🔎 UNIDENTIFIED First Cuts of the Year

[ToddsPoint]

It’s warmed up enough I fired up my rock saw. I had this nodule of Cobden Chert I thought I’d start with.

Well, that didn’t go to well. Mother Nature gave me a crack!

I found a large glacial erratic of colored quartzite last year and put it in the saw. It barely fit. I could only make a partial cut.

I laid it on the ground and hit it with a sledge to break the uncut segment.

This piece has quite a bit of color. Probably from iron content.

I put the smaller piece back in the saw and squared it up. It’s solid with no cracks.

 

[pepperj]

It’s warmed up enough I fired up my rock saw. I had this nodule of Cobden Chert I thought I’d start with.View attachment 2251311

Well, that didn’t go to well. Mother Nature gave me a crack! View attachment 2251312

I found a large glacial erratic of colored quartzite last year and put it in the saw. It barely fit. I could only make a partial cut.View attachment 2251313

I laid it on the ground and hit it with a sledge to break the uncut segment.View attachment 2251315

This piece has quite a bit of color. Probably from iron content.View attachment 2251316

I put the smaller piece back in the saw and squared it up. It’s solid with no cracks.View attachment 2251317

How many inches can the blade cut?
Can the saw hold a larger blade or it's maxed put?

 

[opalboy]

That brown one looks like Dino bone!

 

[Digger54]

I know you are using a wet blade but do you think heat build up caused the crack or just one of the gambles of doing a thin cut on chert? I like how smooth your cuts come out.

 

[ToddsPoint]

How many inches can the blade cut?
Can the saw hold a larger blade or it's maxed put?

If I use every trick to reduce a large one, I can end up with a 6X6X6 piece max. It’s a 16” blade, so half of that less a bit more gives you a 6” max cut. The saw can only use a 16” blade.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I know you are using a wet blade but do you think heat build up caused the crack or just one of the gambles of doing a thin cut on chert? I like how smooth your cuts come out.

The saw uses oil for a coolant. There’s no heat whatsoever. The chert definitely had a crack to begin with. Cracks in all types of rocks are common when you start cutting them. Too common!

 

[ToddsPoint]

That brown one looks like Dino bone!

This rock was formed during the Proterozoic, around 1,700 to 2100 million years ago. That’s 1.7-2.0 billion. The dinosaurs reigned from around 250-66 million years ago. So this rock was already a billion yrs old when the dinosaurs were around. It’s hard to wrap your head around those numbers.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I finished squaring up the larger piece and cut another block. I cut this one to show the most amount of color. No cracks and this will be good for carving.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I cut a piece of metagranite. Another 2+ billion yr old rock.

This is a small piece cut off the end.

I cut it down further with my 10” saw. Then I used my cabbing machine to make a small celt. I’ll drill a hole in it and make a celt pendant.

 

[Oldrvrrat57]

Nice work, I've been thinking about purchasing a rock saw myself the ditches behind my house have an abundance of geodes. If you would mind what machine do you use?

 

[ToddsPoint]

Nice work, I've been thinking about purchasing a rock saw myself the ditches behind my house have an abundance of geodes. If you would mind what machine do you use?

I have a Highland Park 16”. It’s a beast. It seems like which ever size you choose, it’s still not big enough!😁 I looked for a used machine but didn’t have any luck. You’d save a bunch if you could find a decent one. I’ve never cut a geode. Send me one and I’ll cut it for you.

 

[Oldrvrrat57]

I have a Highland Park 16”. It’s a beast. It seems like which ever size you choose, it’s still not big enough!😁 I looked for a used machine but didn’t have any luck. You’d save a bunch if you could find a decent one. I’ve never cut a geode. Send me one and I’ll

Thanks for the information, I'll look it up