To obtain a stone of a given size, a stone-cutting machine is used. Such equipment allows you to process durable materials while maintaining their integrity. If at home you often do stone work, that is, processing, then you are unlikely to be able to do without such equipment. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to buy it at all, because you can try to assemble a machine from improvised materials, but if something is missing, you can always buy it, it will still be cheaper.
General information
Stone-cutting equipment, despite its simplicity, is quite complex, so you need to familiarize yourself with the theory before assembly. For cutting stone, a diamond blade is used. The advantage of this solution is that, unlike the usual one, it is more durable and durable. In general, all diamond equipment in construction is gradually occupying its niche, displacing the classic tool. Apparently, there are reasons for this.
So, you can make a stone-cutting machine with your own hands, but you must understand that this type of equipment must have a number of mandatory qualities. Firstly, work safety. Since we will deal with high-speed equipment, this item needs to be given special attention. Secondly, reliability and quality. The tool should work for a long time, and cut efficiently, remember this.
The main elements of the machine
The unit consists of several work units. They can be called classic. The fact is that the same units are used in any other equipment where rotational motion takes place . We have a shaft on which the cutting disc is mounted. In addition, a pulley and belt are needed to transmit rotational motion. Consequently, the transfer will be belt-driven, maybe this is not the best solution, but obviously the most economical. In the event of a breakdown, it is easily repaired by replacing a belt or pulley. The shaft is connected to the electric motor by transmission.
In principle, these are all working bodies of a stone-cutting machine. Of course, if you plan to make it yourself, you need to take care of a flat platform on which the processed material will be placed.
The principle of operation of the equipment
We can say that the essence of the work is not much different from a wood sawing machine. The key differences are in the shape and material of the disc, the presence of a cooling system on stone-cutting equipment. But despite this, you need to understand that the stone is much stronger than any type of wood, so it is simply necessary to familiarize yourself with the general instructions for working with such equipment.
A diamond saw is a productive thing, it is able to cut a stone at 0.5 cm per second, which is pretty fast. The greater the strength and viscosity of the material, the lower the cutting speed and its depth. It is also worth considering that holding a stone during operation is not very convenient and unsafe. Therefore, special sliding clamps are used. They eliminate jitter and turning of the workpiece during its processing. The feed must be carried out so slowly and smoothly that minimal contact is created between the disc and the stone.
Do-it-yourself stone-cutting machine: stage one
Before proceeding directly to the assembly, we need to acquire the necessary tools and materials. In principle, at first it is better to decide on the engine. It can be removed from an old washing machine or used. Typically, 180-250 watts of power is enough to work with stone. Such a motor can develop about 1,500 rpm. It is extremely important to choose the right pulley. It is desirable that it was a two-stage with a gear ratio of 1: 1. Also suppose the gear ratio is 1: 0.35. In this case, it will be convenient to work with bulk abrasive, and in the case of 1: 1 - with fixed.
Where to get such a belt? It can be removed from the Zaporozhets car, there it is wedge-shaped and ideal for our task. The thread for mounting the faceplate can be either right or left, which is not critical. The main thing is that during operation it does not fly off the axis.
We continue to work
You must find a suitable container for collecting sludge. It can be any trough that you find in your workshop. Next, we make a table on which the workpiece will be placed, and along the guides we install pressure plates. We place the electric motor under the table on a special panel. With the help of a belt drive we connect it to the shaft on which the working tool body is mounted.
Any desktop stone-cutting machine must be manufactured accurately and efficiently. The hole in the saw table should be at least 5 mm larger than its diameter. This will be enough for her smooth operation. By the way, do not forget to connect an electric pump that will supply water to the workpiece. To do this, you can take the most ordinary electric pump (say, a car) and a suitable capacity. All this is correctly installed. It remains to verify the reliability of the fastening of the disk and threaded connections, after which you can proceed to the test run of the equipment.
Stone cutting machines Manta
If the desire to produce something yourself is not as great as we would like, then you can always buy ready-made equipment. But here it is extremely important to choose the right manufacturer, on which both the build quality and, in fact, the cost depend. Now I would like to talk about the products of the Italian manufacturer, in particular about the Manta company.
For example, MANTA 85 / 220V is the cheapest machine of all offered. The cost of such an installation is about 100,000 rubles. In return, you will receive a powerful and highly productive technique. We are talking about a 2.2 kW engine, which, of course, cannot be compared with the motor from a washing machine. The maximum cutting length is about 850 mm, and this allows you to process very dimensional workpieces. The maximum rotational speed of the disc is 2,200 revolutions per minute, this is suitable for both artificial and natural minerals. The machine allows you to work with a stone, the thickness of which reaches 180 mm, while the work is performed at an angle of 90 and 45 degrees with respect to the table, which is very convenient.
DIAM machines
Now consider something cheaper. The SK-600 / 2.2 machine from the Diam company is just that. The price of finished equipment is 45-50 thousand rubles, which is two times less than in the previous case. In return, you will receive a unit with an engine power of 2.2 kW, which, as we have already figured out, is quite a lot. The maximum depth and length of the cut are 115 and 600 mm, respectively. It is possible to perform work at a disk rotation speed of up to 2,800 rpm.
This is not to say that SK-600 / 2.2 will cope with any task, but here is the processing of facing materials, tiles, etc. under his power. The key features of the model are its small dimensions, which allows it to be simply and quickly moved from place to place. In addition, a stone-cutting machine of this type is very easy to operate.
Consumer Reviews
In many cases, before buying any tool, it makes sense to read consumer advice and feedback. The fact is that sometimes expensive equipment, although it is of high quality, has worthy analogues from other, less well-known companies with lower cost. In any case, consider this information before you buy a stone cutting machine. Reviews, by the way, can also suggest how to upgrade do-it-yourself equipment. For example, many users say that it is convenient to place the saw not on the table, but above it, on a special guide, which, of course, makes sense.
Conclusion
I would like to note that it is not necessary to buy special pumps for stone-cutting machines. The fact is that it is not so important to supply fluid under high pressure. You need a little water, so even a regular household compressor will be enough.
If you want to make a universal stone-cutting machine, then mount it on a stationary table with a wide platform. This will expand the range of work performed on this equipment. A table with rollers is also useful, it can be moved to any desired place, it does not take up much space in the workshop. In any case, the matter must be taken seriously. You can easily save about 70% of the money if you are engaged in manual assembly. If all the items are purchased, then in this case the machine will cost 15-25% cheaper.