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Hi All

Has anyone you know ever put a speed control cylinder on a drop saw? Why do I ask? This thing is a monster for all the rough I have.

I have only cut 2 types of material with this saw 1 was soft and 1 was hard. This saw has so much down pressure that it broke the last 1/4 in of the both of the slabs off.

My thought is if I can control the feed rate then I could put a small thinner blade on to better cut my small rough.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this.

Bless
Shawn

[peruano]

The most obvious approach would be to put a counterweight on the saw arm to make it lighter, hence not push down as hard.  The second approach is to watch the cut and as the saw approaches the fragile stage to insert your hand into the mist and take a bit of weight off of the saw to accomplish the same thing.  Breaking off a big chunk of your rough suggests a potential fracture zone in the rough or extremely soft area in an otherwise hard rock.  You can slow down a drop saw by using a dull blade, or by using a rock that presents a broad cutting face thus slowing the advancement accordingly. 

[Grayco]

I don't know how your saw is configured, but maybe you can add a fairly large spring to it to counterbalance some of the weight in the later part of it's stroke.

I'm going to use a spring for the feed on one of my saws.  The spring tension will decrease the closer I get to completing the cut.
With a drop saw the spring tension would increase as you completed the cut.

1" diameter extension springs with 1/8" wire (+-) are available at most hardware stores for $10 to $20 depending on your selection.

[Slabbercabber]

You might check a local scrapyard for a heavy duty shock absorber.

[Kaljaia]

I use the peg on mine to stop the blade before it gets all the way through, then do the last bit with my hand as counterweight on the arm.

[Back]

Hi All

Thanks for the input.

So no one you all have done this. I am going to do this project. Good or bad I will let you all know how it turns out.

More thoughts

I can get a air cylinder for free if I act fast. I work in maintenance and I saw them taking a machine to the scrap yard that had a lot of cylinders on it.

I do believe that with that set up I would feel safer putting a smaller blade on the saw. Most of my rough is on the small side but this cylinder will be installed with clips so if I get a big rock the cylinder can be removed with 2 clips.

More thoughts to come

Bless
Shawn

[Grayco]

Hi All

Thanks for the input.

So no one you all have done this. I am going to do this project. Good or bad I will let you all know how it turns out.

More thoughts

I can get a air cylinder for free if I act fast. I work in maintenance and I saw them taking a machine to the scrap yard that had a lot of cylinders on it.

I do believe that with that set up I would feel safer putting a smaller blade on the saw. Most of my rough is on the small side but this cylinder will be installed with clips so if I get a big rock the cylinder can be removed with 2 clips.

More thoughts to come

Bless
Shawn

Awesome! I'm in maintenance also.  I'm guessing you already know, but for others that may be looking to duplicate your fix, I would like to recommend you also grab a flow control for your cylinder.
The flow control should be mounted on the cylinder port that will be exhausting while the saw is dropping. 

Flow controls usually have a check valve integrated into the control.  This allows air to freely pass through the valve in one direction (raising the saw back up) and controls the release of air from the cylinder, in the other direction. (saw lowering).

I'm including a typical symbol for a checked flow control.

[Back]

Yep

I will be going through the junk pile after work if all works out. I work at a food manufacturing plant and you would not belive the stuff that they throw out. Yep and there many flow controls on this "junk"
 

Bless
Shawn

[Steve Ramsdell]

If the cylinder doesn't work for you, then maybe springs from an oven door which are available everywhere and many are found in scrap.  The spring will not be affected by oil mist or soaking.
Steve

[Back]

Hi Steve

Thanks for the input. My mind is made up on a cylinder for the control of the drop. I will be using an air cylinder because I can get it for free. I know that an air cylinder will have a shorter life in this application.

I finally made it out to the junk yard and took some measurements. I found 2 that could work and will get them in the morning. I hope to post some pics as to where I am going to put the cylinder tomorrow.

Bless
Shawn

[Back]

Hi All

There is a pic of the cylinder I chose. No it is not the best size for the job that I want it to do but I can make it work because there 5 more cylinders this size that I can get out of the scrap pile before they haul it off . A lot more measurements to make but I will make it work

Bless
Shawn