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[R.U. Sirius]

I bought my first saw that I am hoping to refurbish over the winter. The shape of the base and the sump match exactly the Highland Park Manufacturing "Hy-Speed Trim Saw" (model E-2) from the 1969 HPM catalog. It also has a power feed attachment featured in the same catalog; the screw rod is turning, but no idea if the split nut (clutch?) is functional.

The arbor spins smoothly. At the very least I will need a new blade and a motor, v-link belt, motor mount, and proper wiring with GFCI.

At this point my main question is - if I decide to run this saw with water+additive (instead of oil), do I need to make any changes to the Arbor and the bearings? Which 10-inch blades can be run with water? How fast should it spin? I will be cutting anything from howlite, rhyolite, and magnesite to jasper and agate.

I don't want this to turn into "water vs. oil" discussion - a lot has already been said on that topic, and I have my reasons for choosing water and facing the consequences - just want some advice on how to make the arbor and bearings run better and longer in aqueous environment.

I will be draining and drying the machine after each session. Do I apply WD-40, and where exactly? What kind of ball bearings are recommended in this case?

Thank you all for any words of wisdom!

[peruano]

I suspect your saw has sealed bearings and hence they should be fine.  If it were me, I'd worry most about rust on the blade. Here is arid NM I used to just lower the water level in the tank of a trim saw to below the level of the blade and let the residue evaporate overnight.  The blade I would dry with a paper towel and only occasionally spritz with WD40.  Overuse of the latter might eventually buildup a residue or just get expensive.  I'm on the oil side of the argument even for my trim saw (except on special occasions) so I'll let someone else coach you further on preventative measures. Some water additives work better than others so select well. 

[kent]

I've been using Covington Engineering's "Koolerant #3" in my trim saw (also a HP) with very satisfactory results. Very slippery... It has rust inhibitors so no need to drain every time you use your saw. I like it so much I'd never go back to oil for the trim saw as it's a lot easier to clean up my hands afterwards and does not create an oily mist. Given that my saw is in my wood shop, this feature is important to me. My 18" saw runs on mineral oil. I think the longer run times for cutting larger rock dictates using oil due to its viscosity.

This is my set up with a plexiglass box over the saw. It has a narrow hinged lid on top so I can peek in to follow a cut and its partially open on its right side for my hand to reach in to hold the piece I'm cutting. Bearings are sealed by the way so unless they are worn out, no need to replace them. My saw has a feed for the vice dictated by a small weight attached to a cable  that hangs off the back side. I can add weight to increase or decrease the pressure of the feed. These are small saws so cuts happen rather quick so water with the additive is more that adequate.  I'm happy not to have the power feed. I'm not aware of any rock saw blade that is specific to the type of coolant.   
 

Rock saw reberth 003_renamed_14233.jpg (67.99 kB . 600x450 - viewed 981 times)

[peruano]

That's  a neat cover.  How about a couple more pics from different angles?

[R.U. Sirius]

I've got two specific questions at this point, and am hoping someone could chime in here:

1. Do I need some kind of gasket or cement between the base, the sump, and the arbor housing? These are all cast aluminum, held together by bolts.

2. Is stainless steel shaft an absolute requirement if I am to run this with water+additives, or I could get away with the original shaft and rely on corrosion inhibitors in the additive, and perhaps a Fluid Film coating?

[peruano]

The saw was probably produced with a cork or fiber gasket between the table and the tank. It would be easy to fabricate and periodically renew one out of cork or ??  The bearings are outside the tank and HP saws have been running for 50 years or so without having stainless steel shafts installed so I wouldn't worry about it (especially if rust does not eat away other parts,

[kent]

Yes, you need a gasket however you could use Permatex silicone gasket which is what I have used between the saw table and the reservoir tank. My shaft goes out through the side of the tank into "open air" so HP used a thick ~3/8" felt gasket to keep the fluid in the tank. When I restored my HP I used two thick felt gaskets, each with a slit (cut) to get the gasket over the shaft. Then I rotated the slits 180 degrees to each other to effectively make a single gasket with no slit for liquid to pass through. Held in place with gasket adhesive.

The shafts are good quality and will not significantly deteriorate from rust. No need to change to SS and boost the cost of your investment.

Just put it together and start having fun ! 

[R.U. Sirius]

Thanks to all who chimed in - I've restored the basic functionality of this saw, and have been trimming and slabbing by hand with great success!

Next will be the carriage/vise and the power feed, and this brings up the question: what is the purpose of the (brass?) rod that sits underneath the carriage? In the attached image you can see the groove it abraded into the aluminum table (the same is apparent on the underside of the carriage as well), and another image also shows a hole towards the back of the table where this rod was presumably anchored.

I also found examples online, for example https://cigarboxrock.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/P1000677.jpg

The diameter is too small to make the carriage perfectly parallel to the table, so that is not the intended purpose.

Any ideas?

[kent]

The brass rod lifts the vise/carriage off the table surface to minimize friction between the table and the carriage. Having carriage contact only on the rod while sliding during cutting, there is a minimal of surface contact so it moves easily. Imagine all the grit the carriage would have to be pulled through if the rod wasn't there.

There should be a hole drilled in the fillet between the table and its vertical edge at the front of the saw to accept the straight end of the rod. The rod should be just long enough to be bent slightly in an upwards arch for the straight end to be inserted into the hole, afterwards it should be straight and resting on the table top. 

Glad to hear your up and running !   

[vitzitziltecpatl]

That rod will allow the vise carriage to slide more freely, and also prevent some of the wear on your table.

[irockhound]

I never knew they did that commercially.  I had a problem with an old 10" saw that was weight feed and had problems with friction so I took some old brass wire I used for gem trees and ran it under the vise to reduce the friction.  Had I seen that before I would have done it far sooner.  So much to learn at times.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Heh - before I saw a photo of one of those rods I epoxied plastic pads on the bottom corners of a carriage... .

A couple of years ago I also learned about HP's setup for keeping the carriage from rising. A U-shaped rod with a bearing on the end that extends under the bottom of the saw table. I had always wondered what that 1/4" hole in the carriage was for.

[R.U. Sirius]

A U-shaped rod with a bearing on the end that extends under the bottom of the saw table. I had always wondered what that 1/4" hole in the carriage was for.

Yes, apparently the easiest part to vanish from HP Mfg. saws!