by running them along the edge of the saw or flat lap. I had both the saw and lap for a year now this November and I like them both overall and for reasons I will list below. I actually just cuts some pieces a few days ago and most were soft, but I got frustrated cutting some chalcedony about 1/2 thick due to the time it takes to cut. The cut came out nice on the one side and polished nice, but the time it takes (10-20 minutes) to do each side is not worth it right now. I ruined a few pieces that were larger and longer cuts when I first bought the saw and couldnt get the warps out, so I have them aside until I can figure something out or find a pro who can fix them and cut the rest. I have cut some "messed up" ones down smaller and ones that didnt polish that great; and threw them in my tumblers. They came out great, not polished mirrored like on the lap; but really nice still and held the "flatness" too. I couldnt afford the Hi-tech 10 in, which is about $800 plus tx and extend warranty would make it over $1,000. It would not leave slants or warps due to the fact it doesnt have the blade mounted up top and no open groove either; and only would do that if you had to "roll" the piece around to get through it. That would be on how good or not you are at cutting and if their blade is really good quality. I think their lap is good for the $500, but its mostly hard resin-plastic and not metal like the more expensive ones (Covington, etc $800-1,000 and more). So their saws are also plastic bases and turned me off as did their price, but they may be really good. So here is my reasons overall I bought my saw. 1. Price and good reviews and 2 yr warranty. Came in at least $200-300 then top brands like "Rigid, Dewalt, etc". 2. Bought it in store in my town and so if any issues I could just return it for a new one. 3. Its a wet tile saw, saw I could use it for cutting tiles and paver bricks if I need to do so. 4. Since its a wet tile saw, it has a easy resale value for commercial business and homeowners if I was to sell it. 5. It has wheels on the motor side and handle on the front to easily life and wheel around. I did not buy the stand for it, another $55 and so far no issue without it. I live in a second floor apt and use it in my bathroom on the 20 amp outlet, the saw is 15 amps and 4000 rpm. I bought an extra small fountain pump to put into the saws tub, to drain the dirty water; and I use the pump it came with to run clean water from a 5 gallon bucket to the saw blade. This is the best way to go. So you know, the Hi-Tech and other true "rock cutting" saws are slower rpm's, usually around 1700-2400 rpm; rotations per minute. Not sure about their blades and what type of diamond coating they have, but it seems very slow rpms to cut hard rocks and crystals. So mostly I love the saw and can do the large rocks and even very small pieces. I even cut triangles, pillars and other shapes with ease on softer pieces, both large and very small. Most people use a trim saw-table top to cut such small intricate shapes; I was able to do it on my saw. If I could find a great blade, then it would be super awesome saw, because most of the warps or slants are from me needing to "roll" the piece to get through easier and faster; only to ruin them for now. You will still get a few that will have that due to the power of the saw blade coming downwards onto your piece and that open groove. I looked and talked to blade sellers and they all said "get the agate kutter blade." Didnt work for me and barely saw a difference from the blade it came with. I shuffle back and forth with them as I need them. I will still look for a better blade in continuous rim form soon. Still, very happy with the saw, very powerful indeed and I could see it lasting very long, even though its made for easy cutting pavers and tile. One last thing, my blades are thin, .05 and .06 I think and so they have a slight "flex" when spinning and cutting, which most likely also gives a warp to the equation. Like everyone, if I/we had the money and space, I would go commercial grade large cutting ($1500-3000) and then a cheaper 7 inch table top saw with blade from the bottom ($150-300) for doing the small intricate cuts and shapes. So I gave as much details and help I could think of from my year with it and hope it helps you decide. Oh, I cut a ton of things too, I used it at least 4-5 times in a year and cut at least 10-20 pieces each time; and those pieces got cut down as many times as well. So maybe about 200 cuts or more so far and some heavy duty. I will leave a video below to show you some good pieces to help you decide. ~Chris czcams.com/video/9bgtnVXtW1o/video.html Stephanie Ferguson 4 weeks ago I have the same saw and have noticed a wobbling too. I have a issue with the saw blade grabbing the rock. Glad I watched your video I was thinking of getting the agate kutter blade.
Thanks I got one a few weeks ago have not been able to use it yet but I'm going to try this weekend. Glad to see you have used yours. Got a couple of faceting machines to set up so I have to see.
Hi. Thanks for the cool video but you did not show the actual cutting of rocks. I was hoping to see how you set the rock into or onto the tray. I am using the size rocks that look to be a bit larger than the one you showed, but am trying to determine, before I buy, if the tray is needed. Or do you set the rock in and slowly lower the blade down? I am hoping that if I can get a good starter cut, then I can use a chisel and break the rock in two, then sculpt the flat side. Thanks for any input or help.
I here you as I needed that from other videos to make my decision and wasnt always the best. I can tell you after over a year of using it, that it works great from softer rocks and crystals then it does harder ones. From 6 down it cuts pretty quick and smooth and from above 6 to like 7-8 of quartz and pet wood; it has a rough go at it. If you want it for tile cutting and pavers, then its awesome for that. Hope that helps you more.
@ChristopherSchiffermiller 26:28 That's harbor freight for you.😢 Not worth the money. It's better to save up more money to get a better saw, in my opinion.
I'm so happy to find someone who is using this saw for rocks. I hope this does the trick, I just purchased one on a 'deal'. Thanks for the video. I hope you continue with fall ups with your new better blade, I sure be watching. Happy rock hunting.
Hey Bonnie, glad you bought one on a deal and that this video may have helped you. Im going to leave a copied and pasted response I gave to another girl just two weeks back about my thoughts a year later. It may help you before you start cutting and also a link to a company for blades. The company is called HiTech and I have their 8 inch flat lap machine. Im waiting to hear from them about their blades and what the rpms are rated for and which one may be the best to cut faster and more smooth. When I hear from them I will leave their reply here for you to see, but I wouldnt buy one until the rpm max speed is known. What part of the country or world are you rock hunting in? Enjoy your cutting and hope my words below help you out, Chris hitechdiamond.com/collections/diamond-saw-blades @Jemstone 6 Hello. I bought the (Harbor Freight) Diamondback 10 inch Bridge Saw with a 2 yr extended warranty for $585 and thats with tax included. I wanted to be able to cut material at least 3 inch thick or tall and still cut small things as well. Overall I like it, but it has some drawbacks to it. It came with a blade for cutting up to about 5-6 on the hardness scale and struggles to get through anything beyond that. I did by a "agate kutter" blade ($135) online but, that didnt turn out any better then the $40 blade that came with my saw. The main issue with the type of saw I have, is since the blade comes down from the top, like in this guys video above; the blade tends to "pull" down hard at times. This can cause your piece to "slant" or "warp" if you loose grip or a piece chips or crumbles; this is because it has a groove in it for the saw blade to pass through. I also have a Hi-Tech flat lap/polisher and so trying to get a warp or slant out is near impossible on ones that are affected a bit more. You would need a machine that spins round like a cabbing machine and good skills to remove those warps and slants. On softer pieces I can get them out if they are at the edge of the piece, by running them along the edge of the saw or flat lap. I had both the saw and lap for a year now this November and I like them both overall and for reasons I will list below. I actually just cuts some pieces a few days ago and most were soft, but I got frustrated cutting some chalcedony about 1/2 thick due to the time it takes to cut. The cut came out nice on the one side and polished nice, but the time it takes (10-20 minutes) to do each side is not worth it right now. I ruined a few pieces that were larger and longer cuts when I first bought the saw and couldnt get the warps out, so I have them aside until I can figure something out or find a pro who can fix them and cut the rest. I have cut some "messed up" ones down smaller and ones that didnt polish that great; and threw them in my tumblers. They came out great, not polished mirrored like on the lap; but really nice still and held the "flatness" too. I couldnt afford the Hi-tech 10 in, which is about $800 plus tx and extend warranty would make it over $1,000. It would not leave slants or warps due to the fact it doesnt have the blade mounted up top and no open groove either; and only would do that if you had to "roll" the piece around to get through it. That would be on how good or not you are at cutting and if their blade is really good quality. I think their lap is good for the $500, but its mostly hard resin-plastic and not metal like the more expensive ones (Covington, etc $800-1,000 and more). So their saws are also plastic bases and turned me off as did their price, but they may be really good. So here is my reasons overall I bought my saw. 1. Price and good reviews and 2 yr warranty. Came in at least $200-300 then top brands like "Rigid, Dewalt, etc". 2. Bought it in store in my town and so if any issues I could just return it for a new one. 3. Its a wet tile saw, saw I could use it for cutting tiles and paver bricks if I need to do so. 4. Since its a wet tile saw, it has a easy resale value for commercial business and homeowners if I was to sell it. 5. It has wheels on the motor side and handle on the front to easily life and wheel around. I did not buy the stand for it, another $55 and so far no issue without it. I live in a second floor apt and use it in my bathroom on the 20 amp outlet, the saw is 15 amps and 4000 rpm. I bought an extra small fountain pump to put into the saws tub, to drain the dirty water; and I use the pump it came with to run clean water from a 5 gallon bucket to the saw blade. This is the best way to go. So you know, the Hi-Tech and other true "rock cutting" saws are slower rpm's, usually around 1700-2400 rpm; rotations per minute. Not sure about their blades and what type of diamond coating they have, but it seems very slow rpms to cut hard rocks and crystals. So mostly I love the saw and can do the large rocks and even very small pieces. I even cut triangles, pillars and other shapes with ease on softer pieces, both large and very small. Most people use a trim saw-table top to cut such small intricate shapes; I was able to do it on my saw. If I could find a great blade, then it would be super awesome saw, because most of the warps or slants are from me needing to "roll" the piece to get through easier and faster; only to ruin them for now. You will still get a few that will have that due to the power of the saw blade coming downwards onto your piece and that open groove. I looked and talked to blade sellers and they all said "get the agate kutter blade." Didnt work for me and barely saw a difference from the blade it came with. I shuffle back and forth with them as I need them. I will still look for a better blade in continuous rim form soon. Still, very happy with the saw, very powerful indeed and I could see it lasting very long, even though its made for easy cutting pavers and tile. One last thing, my blades are thin, .05 and .06 I think and so they have a slight "flex" when spinning and cutting, which most likely also gives a warp to the equation. Like everyone, if I/we had the money and space, I would go commercial grade large cutting ($1500-3000) and then a cheaper 7 inch table top saw with blade from the bottom ($150-300) for doing the small intricate cuts and shapes. So I gave as much details and help I could think of from my year with it and hope it helps you decide. Oh, I cut a ton of things too, I used it at least 4-5 times in a year and cut at least 10-20 pieces each time; and those pieces got cut down as many times as well. So maybe about 200 cuts or more so far and some heavy duty. I will leave a video below to show you some good pieces to help you decide. ~Chris My camera doesnt focus that well, but it will give you an idea. czcams.com/video/9bgtnVXtW1o/video.html Here is another girl that had the same issue as I have, see below. Stephanie Ferguson 4 weeks ago I have the same saw and have noticed a wobbling too. I have a issue with the saw blade grabbing the rock. Glad I watched your video I was thinking of getting the agate kutter blade.
@@ChristopherSchiffermiller Ahhh, thanks so much. How nice is this. Ha ha, I re-read my first message to you, oh my. I should reread my messages BEFORE I send them. Anyway, thanks again. Hope you had a nice holiday.
@@bonnieborgeson3200 Hi Bonnie, not sure what you mean about rereading your comments, but you are welcome for all the information. Below is a copied and pasted response from Hi Tech about their blades and they will not work for our saw; as they are very low rpm and would shatter. Let me know how you make out with your saw and cutting and have a nice Holidays. Sales @ Hi-Tech Diamond Fri, Nov 25, 11:21 AM (2 days ago) to me Hi Chris, The recommended RPM for our blades is 1700 so I can't recommend it for use with your saw. Jasper can vary in hardness from piece to piece so I would expect cutting time could vary from 5 minutes to 15 minutes for your example of 1" by 4" depending on the stone. I hope this is helpful to you. Thank you, Jennifer Stangley Customer Service Team
Just the video I was looking for. I was thinking about getting this at harbor freight in Arcata. I like how you specify "FAR" Northern Cali. When folks in the bay area say they're from Northern California, I laugh and think "no, that's more Central California" Cool collection of rock you have there. I'm thinking California Jade with those smaller green/black rocks. There's a lot of that at Patrick's Point, Dry Lagoon, along the Trinity and New Rivers, etc. Thanks for posting this.
Hey Darrell. Thanks for viewing and glad it helps you out, but you may want to wait on buying this saw if you plan on cutting rocks. Im about to make a video today or tomorrow to speak about my updated thoughts on using it to cut rocks; especially harder ones and crystals. It may be a combo of my newbie skills, the saw and the blades, but I have an issue with warping or some waves during cutting that causes an uneven polish. I think the blades flex a bit and causes this, but it easier to speak about it and show some of the rocks and cuts on a video. Thanks for the names of places to go and hound some rocks and nature to see. As for the Far Northern Cali, yeah I feel the same and I come from Jersey and San Fran to me is exactly what you say, central coastal Cali; its 5-6 hours south of me and I am an hour from the Oregon border. Btw in the video I am going to make about the above cutting issues, I will show you some awesome serpentine/cali jade stuff I was able to make into slabs and a cube too. I noticed that a few weeks after I bought my saw, they upped the price about $75 bucks or more; so around like $525 and mine was bought for around $425-435. Peace, Chris
@@ChristopherSchiffermiller daughter and went to Davis Creek the other day. No permits until July. But we weren't going home without busting a couple rocks. Learned a lot while there about the sheen and how to break or cut them. I have some at home but didn't think they were rainbow. Turns out they are. So we took a couple to Chapman's Gem museum to have them cut. He knew exactly what to do. I didn't mention rainbow, but when I started talking about the angle I'd like the cuts, he just jumped in and said yes, with the rainbow obsidian, you want about 10 degrees from the plane for the best show. So I'm like, ok there you go, have fun. Alturas was our last stop after a huge trip. Or., Wa., Id., Mt., ND., Wy., SD., Ne., Co., Az., Nm., Ut., Ne., Home. Looked for rocks all the way around the loop. Some of the coolest places surprised me. The Dakotas! I figured them to be boring. But not so in the western portion. In SD, at oglala Badlands, we stopped at a place where you couldn't even take a step without walking on agate. They were flat, layered, mostly white and druzy. Stopping along the Yellowstone river, we had a hard time because the sun wasn't out and we're used to finding beach agate with the calcite knocked off. Probably looked at a few and simple didn't know it. I'm wanting to hit central Utah, possibly next year and go for some topaz sapphire and Dugway geodes. If we're extremely lucky, red beryl. But I won't get my hopes up on that one. We're in Humboldt, near Eureka. Not a lot when it comes to rock here but we don't mind a drive when it comes to hounding around. The year before we went north of Plush for some sunstones. Not any big ones but it was fun. Looking forward to your second review of your saw. If there's no side to side play on the table, it may be just the blade flexing or cutting too fast. Or both. If I decide to get one, I'm gonna look into a clamp of sorts. That would definitely help with a more uniform cut. I wonder if they make one for that table... Welp... Here I go looking. LOL
@@DG-kq8zf Wow, awesome trip you guys had and cool to have your Daughter with you experiencing it together. Always wanted to go out that way and to those places too, one day maybe I will make that trip. Also hope to get out to Davis creek this summer and get some of the rainbow, pink and the blue in the different sites out there. See any quartz crystals or other crystals there? It about a 4 hour trip from me. I also want to hike and see the Marble Mountains as well, se some Bigfoots, some caves and lost ancient civs as well..... Thanks for the saw advice and I will explain and show you when I get the video made and up soon. I though about a vice too. If you are ever in Medford Oregon, take your little girl to Agate Lake in late July or August when it is low; and walk around the area by the creek coming in and other side around the lake to the dam. Be sure to park in the section opposite the boat ramp entrance which is by the fire station. You want to go past that to the next entrance, as that side has lots of cool jasper, agates, and mixed as well as pet wood. Im going to go and walk in the lake this year and see if I can find any monster size goodies as I never did that yet. Not many people there at all, like 2-10 each time I go and mostly to fish. Be sure to wear shoes and clothes you dont mind getting muddy and be careful with yourself and little girl when reaching down; as they leave fish hooks behind a lot. May want to bring a little shovel to dig out if the ground is hard. Look in my playlist called "My garden, crystals....." and you will see a video called "Fishtank Rocks" its 30 minutes. You will see what I found in Medford area and the lake to get you an idea if you like the finds enough to check it out. I wouldnt go unless you are into exploring around the area for nature or other fun.
Looks like you might have some Mahagony Obsidian (brown and black), you might have some galena, labradorite, and phrenite as well. Something to research I suppose. If you’re in Washington you could take them to Jerry’s Rock and Gem in Kent for identification :).
The big one you found in cali looks like Big Sur jade , the stains on might make it vulcanized jade which is actually sought after by collectors :). I’m no expert so ?
Thanks for viewing and your comment too Ursa. They call many things around here as "Jade", mainly the greens/yellows from the serpentine group. I have seen the Big Sur Jade a few years back online and is really cool when you find a good piece. Im about 6-7 hours north of Big Sur and want to get down there one day soon. I have been in Cali for the past 8 years and been close to the area and the one time I was going to go, the road was closed down. Im from the east coast originally. Amazing wilderness out by me and so much to explore. Thanks again.
Read full description for better thoughts a year later.
@Jemstone 6 Hello. I bought the (Harbor Freight) Diamondback 10 inch Bridge Saw with a 2 yr extended warranty for $585 and thats with tax included. I wanted to be able to cut material at least 3 inch thick or tall and still cut small things as well. Overall I like it, but it has some drawbacks to it. It came with a blade for cutting up to about 5-6 on the hardness scale and struggles to get through anything beyond that. I did by a "agate kutter" blade ($135) online but, that didnt turn out any better then the $40 blade that came with my saw. The main issue with the type of saw I have, is since the blade comes down from the top, like in this guys video above; the blade tends to "pull" down hard at times. This can cause your piece to "slant" or "warp" if you loose grip or a piece chips or crumbles; this is because it has a groove in it for the saw blade to pass through. I also have a Hi-Tech flat lap/polisher and so trying to get a warp or slant out is near impossible on ones that are affected a bit more. You would need a machine that spins round like a cabbing machine and good skills to remove those warps and slants. On softer pieces I can get them out if they are at the edge of the piece, by running them along the edge of the saw or flat lap.
I had both the saw and lap for a year now this November and I like them both overall and for reasons I will list below. I actually just cuts some pieces a few days ago and most were soft, but I got frustrated cutting some chalcedony about 1/2 thick due to the time it takes to cut. The cut came out nice on the one side and polished nice, but the time it takes (10-20 minutes) to do each side is not worth it right now. I ruined a few pieces that were larger and longer cuts when I first bought the saw and couldnt get the warps out, so I have them aside until I can figure something out or find a pro who can fix them and cut the rest. I have cut some "messed up" ones down smaller and ones that didnt polish that great; and threw them in my tumblers. They came out great, not polished mirrored like on the lap; but really nice still and held the "flatness" too. I couldnt afford the Hi-tech 10 in, which is about $800 plus tx and extend warranty would make it over $1,000. It would not leave slants or warps due to the fact it doesnt have the blade mounted up top and no open groove either; and only would do that if you had to "roll" the piece around to get through it. That would be on how good or not you are at cutting and if their blade is really good quality. I think their lap is good for the $500, but its mostly hard resin-plastic and not metal like the more expensive ones (Covington, etc $800-1,000 and more). So their saws are also plastic bases and turned me off as did their price, but they may be really good.
So here is my reasons overall I bought my saw.
1. Price and good reviews and 2 yr warranty. Came in at least $200-300 then top brands like "Rigid, Dewalt, etc".
2. Bought it in store in my town and so if any issues I could just return it for a new one.
3. Its a wet tile saw, saw I could use it for cutting tiles and paver bricks if I need to do so.
4. Since its a wet tile saw, it has a easy resale value for commercial business and homeowners if I was to sell it.
5. It has wheels on the motor side and handle on the front to easily life and wheel around.
I did not buy the stand for it, another $55 and so far no issue without it. I live in a second floor apt and use it in my bathroom on the 20 amp outlet, the saw is 15 amps and 4000 rpm. I bought an extra small fountain pump to put into the saws tub, to drain the dirty water; and I use the pump it came with to run clean water from a 5 gallon bucket to the saw blade. This is the best way to go. So you know, the Hi-Tech and other true "rock cutting" saws are slower rpm's, usually around 1700-2400 rpm; rotations per minute. Not sure about their blades and what type of diamond coating they have, but it seems very slow rpms to cut hard rocks and crystals. So mostly I love the saw and can do the large rocks and even very small pieces. I even cut triangles, pillars and other shapes with ease on softer pieces, both large and very small. Most people use a trim saw-table top to cut such small intricate shapes; I was able to do it on my saw. If I could find a great blade, then it would be super awesome saw, because most of the warps or slants are from me needing to "roll" the piece to get through easier and faster; only to ruin them for now. You will still get a few that will have that due to the power of the saw blade coming downwards onto your piece and that open groove. I looked and talked to blade sellers and they all said "get the agate kutter blade." Didnt work for me and barely saw a difference from the blade it came with. I shuffle back and forth with them as I need them. I will still look for a better blade in continuous rim form soon. Still, very happy with the saw, very powerful indeed and I could see it lasting very long, even though its made for easy cutting pavers and tile. One last thing, my blades are thin, .05 and .06 I think and so they have a slight "flex" when spinning and cutting, which most likely also gives a warp to the equation. Like everyone, if I/we had the money and space, I would go commercial grade large cutting ($1500-3000) and then a cheaper 7 inch table top saw with blade from the bottom ($150-300) for doing the small intricate cuts and shapes. So I gave as much details and help I could think of from my year with it and hope it helps you decide. Oh, I cut a ton of things too, I used it at least 4-5 times in a year and cut at least 10-20 pieces each time; and those pieces got cut down as many times as well. So maybe about 200 cuts or more so far and some heavy duty. I will leave a video below to show you some good pieces to help you decide. ~Chris
czcams.com/video/9bgtnVXtW1o/video.html
Stephanie Ferguson
4 weeks ago
I have the same saw and have noticed a wobbling too. I have a issue with the saw blade grabbing the rock. Glad I watched your video I was thinking of getting the agate kutter blade.
Thanks I got one a few weeks ago have not been able to use it yet but I'm going to try this weekend. Glad to see you have used yours. Got a couple of faceting machines to set up so I have to see.
hey new jersey!!! hackensack here !!
Wishing I could have seen you cutting the rocks...
that was really cool, thanks
Hi. Thanks for the cool video but you did not show the actual cutting of rocks. I was hoping to see how you set the rock into or onto the tray. I am using the size rocks that look to be a bit larger than the one you showed, but am trying to determine, before I buy, if the tray is needed. Or do you set the rock in and slowly lower the blade down? I am hoping that if I can get a good starter cut, then I can use a chisel and break the rock in two, then sculpt the flat side. Thanks for any input or help.
Would have preferred seeing you actually cutting the rocks instead of just seeing the end result.
I here you as I needed that from other videos to make my decision and wasnt always the best. I can tell you after over a year of using it, that it works great from softer rocks and crystals then it does harder ones. From 6 down it cuts pretty quick and smooth and from above 6 to like 7-8 of quartz and pet wood; it has a rough go at it. If you want it for tile cutting and pavers, then its awesome for that. Hope that helps you more.
@ChristopherSchiffermiller 26:28 That's harbor freight for you.😢 Not worth the money. It's better to save up more money to get a better saw, in my opinion.
I'm so happy to find someone who is using this saw for rocks. I hope this does the trick, I just purchased one on a 'deal'. Thanks for the video. I hope you continue with fall ups with your new better blade, I sure be watching. Happy rock hunting.
Hey Bonnie, glad you bought one on a deal and that this video may have helped you. Im going to leave a copied and pasted response I gave to another girl just two weeks back about my thoughts a year later. It may help you before you start cutting and also a link to a company for blades. The company is called HiTech and I have their 8 inch flat lap machine. Im waiting to hear from them about their blades and what the rpms are rated for and which one may be the best to cut faster and more smooth. When I hear from them I will leave their reply here for you to see, but I wouldnt buy one until the rpm max speed is known. What part of the country or world are you rock hunting in? Enjoy your cutting and hope my words below help you out, Chris
hitechdiamond.com/collections/diamond-saw-blades
@Jemstone 6 Hello. I bought the (Harbor Freight) Diamondback 10 inch Bridge Saw with a 2 yr extended warranty for $585 and thats with tax included. I wanted to be able to cut material at least 3 inch thick or tall and still cut small things as well. Overall I like it, but it has some drawbacks to it. It came with a blade for cutting up to about 5-6 on the hardness scale and struggles to get through anything beyond that. I did by a "agate kutter" blade ($135) online but, that didnt turn out any better then the $40 blade that came with my saw. The main issue with the type of saw I have, is since the blade comes down from the top, like in this guys video above; the blade tends to "pull" down hard at times. This can cause your piece to "slant" or "warp" if you loose grip or a piece chips or crumbles; this is because it has a groove in it for the saw blade to pass through. I also have a Hi-Tech flat lap/polisher and so trying to get a warp or slant out is near impossible on ones that are affected a bit more. You would need a machine that spins round like a cabbing machine and good skills to remove those warps and slants. On softer pieces I can get them out if they are at the edge of the piece, by running them along the edge of the saw or flat lap.
I had both the saw and lap for a year now this November and I like them both overall and for reasons I will list below. I actually just cuts some pieces a few days ago and most were soft, but I got frustrated cutting some chalcedony about 1/2 thick due to the time it takes to cut. The cut came out nice on the one side and polished nice, but the time it takes (10-20 minutes) to do each side is not worth it right now. I ruined a few pieces that were larger and longer cuts when I first bought the saw and couldnt get the warps out, so I have them aside until I can figure something out or find a pro who can fix them and cut the rest. I have cut some "messed up" ones down smaller and ones that didnt polish that great; and threw them in my tumblers. They came out great, not polished mirrored like on the lap; but really nice still and held the "flatness" too. I couldnt afford the Hi-tech 10 in, which is about $800 plus tx and extend warranty would make it over $1,000. It would not leave slants or warps due to the fact it doesnt have the blade mounted up top and no open groove either; and only would do that if you had to "roll" the piece around to get through it. That would be on how good or not you are at cutting and if their blade is really good quality. I think their lap is good for the $500, but its mostly hard resin-plastic and not metal like the more expensive ones (Covington, etc $800-1,000 and more). So their saws are also plastic bases and turned me off as did their price, but they may be really good.
So here is my reasons overall I bought my saw.
1. Price and good reviews and 2 yr warranty. Came in at least $200-300 then top brands like "Rigid, Dewalt, etc".
2. Bought it in store in my town and so if any issues I could just return it for a new one.
3. Its a wet tile saw, saw I could use it for cutting tiles and paver bricks if I need to do so.
4. Since its a wet tile saw, it has a easy resale value for commercial business and homeowners if I was to sell it.
5. It has wheels on the motor side and handle on the front to easily life and wheel around.
I did not buy the stand for it, another $55 and so far no issue without it. I live in a second floor apt and use it in my bathroom on the 20 amp outlet, the saw is 15 amps and 4000 rpm. I bought an extra small fountain pump to put into the saws tub, to drain the dirty water; and I use the pump it came with to run clean water from a 5 gallon bucket to the saw blade. This is the best way to go. So you know, the Hi-Tech and other true "rock cutting" saws are slower rpm's, usually around 1700-2400 rpm; rotations per minute. Not sure about their blades and what type of diamond coating they have, but it seems very slow rpms to cut hard rocks and crystals. So mostly I love the saw and can do the large rocks and even very small pieces. I even cut triangles, pillars and other shapes with ease on softer pieces, both large and very small. Most people use a trim saw-table top to cut such small intricate shapes; I was able to do it on my saw. If I could find a great blade, then it would be super awesome saw, because most of the warps or slants are from me needing to "roll" the piece to get through easier and faster; only to ruin them for now. You will still get a few that will have that due to the power of the saw blade coming downwards onto your piece and that open groove. I looked and talked to blade sellers and they all said "get the agate kutter blade." Didnt work for me and barely saw a difference from the blade it came with. I shuffle back and forth with them as I need them. I will still look for a better blade in continuous rim form soon. Still, very happy with the saw, very powerful indeed and I could see it lasting very long, even though its made for easy cutting pavers and tile. One last thing, my blades are thin, .05 and .06 I think and so they have a slight "flex" when spinning and cutting, which most likely also gives a warp to the equation. Like everyone, if I/we had the money and space, I would go commercial grade large cutting ($1500-3000) and then a cheaper 7 inch table top saw with blade from the bottom ($150-300) for doing the small intricate cuts and shapes. So I gave as much details and help I could think of from my year with it and hope it helps you decide. Oh, I cut a ton of things too, I used it at least 4-5 times in a year and cut at least 10-20 pieces each time; and those pieces got cut down as many times as well. So maybe about 200 cuts or more so far and some heavy duty. I will leave a video below to show you some good pieces to help you decide. ~Chris
My camera doesnt focus that well, but it will give you an idea.
czcams.com/video/9bgtnVXtW1o/video.html
Here is another girl that had the same issue as I have, see below.
Stephanie Ferguson
4 weeks ago
I have the same saw and have noticed a wobbling too. I have a issue with the saw blade grabbing the rock. Glad I watched your video I was thinking of getting the agate kutter blade.
@@ChristopherSchiffermiller Ahhh, thanks so much. How nice is this. Ha ha, I re-read my first message to you, oh my. I should reread my messages BEFORE I send them. Anyway, thanks again. Hope you had a nice holiday.
@@bonnieborgeson3200 Hi Bonnie, not sure what you mean about rereading your comments, but you are welcome for all the information. Below is a copied and pasted response from Hi Tech about their blades and they will not work for our saw; as they are very low rpm and would shatter. Let me know how you make out with your saw and cutting and have a nice Holidays.
Sales @ Hi-Tech Diamond
Fri, Nov 25, 11:21 AM (2 days ago)
to me
Hi Chris,
The recommended RPM for our blades is 1700 so I can't recommend it for use with your saw. Jasper can vary in hardness from piece to piece so I would expect cutting time could vary from 5 minutes to 15 minutes for your example of 1" by 4" depending on the stone.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Thank you,
Jennifer Stangley
Customer Service Team
Good video...
Only bad thing about your video is you're not showing your viewer's the cutting action of your saw?🤔
Jesus...... cut already friggin ready
Just the video I was looking for.
I was thinking about getting this at harbor freight in Arcata.
I like how you specify "FAR" Northern Cali. When folks in the bay area say they're from Northern California, I laugh and think "no, that's more Central California"
Cool collection of rock you have there.
I'm thinking California Jade with those smaller green/black rocks. There's a lot of that at Patrick's Point, Dry Lagoon, along the Trinity and New Rivers, etc.
Thanks for posting this.
Hey Darrell. Thanks for viewing and glad it helps you out, but you may want to wait on buying this saw if you plan on cutting rocks. Im about to make a video today or tomorrow to speak about my updated thoughts on using it to cut rocks; especially harder ones and crystals. It may be a combo of my newbie skills, the saw and the blades, but I have an issue with warping or some waves during cutting that causes an uneven polish. I think the blades flex a bit and causes this, but it easier to speak about it and show some of the rocks and cuts on a video. Thanks for the names of places to go and hound some rocks and nature to see. As for the Far Northern Cali, yeah I feel the same and I come from Jersey and San Fran to me is exactly what you say, central coastal Cali; its 5-6 hours south of me and I am an hour from the Oregon border. Btw in the video I am going to make about the above cutting issues, I will show you some awesome serpentine/cali jade stuff I was able to make into slabs and a cube too. I noticed that a few weeks after I bought my saw, they upped the price about $75 bucks or more; so around like $525 and mine was bought for around $425-435. Peace, Chris
@@ChristopherSchiffermiller daughter and went to Davis Creek the other day. No permits until July. But we weren't going home without busting a couple rocks. Learned a lot while there about the sheen and how to break or cut them. I have some at home but didn't think they were rainbow. Turns out they are. So we took a couple to Chapman's Gem museum to have them cut. He knew exactly what to do. I didn't mention rainbow, but when I started talking about the angle I'd like the cuts, he just jumped in and said yes, with the rainbow obsidian, you want about 10 degrees from the plane for the best show. So I'm like, ok there you go, have fun. Alturas was our last stop after a huge trip. Or., Wa., Id., Mt., ND., Wy., SD., Ne., Co., Az., Nm., Ut., Ne., Home. Looked for rocks all the way around the loop. Some of the coolest places surprised me. The Dakotas! I figured them to be boring. But not so in the western portion. In SD, at oglala Badlands, we stopped at a place where you couldn't even take a step without walking on agate. They were flat, layered, mostly white and druzy.
Stopping along the Yellowstone river, we had a hard time because the sun wasn't out and we're used to finding beach agate with the calcite knocked off. Probably looked at a few and simple didn't know it. I'm wanting to hit central Utah, possibly next year and go for some topaz sapphire and Dugway geodes. If we're extremely lucky, red beryl. But I won't get my hopes up on that one.
We're in Humboldt, near Eureka. Not a lot when it comes to rock here but we don't mind a drive when it comes to hounding around. The year before we went north of Plush for some sunstones. Not any big ones but it was fun.
Looking forward to your second review of your saw. If there's no side to side play on the table, it may be just the blade flexing or cutting too fast. Or both. If I decide to get one, I'm gonna look into a clamp of sorts. That would definitely help with a more uniform cut. I wonder if they make one for that table... Welp... Here I go looking. LOL
@@DG-kq8zf Wow, awesome trip you guys had and cool to have your Daughter with you experiencing it together. Always wanted to go out that way and to those places too, one day maybe I will make that trip. Also hope to get out to Davis creek this summer and get some of the rainbow, pink and the blue in the different sites out there. See any quartz crystals or other crystals there? It about a 4 hour trip from me. I also want to hike and see the Marble Mountains as well, se some Bigfoots, some caves and lost ancient civs as well.....
Thanks for the saw advice and I will explain and show you when I get the video made and up soon. I though about a vice too.
If you are ever in Medford Oregon, take your little girl to Agate Lake in late July or August when it is low; and walk around the area by the creek coming in and other side around the lake to the dam. Be sure to park in the section opposite the boat ramp entrance which is by the fire station. You want to go past that to the next entrance, as that side has lots of cool jasper, agates, and mixed as well as pet wood. Im going to go and walk in the lake this year and see if I can find any monster size goodies as I never did that yet. Not many people there at all, like 2-10 each time I go and mostly to fish. Be sure to wear shoes and clothes you dont mind getting muddy and be careful with yourself and little girl when reaching down; as they leave fish hooks behind a lot. May want to bring a little shovel to dig out if the ground is hard. Look in my playlist called "My garden, crystals....." and you will see a video called "Fishtank Rocks" its 30 minutes. You will see what I found in Medford area and the lake to get you an idea if you like the finds enough to check it out. I wouldnt go unless you are into exploring around the area for nature or other fun.
Looks like you might have some Mahagony Obsidian (brown and black), you might have some galena, labradorite, and phrenite as well. Something to research I suppose. If you’re in Washington you could take them to Jerry’s Rock and Gem in Kent for identification :).
Is that small rock a chert nodule?
How do I cut a 16pound Jasper stone with my 10in wet tile saw?
The big one you found in cali looks like Big Sur jade , the stains on might make it vulcanized jade which is actually sought after by collectors :). I’m no expert so ?
Thanks for viewing and your comment too Ursa. They call many things around here as "Jade", mainly the greens/yellows from the serpentine group. I have seen the Big Sur Jade a few years back online and is really cool when you find a good piece. Im about 6-7 hours north of Big Sur and want to get down there one day soon. I have been in Cali for the past 8 years and been close to the area and the one time I was going to go, the road was closed down. Im from the east coast originally. Amazing wilderness out by me and so much to explore. Thanks again.
Chert?