How to Build a Homemade Rock Saw for Under 350 dollars!

Рет қаралды 85,337

3 жыл бұрын

This video is about how I built my homemade rock saw (lapidary saw). It actually ended up costing me around $200 because I was able to find the tile saw on Facebook marketplace and turn it into a lapidary machine. So far I have cut many many rocks and it is still working great! If you are interested in seeing more awesome rock projects from us (Natural Stones) you should subscribe to our channel. We upload at 6 pm every Thursday. Thanks for watching. - Ben
Subscribe: / @naturalstones4529
For Items and jewelry made from stone,
visit our website: shopnaturalstones.com
Components used to make this Rock Saw:
Rock Saw: amzn.to/3ik8b7m
Soft Blade: amzn.to/35vqTFD
Hard Blade: amzn.to/2DTm8dy
Saw Blade Sharpener: amzn.to/32i1tZW
Drill Press Vice: amzn.to/3jYh8DM
Drill Bit to fit the Vice: amzn.to/3bPYTxl
You will need to find 11/16" bolts and washers at your local hardware store
The links above are affiliate links and if you used them you would be helping Rebecca and I buy are dream homestead. Thanks again for watching and reading the description all the way through, you should probably just go watch another one of our videos if you like our content so much. Remember, new videos thursday at 6pm! How to Build a Homemade Rock Saw for Under 350 dollars!

Пікірлер: 93

@jtsimmons3133 3 жыл бұрын

There are quite a few folks doing this very thing. You have given the best explanation I've seen so far. Good vid. Also, don't neglect your local countertop fabricator. They usually will give scraps away and you can get some really exotic material, some gem grade.

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

That's a good Idea! Thanks for the tip!

@tashacherry1480 Жыл бұрын

Hey good advice!

@HardRockHead Жыл бұрын

We do indeed have all the scraps you can load and carry COME AND GET EM you wont be disappointed.

@jeremyinthewild 3 жыл бұрын

Love the energy. Hope things are going well! Thanks for the video!

@edwardbuchanan9610 2 жыл бұрын

I have this exact saw but difficult to cut rocks by hand. been looking for a auto feed unit with vice which i was just getting ready to spend $1500 on. thank godness for patience. stumbled across your video. Excellant idea. Love your auto feed by the way. Brilliant. Only down side is outdoor use versus indoor use, but i live in Texas so not a big deal. look forward to watching more of your stuff..

@alexanderprestrelski2563 Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Very informative. I love the cinder block idea.

@homemadetools 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting build; we don't often see these homemade. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎

@alanhiatt4820 Жыл бұрын

Thank You for this video, I'm glad I found it, I've seen a few rock cutting video's and have thought your book end idea would be a great way to display and use a big good looking rock, I look forward to more of your video's.

@firewoman13merica65 2 жыл бұрын

Omg!! Thank you guys!!

@gusaigusai7035 3 жыл бұрын

Nice work thank you 😊🙏

@kaseybarrow269 2 жыл бұрын

You're my hero bro, me and my fiancé just quit or fulltime jobs to start a rock n gem, due to her ever increasing cab collection (she makes wire wrap). I dream of building my own lap shop

@tattdskinz Жыл бұрын

That is really Cool!!!

@edtherockhound9944 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks bro I really appreciate it and I’m new to the rock world and it’s so awesome wish I was into it when I was young but love the video and thanks for the tips etc your the best merry Christmas

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

Happy New Year! You are welcome, thanks for watching

@KanadaVCK 2 жыл бұрын

cool setup

@abaronsnumismatics Жыл бұрын

Good job thanks for sharing

@samuelfiore7949 Жыл бұрын

Great video very informative. Hey! I remember you and a friend on the shores rock hounding lol. Also very fun. Already subscribed long ago lol.

@rob6480 3 жыл бұрын

Epic video. Thanks

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome!

@suebland14 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome!

@SeanHavlik 2 жыл бұрын

Great channel!

@jackcrowley3758 2 жыл бұрын

I think this is awesome, my brother and I are inspired! Was a little worried watching your video that your vice jaws seem pretty short compared to the rocks you're cutting. please be careful!

@bandilla7317 2 жыл бұрын

thnks sir this idea

@MarkSchuster-ym3iy 3 жыл бұрын

I had that wet saw it was great

@bryanMish 3 жыл бұрын

Looks great! I work in the stone countertop trade so I second the notion of finding countertop fabricators. They’ll have all kinds of odds and ends that are simply thrown away, even rare and exotic stone. Usually comes in thickness of 3/4” to 1-1/4”. (2cm & 3cm). And I have made pens out of stone :) most recently out of some Mariposite I got from an old supervisor of mine. It took me 9 hours to drill two 2” blanks with a 1” core bit! Perhaps you can share some tips, I’d be happy to share my process in exchange should you be interested. Keep up the good work! One more subscriber from me

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

Alright! I will definitely look into the countertop scraps to see what I can find! Making pens sounds like a fun challange! I'm surprised it took that long. I'm currently saving up for a coring drill so I can get longer cylindrical shapes. Ill let you know If I find any tips on that. Thanks for watching!

@tundrasr5709 3 жыл бұрын

I bought the same saw and stand and put a clamp on it. The cinder block trick is so simple I can't believe I didn't think of it myself. Thanks for that great idea. I have not figured out a decent blade though, any help with that? You earned yourself a new subscriber. Thanks

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

That's Awesome! I'm glad its working for you too! I also had this problem so I kept buying more blades but this is a mistake. Your blade is likely glazed. this is caused by a softer blade and a harder rock plucking out the diamonds. The solution I found was buying a grinding stone. I have a circular one you sharpen knives with on a bench grinder. If you run it through the blade a few times it re-exposes the diamonds and cuts the harder rocks better until the blade gets glazed again. Hope this helps.

@dalowina7341 3 жыл бұрын

Love the simplicity yet effective innovation. The motor is what horse power

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

Thankyou! It definitely helps when you are trying to do things on a budget. It is a 2.5 horsepower. Thanks for watching.

@dalowina7341 3 жыл бұрын

@@naturalstones4529 thank u very much.. Am looking foward to make one. I haven been researching on this type of business and want to make cutters of this nature

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

@@dalowina7341 Well this is a great start! I look forward to another person trying to make their own design of this saw! Good luck!

@ishtiaqnoor1 2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful. I want to fabricate a rock core slabbing machine locally. I would love to learn more if you could help me. I know nothing about making machines.

@jessesanchez2834 3 жыл бұрын

What kind of diamond saw blade is best for cutting petrified wood and jasper stones

@makeCNCWorkshops Жыл бұрын

great video ! what was the water pump you upgraded to and where can i get one

@ClownWhisper 3 жыл бұрын

Jesus man this looks like it works just about as good as a real slabbing saw

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

It gets pretty close! The only think It cant to perfectly is being perfectly square or parallel slabs. Other than that it works great!

@jtsimmons3133 3 жыл бұрын

I hope you're wearing PPE while you're cutting, grinding or polishing. There's a lot of silica in that fine mist.

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, I ware a n95 FDA approved face mask whenever cutting or grinding. I also try to wet everything down the best I can. Thanks for the tip!

@ICutRocks 3 ай бұрын

I just kinda... hold it there.

@williammeszaros3382 7 ай бұрын

I want to cut lava rock (basalt) for pavers, is this set-up conducive to this ? Thanks for you knowledge and help !

@rothery2 2 жыл бұрын

Change out to a cross slide vise and then you can more easily make repetitive cuts of the same thickness.

@paraglidingprospector 9 ай бұрын

I dig it! And the weighted pulley idea is great too. Now, just align your weight to drop to an “off switch”. 😂 Are you able to leave it unattended or do you hold the saw down and manually run each cut? Thx!

@joebolling 2 жыл бұрын

Can this saw be used to slice off layers of stone to make diy veneer for decorating walls and fireplaces?

@zaugitude 2 жыл бұрын

Nice, but the amount the rock tilts at 4:23 would make it useless as a slabbing saw. Some better support or clamp is really needed; if it can move this much then it is possible for it to bind or at the least, cause more friction and heat on the non cutting parts of the blade.

@wardagijazofficial1121 2 жыл бұрын

I want to make it for my new home to design my home with natural river rock

@64maxpower 3 жыл бұрын

I know it's a passion . I don't feel you are paid justly for the time and talent you put into your projects

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

It is a hobby and a passion. I would probably do this if I weren't getting paid, but as the channel grows, I will look into the best ways of monitizing our content. Thank you for the comment.

@64maxpower 3 жыл бұрын

@@naturalstones4529 I'm making some things and putting them in Etsy. I see what others are charging and it upsets me. Time and talent account for something. If shaping rocks inro usable art were easy everyone would do it

@canadiangemstones7636 3 жыл бұрын

@@64maxpower Your competition is working for about two bucks a day, and there are thousands and thousands of them doing it. Don’t expect to make a profit from lapidary.

@user-vd3mv2sd2y Жыл бұрын

What kind of blade are you using to cut rocks. I have the same saw.

@stellabelikiewicz1523 3 жыл бұрын

I’m considering doing this with the Ridgid 7 or 8 inch model (is that extra 0.5” of cut capacity worth so much extra money...? I still can’t decide), and I’ll definitely implement some of your ideas! I wish it made sense to go for the full 10 inch model, but unfortunately it just doesn’t seem feasible since I’ll have to use it in the basement of my apartment building, so smallness and relative stealth will be key. I wonder if you have any tips on keeping the system clean to keep the saw healthy. For instance, would it make sense to try and rig up a separate clean water reservoir for the pump (perhaps in a bucket) to avoid the risk of clogging?

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

Depends on the size of your projects. Either way I think your biggest complaint will be noise. As for clean and healthy, I would recommend getting some plastic sheeting for the spray. I think the only cleaning you will need to do is after every run, you pull the plug and empty the water tray underneath and make sure it is mud free. Personally, I let the mud build for about 3-5 uses before I do a full clean. I have not have any problems yet, but obviously I will not recommend you do that. I hope it all goes well!

@stellabelikiewicz1523 3 жыл бұрын

@@naturalstones4529 I hope that “down in the basement” is far enough from my neighbors that nobody will be disturbed by the noise! I’m happy to wear hearing protection for myself, but obviously don’t want to cause problems for anyone else slash get in trouble (I have one neighbor who just loves to make my life miserable whenever she can, but she lives on the third floor, which is hopefully far enough up that she won’t notice anything. Sigh... mostly I love living in my cozy apartment, and there’s not much in my life that would require a whole house to do, but an addiction to power tools is tough when you share walls and floors with other folks!

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

@@stellabelikiewicz1523 I hope so too but you won't know until you do it haha. Hopefully the floors are somewhat insulated. Good Luck

@williammeszaros3382 7 ай бұрын

My ex-girlfriend went with the ten inch model😢😢😢😢

@tashacherry1480 Жыл бұрын

I picked up a chop saw for $20 from a friend's friend. I thought it was a steal until I found out the the size of the blades are hard to come by and bc of that they're expensive. I was going to try and fangle something with an extra bench grinder I have but I think I can save it and utilize the chop saw finally. Question, what about the fact that these aren't wet saws, are you covering anything so you don't get electrocuted?

@DigDiveDiscover 3 жыл бұрын

What water pump did you upgrade to?

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

I forget the brand but it is a slightly bigger tile saw pump. I bought it at Lowes. It works great and handles clay very well.

@alexandreperreau9999 Жыл бұрын

Avec cette scie...combien de temps pour couper une roche diamètre 10 cm? Thanks

@trptrungblogs Жыл бұрын

❤❤❤🎉

@Roaddog-hu2nn 3 жыл бұрын

What was the water pump you used for the upgrade?

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

The previous owner had lost the pump that came with it. I'm reading online that it was a 180 gallon per hour pump (which is a good pump for a tile saw). I wanted to get a little more water flow because I'm cutting rocks and have a higher blade to material surface area, so I bought a Tetra Water Garden Pond Pump at PetSmart that does 325 gallons per hour.

@thenikhilkukreja Жыл бұрын

How much rpm motor is good for this kind of machine

@ClownWhisper 3 жыл бұрын

Will this set up cut a slab of Arkansas translucent white stone? Not sure if the exact name

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

I would think so. It can cut any type of rock, tile, stone.

@BuzzAwuzZ 2 жыл бұрын

You touched on "blade type vs rock type" - I was hoping you could help me out please because I'm learning this the hard (and expensive) way while and you have probably already been there? I'm playing around with lava rock (which I think you would call a soft rock?) and I'm burning through blades. What type of "hard blade" would you suggest for my projects or...have I got that all wrong? Many thanks

@naturalstones4529 Жыл бұрын

I am still working through this problem. I will address it in a future video. for now here is a good blog post that may help. www.simasa.co.uk/blog/diamond-blades/how-to-sharpen-diamond-blades/

@bisbeejewel 2 жыл бұрын

Why does your website not go anywhere?

@stillwalkergamesplus 2 жыл бұрын

whats going on with your website? wanted to look at what your selling but all you have up is different shop link and then those pages go to different websites

@jacksnyder6025 Жыл бұрын

Where else can you buy this saw for under 200

@davidvalentino6509 3 жыл бұрын

Do you make thin sections? Lots of opportunity to make cash if you can make good thin sections.

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

Probably not for the foreseeable future, I don't have the space to upgrade with new tools. This saw is definitely better for larger scale projects.

@harfangor Жыл бұрын

I saw you at 30s 🎉😂

@thenikhilkukreja 5 ай бұрын

What is the rpm of this machine?

@mikeplitnick5051 3 жыл бұрын

have you cut lsa with that saw?

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

I have not cut myself because diamond tipped blades cannot cut you. They barley take of any skin most of the time because the surface of the blade is similar to light sandpaper. I have never drawn blood from accidentally touching the blade. Great Question!

@mikeplitnick5051 3 жыл бұрын

@@naturalstones4529 Hmm. My question was about cutting LSA, Not skin!

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

@@mikeplitnick5051 My mistake, I assumed there was a typo. What is LSA?

@aeronautee 2 жыл бұрын

@@naturalstones4529, Lake Superior Agate

@redeyestones3738 3 жыл бұрын

Harbor freight. Around $260

@fryloc359 2 жыл бұрын

Rock saw or tile saw?

@numbersabcdefg 8 ай бұрын

Dude, you need a way TALLER vice. The rocks wiggle and move, WAY too much.

@nikkilovesrocks 2 жыл бұрын

Creator @2:22 "Any tile saw will work cause they come with a diamond saw & diamond will cut through anything" Also Creator 🤣 @5:21 "You have to get the right saw cause not all diamond saws are created equal"

@jefflawrence67 3 жыл бұрын

Or... go spend $50.00 on a tile saw and an additional $30 on a diamond blade aaaand there ya go! ( for those of us on a bit more of a budget)

@naturalstones4529 3 жыл бұрын

I also have my little tile saw I bought off face book marketplace for $20. It all depends on the size of rock you want to cut. Great Suggestion!

@markseubert9779 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry your link goes to Chinese supplier

@johncooper4637 2 жыл бұрын

I belong to a rock club that has up to 24 inch diamond saws. I see two problems with your setup: one, you should not attempt to hold the rock when cutting, and two you need a taller vise or an extension to the current vise jaws. You might also consider using a rust inhibitor coolant rather than plain water. Note: the club uses scrap 2 by 4s to which rocks are glued to make it easier to cut odd shapes.