[Rockhounds] Speaking of lapidary tools....Any favorites?

[Tim Fisher]

I don't think that will work. Bench grinders run at 3450 RPM and I 
wouldn't even run an extremely thin (i.e., opal) blade that fast. 
There are no pulleys, it's a direct drive, so there is no way to 
change the RPM. It's dangerous to run a diamond blade that fast; it 
will eventually blow apart and throw steel shrapnel somewhere (most 
likely at you, see Murphy's Law).

At 07:36 PM 1/5/2008, you wrote:
>
>In a message dated 1/5/2008 7:36:51 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,
>Kreigh at tomaszewski.net writes:
>
>my Sears  power drill.
>
>I use the power drill with nails as bits, using loose  carbo in water as
>an abrasive, to drill holes in  rocks.
>
>
>That's a great idea.
>   I have an old bench grinder that i want to convert to a trim  saw.  Just
>have to figure out the way to add the fluid tray and  cover.  Maybe 
>a slab saw
>that used the rocks own weight to slab.   Would a adjustable outlet work in
>slowing the RPM's for a safer cut?
>   Thanks Kreigh
>

Tim Fisher
Ore-ROCK-On!
Email address at http://OreRockOn.com