Pics from my shop!

No one has asked, but I'm putting these up anyway! So nyah nyah!

ROCK SAWS

Don't these just wanna make ya make those ape sounds like Tim Taylor? Anyway this is my 24" Frantom rock saw. All my big saws have been restored, leakproofed, and in some cases heavily modified from the original configuration (typically I added at least a cutoff switch, I can't believe that any saws were made without one!). I converted the big saws to 220VAC, it is much more efficient than 110VAC, and is easier on the motor to boot. Notice the weatherstripping around the lip of the lid; this practically guarantees that they won't leak any oil (a pet peeve of mine). I also remove at the bolts that go through the lid & body and add neoprene washers inside & out. The guy that I bought this one from had whacked the lid with his tractor's bucket so I got it for a killer price. It sitll needs a cutoff switch :(

P.S. Every blade you see in these pics is an MK-303 Professional. You can visit their website here. There is NO OTHER LAPIDARY BLADE as rugged as these. After using them HEAVILY for going on 5 years now I am convinced that I CAN'T WEAR THEM OUT. OK maybe if I slab until I am in a walker LOL! Seriously, they are expensive but will pay for themselves the moment your cheap blade needs to be replaced.

An Ideal 24" saw that I am restoring. It needs some more work. A feed motor would be nice.

A completely restored circa 1970 Highland Park 14" saw (no I won't restore your saw too!) Not only were the belts LEATHER, it didn't even have a switch! What did the guy do, unplug the motor every time he made a cut? Sheesh! Stand by Home Depot : )>

An 18" Frantom, this was my second saw after a 12" Lortone (I sold that one to make room for it!). I had quite a few problems with the feed and I think it was rather cheaply made, but after my mods it works great. I am miffed at the lip on the base, it directs oil out over the sides of the saw and I can't think of an easy way to fix it.

An 18" Lortone. These are better than Frantoms (IMHO) but not as good as Highland Parks (except for the feed, which I think is too prone to failure on the HPs). The belt cover is missing because I replaced the tiny pulley ont he arbor, which was to small to turn the balde as fast as I like them (the MK 303 notched rim blades that I use cut most efficiently at a much faster RPM than Meteors or Chinese knockoffs, and will last me 50 times as long).

OK, so these are smaller. A high speed 4" opal trim saw on the left (probably an old Highland Park) and a regular 6" Lortone trim saw on the right.

I had to make a new lid for this saw. OK so it's dirty! I use it!

My now-deceased homemade 4-barrel 48-lb. capacity rotary tumbler, courtesy of Terry Ensell.

The high speed overhead sander, a locally made knockoff of the Richardson's model.

A Richardson's bull wheel for polishing.

A Richardson's sphere machine grinding away on a 6-inch McDonald Ranch petrified wood sphere. The best, baby! This was the last machine they made (really, I had to talk them out of it!). Farewell, best sphere machine ever produced :( I use diamond cups for the rough grind now. They are worth the $$, work like a dream and get you to a sphere in 10/th the time compared to silicon carbide grit.

The Titan! The prince of lapidary grinders. All diamond and ready to CUT!

The rockshed. Think I got enough? The Big Stuff isn't even in the picture!

Another view of the shed and shop. Beautiful. <sniff>

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