You might have browsed the web for a clear comparison between a slab saw and drop saw, to decide which saw is the best for you, but found little to no helpful articles. We know, because we did it before, too.
Stop exhausting all the keywords that come into your mind and read through this, to know all the information you need to decide whether a slab saw or a drop saw is the right saw for you.
Slab Saw
Slab saws are the most prevalent within the lapidary industry. A slabbing saw is a machine with a varying range of sizes, that will fit your lapidary needs. It can cut semi-precious and precious materials, glass, mineral specimens, core samples and other non-metallic materials.
The mechanical parts are all enclosed, like a cabinet. It is usually hooded, used to cover the whole saw while cutting is in action, to prevent spraying coolant (mineral oil) everywhere.
This machine works stationery. The material is clamped in a vise on the feed carriage, and the carriage drives the material into the rotating blade for cutting.
Note: if you initially position your material in the vise with enough space to cut multiple times, you don't have to re-position your material every single cut.
In a slab saw, there's a cross feed to adjust the vise and make the material in-line with the blade again after every cut. That way, you won't have to re-position the material repeatedly unless you've cut multiple slabs.
Drop Saw
Drop saws are both used in carpentry and lapidary. A drop saw works in a dropping motion, to cut rocks and petrified wood.
You can also see a drop saw referred to as miter saw (this term is often used in carpentry) because it produces miter cuts, which means any angled cut made to the material. This machine creates accurate miter and crosscuts.
Even though a drop saw is open and not hooded, the blade guard prevents the coolant from spraying mist everywhere during a cutting operation. It also has a 4mm tubing that precisely directs the coolant to the blade.
In a drop saw, the material is clamped in place on a vise, and the blade vertically descends down onto the material. This can be operated both manually and automatically. When preferred, you can guide the machine to cut through the rock, or you can just leave it while it does its job.
The drop saw has an advantage over the slab saw when cutting extra hard rocks, like jade. It's because the blade is pushed down, instead of the actual material being mechanically fed to the rotating blade. You can also adjust the weight, by adding or subtracting weights, to control the cutting force.
Slab Saw and Drop Saw In Contrast
- Coolants
For slab saw, the best (and probably the only appropriate) coolant to run is a high-grade mineral oil with low viscosity. Using this type of coolant will drastically prolong your saw's life and would prevent any problems, like corrosion in its components.
On the contrary, drop saws can run with water as its coolant. Because it is an open saw, with no carriage riding on roller bearings and cross feed, using water is fine.
Note that blades will require less sharpening when oil-based coolant is used, therefore, it will prolong the blade's life. That being said, running water-based coolant will shorten the life of the blade. If ever a blade needs sharpening, here's a video to do it properly:
- Convenience for Hobbyists or Production Cutters
A drop saw is simpler to use than other conventional slab saws. Most hobbyists prefer this because it has an affordable price, is easy to use, and it gets the work done. If you want to cut large material fast, a drop saw gives a great performance.
However, there are slab saws that are precisely made for hobbyists as well. Take Highland Park HighTone saws for instance. Their features are perfect for serious hobbyists and they are affordable as well.
While the drop saw is preferred by many hobbyists, it can also perform well for a production cutter. But not all drop saws are designed to run in a demanding environment.
You can use slab saws, particularly those with high-power motors, in any demanding environment, as they cut well with speed and precision. The carriage feed with cross feed and vise really contribute to the saw's performance.
Final Thoughts
Slab saw and drop saw are both good saws to use in lapidary. They are both advantageous in their own ways. We cannot really rule out any of these two in terms of their purpose in rock, glass, or wood cutting.
Here's an indicator though:
If you're a hobbyist and prefer a much simpler machine to use, go for a drop saw. Highland Park offers great drop saws at a reasonable price.
If you're a hobbyist transitioning to become a production cutter, then you should consider investing in a great slab saw like the Highland Park Model 16 or Model 20.
Preference really matters. Though both saws are great in their own ways, your decision will still vary based on your needs. If you're confused what slab or drop saw to get, you can visit our store website and look at the specifications of each saw, to see if it suits your preferences.
Our talk doesn't end here. We will guide and be with you throughout your journey, to inspire and make you see the beauty of creative art in lapidary.