Cutting Rocks

[Hawk]

ok, before I go experimenting I figured I'd ask to see if anyone has tried. A little back story. Ever since I was around 10 I've been a "Rock Hound", exploring  the shores of Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior looking for treasures. After high school rockhounding took a back seat to life. Fast forward to today, I've rediscovered rockhounding and that got me to thinking about merging the rockhounding with my scrollsaw. Which brings me to my question, Has anyone ever tried or actually cut stones on a scrollsaw? I don't see it being any more difficult than cutting coins. In my little brain I'm thinking ramp up the saw speed, metal cutting blade, slow feed rate. 

 

Chris

[Scrappile]

I've turned stone on a wood lathe, was not difficult.  But it was Soap Stone which is very soft, for a stone.  I have a couple chunks of alabaster I was going to try to turn also, but have never gotten to it. It can be I have see some of the results.

[Sycamore67]

I think it is a bad idea as stones are much harder than coins.  In addition, you could get grit into your machine and damage it.  I have drilled holes in rocks but used a diamond coated bit immersed in water at very slow speeds.

You might cut limestone or other soft rocks but anything with silica in it will dull a blade very fast.  They do make diamond coated scroll saw blades.

[kmmcrafts]

I'm not sure about Hegner but Hawk sells or used to sell a cooling tank / pump system for cutting tiles and other items that would require a coolant system... I personally wouldn't do it for the fact that the rock would likely get into bearings etc of the saw..

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Not going to do it. Unless you find a way to use a diamond blade there is not a metal blade or wood blade to hold up to a stone. This comes up in the turning world and even carbide tools will not do it. Find another medium to play with is my suggestion. Cut copper, brass, aluminum. they would be challenging. Coins are cut when thinned. The metals in coins are junk metals. I cut a coin in half and used Jewlers blades on my Dewalt788 years ago as a competition to another turner who bet I could not do it. It took a few blades to do it. Could not cut it with any other blade including what everyone touts as metal cutting blades. If you do try it make sure you document every move or we will not believe you.  good luck. 

[Hawk]

I gotta say I agree with everyone here. Upon more research I realize that a tile saw would be the best and safest way to cut the stones. Oh well.....

[preprius]

I did own a rock cutter, home made 10" diamond saw.  I used some coolant that was made for machinist.  A evap cooler pump to keep filtered coolant running on the rock.   Basalt rocks that might have opals.

Keep the blade cool and clean with some water dripping.  Might also check about diamond saws for scrollsaw. Also search for diamond wire.

 

[preprius]

The hawk saws have a hole in the metal table right below the bottom blade clamp. 

I put a small funnel in that hole to catch sawdust in a container. The hole is probably for water coolant.

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by preprius

[kmmcrafts]

Drip tank is what Hawk calls it.. Their photo is terrible but anyway.. LOL

https://stores.bushtonhawkstore.com/drip-tank/

Pretty sure I've seen the same thing at one time on Hegners site too.. I've not seen it offered with any of the other saw brands though. 

[preprius]

use an IV Bag with a drip adjuster.

[TAIrving]

8 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

Drip tank is what Hawk calls it.. Their photo is terrible but anyway.. LOL

https://stores.bushtonhawkstore.com/drip-tank/

Pretty sure I've seen the same thing at one time on Hegners site too.. I've not seen it offered with any of the other saw brands though. 

That really is a bad photo.  

[Scrappile]

Well I gotta say, I cannot debate whether you can cut stone with a scroll saw blade, I suspect that with a diamond blade you could but it would be painful.  I know you can turn soft stones.  Here are examples of soap stone I turned.  It was not difficult, but it was slow.  The resulting "rock dust" was a real fine powder like talc.  And I have seen the results of turning alabaster:

http://www.maxkrimmel.com/Alabaster/HowToPart1/HowTo1.html

[Sycamore67]

Cutting rpck/stones with a tile saw could be dangerous.  It is very difficult to hold a roundish rock in a tile saw.  It would be very easy to come loose and fly around.

This is a Geode I drilled a hole thru to insert a LED with a diamond hollow core drill.  It was tough going.

[Wichman]

A word on rock hardness.

A few years ago I though of a solution to canopy weights at the market. My idea was to drill holes in rock and insert eye bolts, turn them over at the end of the market and leave them. I tried masonry bits, they drilled though cinder block like butter, on rock they scratched the surface but would not penetrate; this with a drill press on slow (175 rpm).

Hegner has diamond blades ( currently unavailable ) and a water system ( foot pump ). If you use the water system it would cool the blade and control the dust. If you tilt the table forward and put a catch tray underneath it would control the mess.

If I were to try this I would use a pet waterier; adjustable flow and a replaceable filter would take care of water issues.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

52 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

Well I gotta say, I cannot debate whether you can cut stone with a scroll saw blade, I suspect that with a diamond blade you could but it would be painful.  I know you can turn soft stones.  Here are examples of soap stone I turned.  It was not difficult, but it was slow.  The resulting "rock dust" was a real fine powder like talc.  And I have seen the results of turning alabaster:

http://www.maxkrimmel.com/Alabaster/HowToPart1/HowTo1.html

Very nice work. yes stone of that nature is alot softer and easier to turn and cut. It sure does make some nice turnings. Well done.

[James E. Welch]

On 9/19/2023 at 7:54 PM, kmmcrafts said:

I'm not sure about Hegner but Hawk sells or used to sell a cooling tank / pump system for cutting tiles and other items that would require a coolant system... I personally wouldn't do it for the fact that the rock would likely get into bearings etc of the saw..

Coolant Fluid Reservoir – Advanced Machinery (advmachinery.com)

They do sell a reservoir. I'm not sure about the use with stone though. It mentions metal and plastic in the description.