![]() ![]() After this I added a nice electric feed motor and of course an MK blade.Ī completely restored circa 1970 Highland Park 14" saw. Sadly I sold it to make room for a 36" saw that I wasn't able to buy (don't you hate people who say call me when you have room and then change their minds?). It had a HUGE cabinet and I could get 75 lb. This feed motor was on its last legs so I replaced it with a DC gearmotor (and of course an MK blade). They went out of business many years ago and this one was a little primitive but the vise and the original feed motor system were pure genius. They are expensive but will pay for themselves the moment your cheap blade needs to be replaced.Īn Ideal 24" saw that I restored. After using them HEAVILY for over 5 years now I have worn out exactly one, after thousands of cuts. ![]() There is NO OTHER LAPIDARY BLADE as rugged as these. Every blade you see in these pics is an MK-303 Professional. ![]() IMO they all come with underpowered motors suitable for use by grade schoolers. That's just fine with me, I would have done it anyway because every saw came with cheap die-cast pot metal undersized pulleys that put unnecessary strain on the motor, feed, and belts. The cover over the motor pulleys had been cut off by someone to make room for bigger pulleys. I tweaked the blade splash guard, most come with the guard positioned way too far forward, which will jam the rock if it's close to the biggest diameter that the saw will cut. New vise jaw inserts (oak is good, and I've heard that Hickory is even better). I changed the cutoff switch to a heavier duty model, sanded, primed and painted every piece, replaced the wiring, and of course an MK blade. In other words rode hard and put away wet :( That's a new 220V motor, but the original pulleys. Everything was there but it was pretty roached. It was a "project" when I bought it for a reasonable price. This is my newest baby, a Highland Park 18" slab saw. It was a hack job but it did move the drain to where you could put a bucket underneath it. Note the drain plumbing which was added by someone else. I think they can take 3 phase power (340V). They are rugged and overkill in the extreme, but one thing makes it worth the expense and effort: if you burn one out then you burned out your panel and all your breakers. All my cutoff switches are either Cutler-Hammer or Allen-Bradley industrial duty heating/cooling switches, like toe switches the old-time saws had. It got a new cutoff switch after the pic was taken. 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. I also remove at the bolts that go through the lid & body and add neoprene washers inside & out. I converted the big saws to 220VAC, it is much more efficient than 110VAC, and is easier on the motor to boot. 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!). Nyah! I don't necessarily have all of these, but I am keeping the pics up anyway :)ĭon't these just make ya wanna do those ape sounds like Tim Taylor? My Shop Lapidary Machine Restoration Pics from my shop! No one has asked, but I'm putting these up anyway! So nyah ![]()
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