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[Jw]

I’m looking for a saw for cutting slabs into smaller pieces for carving or rough shaping but don’t know anything about lapidary tools and I don’t have a ton of money

[R.U. Sirius]

Since money is an issue, better spend lots of time learning first and carefully researching available options. You wouldn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on something that doesn't do what you were hoping it would do.

There is plenty of discussion on this forum (including the Gemstone archive in the bottom of the home page) to read through, including typical complaints about this or that saw. Also many YouTube videos to check out.

If you buy used equipment, expect lots of work and a steep learning curve refurbishing it. Even small thigs like changing bearings or replacing a motor end up costing lots of time and money in parts and tools and labor, with added risk of inadequate performance since you are just learning.

[Jw]

In your opinion would a tile saw work as a first saw

[irockhound]

It can, just remember that the tile saws run at 10k rpm and normal diamond blades are designed for normally under 2500 depending on the size.  However they do make a diamond blade called the "Agate Kutter" which is designed for use on tile saws.  Otherwise you can get a speed stepdown control for the tile saw to lower the speed if using standard lapidary blades.  Nothing wrong with using the tile saw as your first though.  Also take into consideration that as you get into the hobby the saw will be dependent on the size of material being cut.  Trimming slabs, people normally use a 6" or so blade.  The 10" of a tile saw can be considered a small slabbing size.  You will get more waste with each cut because of the thickness "kerf" of the larger diamond blades and when trimming the smaller saws have much thinner blades saving material.  My take is if you want to get in without a lot of the cost a tile saw can do that.  Keep your eye out for used lapidary saws though as you can get some great cheap deals that way also.  Get in and enjoy, upgrading can always happen in the future.

[Jw]

It can, just remember that the tile saws run at 10k rpm and normal diamond blades are designed for normally under 2500 depending on the size.  However they do make a diamond blade called the "Agate Kutter" which is designed for use on tile saws.  Otherwise you can get a speed stepdown control for the tile saw to lower the speed if using standard lapidary blades.  Nothing wrong with using the tile saw as your first though.  Also take into consideration that as you get into the hobby the saw will be dependent on the size of material being cut.  Trimming slabs, people normally use a 6" or so blade.  The 10" of a tile saw can be considered a small slabbing size.  You will get more waste with each cut because of the thickness "kerf" of the larger diamond blades and when trimming the smaller saws have much thinner blades saving material.  My take is if you want to get in without a lot of the cost a tile saw can do that.  Keep your eye out for used lapidary saws though as you can get some great cheap deals that way also.  Get in and enjoy, upgrading can always happen in the future.

thanks for the info really appreciate it

[R.U. Sirius]

I started with an affordable 7'' tile saw that runs at 3600 rpm. Decent quality blades are $40-$60, and they last a long time. The blade kerf is a bit wider than what you'd see with lapidary 6'' blades, so that much more material is wasted when cutting. On the other hand, the blade is very precise, there is no wobble. I can even gently misuse it as a carving or grinding wheel for small pieces!

One important consideration is the risk of silicosis: high-rpm tile saws tend to generate lots of mist that carries silica dust with it. Keep your face away, wear a dust/mist rated respirator, when finished cutting wash your work clothes right away, take a shower, and clean the surrounding area with a wet mop. Wipe down the saw and the workbench.
This applies to lapidary saws as well, of course.

[Jw]

I started with an affordable 7'' tile saw that runs at 3600 rpm. Decent quality blades are $40-$60, and they last a long time. The blade kerf is a bit wider than what you'd see with lapidary 6'' blades, so that much more material is wasted when cutting. On the other hand, the blade is very precise, there is no wobble. I can even gently misuse it as a carving or grinding wheel for small pieces!

One important consideration is the risk of silicosis: high-rpm tile saws tend to generate lots of mist that carries silica dust with it. Keep your face away, wear a dust/mist rated respirator, when finished cutting wash your work clothes right away, take a shower, and clean the surrounding area with a wet mop. Wipe down the saw and the workbench.
This applies to lapidary saws as well, of course.

thanks for the info also what would you consider a small piece in reference to using the wheel for carving

[R.U. Sirius]

Depending on how deep the diamond-embedded rim is, you could do some rough shaping.of pieces 1/2 or 1 inch in size. It's a far cry from using an appropriate tool such as a cabbing machine, of.course.

[lithicbeads]

I have worn out 3 10 inch tile saws in 35 years , millions of cuts I imagine. I prefer Mean Green blades. I just got some from Arrowhead lapidary.On a ten inch tile saw I used to stack 15 blades to grind and preform very quickly. These are smooth , continuous rim blades. A strong tile saw can use three or four blades for roughing out carvings. MK's website may help with various shaping wheels for their saws but these tend to be expensive for the  time they are effective.