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[lookcloselypress]

Hello everybody! I literally just now joined this forum, and I think this might be a group of people who can give me some excellent advice!

I have never done lapidary before, but I recently expanded my art practice to include mosaic, and I immediately started to realize that learning a few nifty lapidary techniques might help me out A LOT in making gorgeous and unusual mosaic art! I have been doing some research online, and I think the tool I need is a 6" trim saw, since what I would like to do is cut lots of "mini slabs," around 3/32" to 1/4" thick, from various small rocks that I find while wandering around New York City, where I live. BUT, since I am an absolute and total newbie, I have no idea which saw might be the one for me. I figured there might be some folks here who have opinions and advice in this area! 

Here are the things that are important to me:
- because I am so very new to this art form, I definitely need a tool that is reliable, low-maintenance and easy to care for.
- I would like to find a saw that is fairly quiet (within the limits of this type of equipment; I am hoping for the sounds it makes to be more of a pleasant "grrrrmmmmm" than a horrifying "SKRRREEEEEEEEEE", if that makes sense)
- I definitely cannot go for an oil-cooled saw, so a saw that runs well when cooled with water is essential, and if there is a saw that can run okay with just distilled water and does not need any additional additives, that would be great. I am willing to do more frequent emptying and drying of the saw in order to prevent rust, since I know that is a tradeoff with water cooled equipment.
- I will be cutting a lot of little rocks that I don't know the provenance of, plus possibly some glass and plexiglass, so a saw that can handle a variety of materials would be great.
- I assume all trim saws can be rigged up with some sort of jig to cut pieces of consistent thickness, but if there is one where this is particularly easy, that would also be nice. Also, I am not sure how useful the vise attachments I sometimes see included with saws for securing smaller stones are - should I go for a saw that includes one of those?

I think that's all of the things that are important to me (that I know of!), and would love to hear what you all have to say! Also, if somebody could confirm what I think seems to be the case based on my research, that would be great: is it the case that with a 6" blade the thickness of material you can cut is a little over 2"?

[Phishisgroovin]

i would say (because i own one and use it alot) Lortone LUX6 combo cabbing/trim saw unit.
This way you will have a vise, 6 inch saw (mineral oil in it or water) and if you feel the urge, make cabochons with the wheels.

[lithicbeads]

The jigs are not so great, a fact of physics. A lot of lapidary folks now use tile saws. Noise is high , slash far and wide. For a quiet lapidary style tool you have lortone and Diamond Pacific mainly. No trim saw is quiet , in an apartment setting they do cause conflict even when used sporadically. Cold glass workers catalogs also carry trim saws but they are often less robust and much pricier.

[drnihili]

I hate to even suggest it, as the quality is much lower, but given your constraints, you might look at something like an ameritool 4 inch.  They're quiet and water cooled.  Certainly not the machine that others have suggested, but probably more amenable to the constraints of a large city, small apartment lifestyle.

[lookcloselypress]

i would say (because i own one and use it alot) Lortone LUX6 combo cabbing/trim saw unit.
This way you will have a vise, 6 inch saw (mineral oil in it or water) and if you feel the urge, make cabochons with the wheels.

That looks like a great combo machine, but sadly is a little too pricey and also physically heavy for my purposes. oh, if only I had a basement that I cou keep full of heavy machines!

[lookcloselypress]

I hate to even suggest it, as the quality is much lower, but given your constraints, you might look at something like an ameritool 4 inch.  They're quiet and water cooled.  Certainly not the machine that others have suggested, but probably more amenable to the constraints of a large city, small apartment lifestyle.

Actually, since I am definitely going to be a hobbyist level rock sawer, something like the Ameritool might be just right for me, as long as "lower end machine" doesn't mean "will crap out after a very short time and be useless," but more something like "good machine if you want to do low volume work over a long period of time and don't need quite the heavy duty machine that a professional would want."

I also was looking into this saw: http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/product.php?id=96852&catID=1036 since it seems very similar in design to the Ameritool in that it is designed to be used with water and very easily cleaned out when you are done, but has the benefit of being a 6" saw.  What do folks think - is that a decent saw for a beginner?

[hummingbirdstones]

That is a Hi-Tech trim saw.  Hi-Tech makes good machines.  Kingsley-North has good prices and if you decide to buy that one, there is also a vice accessory and a fence jig that you can buy for that machine.  See here:  http://www.hitechdiamond.com/Saw_Machines/

[lookcloselypress]

Sounds like a solid product. And, priced at an amount that a beginner could justify!