Tumble Rocks in Heart Shaped Dish from Dollar Store
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Download the printable publication from the BLM here.
Rockhounding in Idaho BLM Publication
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Many of the comments, emails and searches this site receives asks the question “where can I find a used…” Almost every day somebody does a Google search for “used lapidary saw” and ends up here. This post will address that question.
As I have participated in the rock hound / lapidary hobby I have purchased two pieces of new equipment, an Inland trim saw and a Chicago Electric tumbler. These two pieces were the least satisfying pieces I have purchased. Since then I have purchased many pieces including three saws, a half dozen tumblers, a flat lap, a cabbing machine and a grinding wheel setup.
The first place I found used equipment was Craigslist.com. People often upgrade equipment, lose interest in the hobby or inherit equipment they don’t want. Where do they go to unload the equipment? Classified ads are where they go. Whether it is Craigslist or you local newspaper classified ads are a great place to watch for used equipment.
The second place I purchased equipment was local gem shops and dealers. Three dealers in the southern Idaho region that I have purchased used equipment from are Idaho Rock Shop, Stringers Gem Shop and Stewarts Gem Shop. The contact information for all these dealers and many more can be found in the new “Gem Shops” section of this site. (This is also a good reference for finding gem shops if you are traveling in the Western United States.)
The third place I found used equipment is from other members of the Owyhee Gem and Mineral Society. Often active members of a gem club will offer the equipment to club members before trying to sell it by other means. They also will be more inclined to teach you how to use, take care of and repair the equipment they sell to you.
Other places I have seen used equipment for sale is gem shows, yard sales, auction and online forums.
All sources for used equipment are hit and miss. However, with little patients you will eventually find what you are looking for. Once you do find that piece you are looking for it may require a little repair work. If you are willing to do the repair work you will often end up with a better built piece of equipment than what is available new. You may also save a lot of money since used equipment is often a fraction of the cost of new equipment.
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At the college of Idaho there is an incredible gem and mineral collection. I first saw the collection on a field trip with a geology class I was taking at Boise State University. At the time I was not a rock hound yet so the thought of photographing it never occurred to me. Since becoming a rock hound I have had the opportunity to view this collection two more times. Both times I didn’t have a camera.
Last night the Owyhee Gem and Mineral Society arranged to view the collection before their monthly meeting which meets down the hall from the collection. I was excited about this and made sure that I had a camera this time. Upon arriving at the Boone Science Building where the collection is housed I was informed that the key to open the room where the collection was housed could not be found. Instead of viewing the gem and mineral collection we would be viewing the natural history museum which is in the basement of the same building.
I was disappointed that I would not be viewing the gem and mineral collection but the opportunity to view the natural history museum was not a bad second option. About a year ago at a Owyhee Gem and Mineral Society meeting there was a presentation of some of leaf fossils that museum had that were collected in the area. The little bit that was shown then was fascinating so the complete displays had to be worth viewing.
The first display that can be seen as you enter the museum is of African antelope and mammals of North America. Following that there is an insect collection. Then came the parts I was more interested in, Indian artifacts and fossils. The piece that I liked the most was a very large chunk of petrified dino bone. This piece was behind a main display in a work area. I kept thinking it would be nice to cut it up into slabs. Anyway, the museum had many interesting items on display. Even the non rock related displays were interesting.
I am not sure what hours the museums are opened. Every time I have been able to view the Gem and mineral collection it was by special appointment. It was the same for the natural history museum. I asked for a flyer about museums but was not given one. If you do get the chance to view either of these collections it will be well worth your time if you like gems, minerals or fossils.
The photos below and their linked albums show part of the gem and mineral collection that can be seen from outside the collection room and the photos from the natural history museum.
Click the photo below to see a full album of photos from the gem museum.
Brazilian Agate
Click the photo below to see a full album of photos from the natural history museum.
Dino Bone
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When I purchased my used 16” slab saw the blade that came with it was not in the best of shape. I knew that I was going to have to replace it in the near future. Back in November I was cutting some Cripple Creek Jasper when a piece broke off and became lodged between the blade and slab catch tray. This damaged the blade beyond repair; I could not put off ordering a blade any longer.
After doing some research I found two blades on eBay that were reasonably priced at around $100. It took me a week to decide which blade to purchase. One was a tradition lapidary blade but I knew it was a Chinese blade (the same brand of blade that was in the saw to start with) that needs frequent conditioning using obsidian, fire bricks or silicon carbide grinding wheels to keep it sharp. The other was a heavy duty blade that had a 1/8” kurf to it. I decide that since I don’t cut a lot of expensive materials that the heavy duty blade was the way to go.
I ordered the new blade a week before Thanksgiving hoping to have it by the holiday. The vendor shipped it and sent me tracking numbers right away. Thanksgiving came and went and no blade came. It was over a week later that the postal service finally made the delivery. I don’t know what the delay was since I sent out packages that arrived to my customers within a couple of days during the same time period. Anyway, I was excited to finally have the new blade.
Within an hour of receiving the blade it was installed and cutting a piece of obsidian (this material is good for dressing a new or dull blade). The first cut was horrible. After another cut nothing changed. That’s when I realized the new blade wobbled just as bad as the old blade. “Oh no!” Did I buy a bad blade or worse yet did I already damage the new Blade? Next time I buy a blade I will be sure to check that it is flat before installing it. After the blade was removed I checked it and found that it was just fine.
New Saw Blade
Once I knew the blade was ok I took apart the bearing and shaft part of the saw. That’s where the real problem was. One of the bearings was so loose you could stick your finger in it and wiggle it. The other issue was on the shaft where it connected with the bearing. There was a grove in it that was almost a 1/16 on an inch deep. Replacing the bearings was easy but they did cost $40.00. The flanges were also replaced at this time. The shaft was a bigger problem. A new one was needed. Once again I turned to my friend Bill Solt who is a machinist. He was able to make a new shaft within a week. Thanks again Bill.
Old Parts
Once all the new parts were assembled and the blade was installed the saw was running very smooth and the blade did not wobble at all. I was very excited until I checked the first cut and found that it was very rough. Once again I felt a sinking feeling. Did I but a crappy blade? I then cut a few slices off an old silicon carbide grinding wheel before attempting another rock cut. The second cut was much better but still not where I wanted it. After a few more cuts things were looking very good. What a relief it was to know I didn’t waste $100 on a bad blade.
A couple of days later I set the saw to do a cut and went inside. All of a sudden a horrible screeching sound was coming from the garage. I ran quickly to the saw and turned it off. What happened was the rock broke and part of it jammed between the blade and the vice. Luckily when the rock was pulled out the blade popped right back in place; there still was no wobble. If the regular lapidary blade had been there I would have been buying another blade already. Buying the heavy duty blade was the right choice.
Feed Pulleys
A little wile after buying this saw I had changed the pulley on the feed motor from a 2” pulley to a 1” inch pulley. This slowed down the feed rate which was too fast for the old blade that was in it. This kept the saw from locking up while cutting large or very hard materials like agate. With the new heavy duty blade this was not an issue. I have been able to cut even larger stones than before without slowing down the saw at all even with the 2” pulley on the feed motor.
The following gallery shows some of the material I cut since replacing the blade.
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