[meteorite-list] wire saw cost (Benefits of the wire overblade?)

From: Walter Branch <waltbranch_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:09:48 -0500
Message-ID: <003b01cbdf99$c86391b0$0402a8c0_at_Desktop>

Interesting discussion regarding cutting. I did not realize the equipment
can be so expensive.

-Walter
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Gilmer" <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
To: <mail at mhmeteorites.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com>;
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 10:05 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] wire saw cost (Benefits of the wire
overblade?)


Hi Matt,

That is one impressive piece of machinery. At $65k, I think I'll wait
until Christmas-time to ask for one. :)

Best regards,

MikeG

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites

Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
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On 3/10/11, mail at mhmeteorites.com <mail at mhmeteorites.com> wrote:
> I have a photo of a multi-wire saw we sometimes use on Kerfindustries.com
> (a
> business of mine). The one we own is a single wire saw that costs about
> 65k
> new.
>
> Coolant can be either distilled water, distilled water with a surfactant
> (for wire longevity), alcohol (yes!!), mineral oil, or compressed air
> (difficult). The coolant is fed by a standard pond circulation pump into
> the
> saw and is recycled.
> Matt
> ------------------------
> Matt Morgan
> Mile High Meteorites
> http://www.mhmeteorites.com
> P.O. Box 151293
> Lakewood, CO 80215
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:50:04
> To: <mail at mhmeteorites.com>
> Cc: <meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com>; Greg
> Hupe<gmhupe at centurylink.net>; <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>;
> Andr??
> Moutinho<moutinho at bol.com.br>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] wire saw cost (Benefits of the wire
> overblade?)
>
> Hi Matt,
>
> Thanks for the explanation. Do you have a photo of the wire-saw
> setup, or is there a photo of one somewhere on the web? I'm curious
> to see what it looks like.
>
> Being able to cut a large 6x6x18 specimen using a wire as thin as
> .009" is a definite advantage over using a conventional lap saw that
> is big enough to handle a specimen that large.
>
> I am assuming the wire-saw also uses a coolant? Does it have a big
> tank for the coolant or can you hook it up directly to a water source
> like a tap?
>
> Sorry for all the questions. It's late, I'm bored, and I'm curious. :)
>
> Best regards,
>
> MikeG
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
>
> Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
> Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
> News Feed - http://www.galactic-stone.com/rss/126516
> Twitter - http://twitter.com/galacticstone
> EOM - http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/collection.aspx?id=1564
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> On 3/10/11, mail at mhmeteorites.com <mail at mhmeteorites.com> wrote:
>> We can cut a 6" x 6 " x 18" piece with a 250 um wire. A skinny lap blade
>> that is 6", you can cut 3", maybe, if you don't use a rotisserie.
>> 250 um is 0.009". On avg we lose 9 percent, but that depends on the depth
>> of
>> cut, thickness of cut, wire diameter, material, etc. It definitely has
>> advantages over a lap saw. I have cut hundreds of meteorites over my 15+
>> years and really like the wire saw for rare materials. Plus it is pretty
>> easy to mount an odd-shaped rock on the wire saw as compared to a vise on
>> the lap saw, wich can be VERY problematic.
>> Matt
>> ------------------------
>> Matt Morgan
>> Mile High Meteorites
>> http://www.mhmeteorites.com
>> P.O. Box 151293
>> Lakewood, CO 80215
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
>> Sender: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
>> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:28:02
>> To: Greg Hupe<gmhupe at centurylink.net>
>> Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>; Andr??
>> Moutinho<moutinho at bol.com.br>
>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] wire saw cost (Benefits of the wire over
>> blade?)
>>
>> Hi List,
>>
>> Can someone tell me what the advantage of a diamond wire saw is, over
>> a conventional lap saw blade? I'm curious, because I have never used
>> a wire saw or seen one in operation.
>>
>> I have seen slices made by a wire saw and they didn't look any
>> different (better or worse) than slices made with a blade. One minor
>> difference I did notice was the markings left on the unpolished
>> slices. Blades make distinctive arc-shaped "saw marks" on the
>> specimen, which must be polished out. The rough wire-cut slices that
>> I handled also had saw marks on them, but the marks were different in
>> depth and orientation. After polishing, I could see no difference.
>>
>> So, is the advantage that the wire saw generates less loss? (if so,
>> compared to what?) Like I said in my previous post, cutting loss is
>> in direction relation to the size of the saw being used and the
>> thickness of the blade - assuming the cutter is skilled. A wire saw
>> might generate less waste in comparison to a 10" lap saw using a .040"
>> blade, but I don't see how the wire saw can generate less waste than a
>> smaller lap saw using a blade that is the same thickness as the wire
>> used in a wire saw. All things being equal, shouldn't the amount of
>> loss be dependent almost solely on the thickness of the blade or wire
>> used?
>>
>> I am guessing that the main advantage is cutting large specimens - a
>> large specimen requires a large lap saw and a large blade. If a
>> specimen can only be cut on a 10 or 12" lap saw, or a wire saw, then
>> the wire saw seems like a no-brainer. But for a smaller meteorite
>> that can be cut with a .012" blade (or .006"), what is the advantage
>> of the wire saw? Can the wire saw make thinner slices?
>>
>> I'm not knocking the wire saw, just trying to understand the
>> advantages over a conventional lap saw.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> MikeG
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
>>
>> Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
>> Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
>> News Feed - http://www.galactic-stone.com/rss/126516
>> Twitter - http://twitter.com/galacticstone
>> EOM - http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/collection.aspx?id=1564
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> On 3/10/11, Greg Hupe <gmhupe at centurylink.net> wrote:
>>> Hello All,
>>>
>>> I don't think the value per gram is the only consideration for deciding
>>> to
>>> hire someone to cut your material with a wire saw. I am selling slices
>>> of
>>> my
>>> Impact Melt Breccia for $7.50 per gram. It isn't really about how
>>> expensive
>>> the material is, sometimes it is the quality of the slices and
>>> presentation
>>> for collectors that is even more important!
>>>
>>> Just my 2 slices worth... :)
>>>
>>> Best Regards,
>>> Greg
>>>
>>> ====================
>>> Greg Hupe
>>> The Hupe Collection
>>> gmhupe at centurylink.net
>>> www.LunarRock.com
>>> IMCA 3163
>>> ====================
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Andr? Moutinho
>>> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 5:59 PM
>>> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>>> Subject: [meteorite-list] wire saw cost
>>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Does anyone can give me an idea of cutting cost using a wire saw to cut
>>> a
>>> 300g ordinary chondrite into 3mm slices?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> Andre
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>>
>>
>> --
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>
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Received on Thu 10 Mar 2011 10:09:48 PM PST