SFA

First post here. We need a rail saw to do small table tops and other basic projects in house. All of our kitchens out sourced.

I have been looking everthing from the $1500 MK to the 220V Blue ripper. I also need a good router. Most the material we will be working with is 40% travertine,40% marble and 20% granite.

blue ripper jr for that little stuff

Exactly what I was thinking. Blue Ripper Jr. or Harris Accuglide. We used the Barranca which is the same as the MK and found it to be a sub par saw for the $$$ and it want last long. 6 months is all we got out of ours before the motor had to be replaced. The rails have to be readjusted regularly too. It's a bit cumbersome also! To think of it stay away from the MK/ Barranca Saw. Stick with the aforementioned saws and you should be ok.

Will the Jr handle 3cm black/ green granite or should I just get the full size 120v or 220v Blue Ripper

Should be fine as long as you step cut as with most rail saws. Not to sure the big hp Ripper needing step cuts. Maybe someone in the know could chime in on that one.

We used a track star for about a year and a half. Never had to step cut anything and the bonus is you don't have to push it.

I used the big BLue Ripper for 8 years before I bought the Yukon II. No need to step cut anything with it. It is an animal workhorse. A great saw. I keep mine and still use it now and then. 80lbs; you have to be strong to work it all day but a great piece of equipment. It will rip right through any 3 cm slab.

i got two Jr. we dont step cut anything 3cm no problem it just wont do any more than that. i got a Big one as well but we only used it once or twice after i got it (wasted money) guys hate it because it weights so much and it isnt any faster then Jr. if you are looking for rail saw i would sugest Jr from Granite City Tools (they look to be build i bit better) used MK a few times just to try it out (@ Granite City Tools) and i think its a bigest #%$$#....

I'm using the Jr blue ripper (from Omega Diamond) now and i like it a lot. I think it's good for portable (at job site). I like the big one too (haven't used it yet) but it is too heavy. I've seen Granite City Tools Fab Jr saw too but I think Omega's design looks better. They also make their own blades now which have the center balanced weight to reduce noise and make smoother cuts.

I'm still using a track star. works well - look around, you may be able to find a used one cheap.

Step cutting was our experience with the Barranca. Just continued to step cut so not to burn up another saw. Never even crossed our my minds to try otherwise. But good info to know it can be done. Just glad they sit on the shelf now. Have you thought about a used bridge saw? They are going for cheap right now. A much better investment imo. You may find yourself in a position of needing it. Reason I say this is we "started" with the same thoughts of just doing small stuff and it escalated to the point of it being a necessity. With the monies combined on saws we purchased plus down times when broke we could have more than paid for the bridge saw we use now. Just a thought.

Good thing about the jr is little down time since lowes carries a replacement motor
just go buy a new saw and strip it to fit the bracket and back to cutting

We used a trac star and loved it. At least until I got my bridge saw.


These are all good saws.

If you do decide to go with a heavy saw, I have a litttle overhead jib thingy and a tilt table that cam with my trac star I would sell to ya cheap. Also have another thing I could sell ya cheap to help ya get pieces of the table.

PM me if your interested. This setup I had alowed me to load full slabs and unload the table all by myself. Even flip parts to rod by yourself. And its very safe. It just all sets outside now.




My vote for the Trac Star though. Self propelled is preety nice for the long haul

Any of those do miters? If not how do you do them?

Deepwater, where are you located if you don't mind me asking?

I would think the wormdrive skillsaw based ones (like Chris mentioned the spare being at Lowes) 45 unless that part of the guide is removed for the new mount. Mitering 2cm marble shouldn't be bad except that the rotation of the blade (I am guessing for the wormdrive ones) is counterclockwise if you are cutting from left to right so it will leave chippy edges for 90* marble cuts and likely very chippy marble 45's. I think that mitering 3cm would suck bigtime with a railsaw and you would really need worry about the blade wondering. Scratch that, mitering 3cm sucks no matter what saw you use.

deepwater wrote:Any of those do miters? If not how do you do them?

Gmm brio Great miters

Join here and I will tell you how I mitered 2-3 jobs a day with a track saw

:=D>

I wouldn't waste your time with a Jr Blue Ripper or a smaller saw. I had one, and burned it out, actually if anyone but you are using your tools you should buck up and buy the Sr Blue Ripper 220V. I've had mine for quite a while and never had an issue, nothing will wreck it.
I don't use it as often anymore not that I have a Breton but I figure this is the more cost effective step in the long run. Factor in replacing sh*t tools over a couple of years and it will quickly pay off.
Actually for the meager $200 for membership for Fab Alliance, you will save alot more than that, learning the tricks needed to survive in the granite industry. It was the best two bills I've spent - and I wish I did it 5 years ago.

rtams wrote:Actually for the meager $200 for membership for Fab Alliance, you will save alot more than that, learning the tricks needed to survive in the granite industry. It was the best two bills I've spent - and I wish I did it 5 years ago.

2nd this

rtams wrote:I wouldn't waste your time with a Jr Blue Ripper or a smaller saw. I had one, and burned it out, actually if anyone but you are using your tools you should buck up and buy the Sr Blue Ripper 220V. I've had mine for quite a while and never had an issue, nothing will wreck it.
I don't use it as often anymore not that I have a Breton but I figure this is the more cost effective step in the long run. Factor in replacing sh*t tools over a couple of years and it will quickly pay off.
Actually for the meager $200 for membership for Fab Alliance, you will save alot more than that, learning the tricks needed to survive in the granite industry. It was the best two bills I've spent - and I wish I did it 5 years ago.

Thats If after you talk to us YOU STILL CHOOSE TO work in the granite industry.

Wow all this talk about "Joining Up" Kinda feels like a Mona Vie meeting..."Drink it, Feel it, Share it"

I think Im going to go with the Blue Ripper Sr 220V for now. It seems to be built tougher and will last longer. We are a pretty large tile contractor and do about 1.5 million in tile sales/installation a year. Im only wanting bring our basic fabrication in house for now. One of the main reasons is we do not have room for a rail saw. We are a distributor for Laticrete and other products so our warehouse is full of inventory.

It ain't a fake wine thing. It is real fabricators with tons of advice shared amongst members. No one is paid to get you to join, no one is making money on you, but everyone is more or less hinting that you have all of the help in the world at your fingertips if you join, or the willingness of paid members to keep sharing will diminish

Someone in your shoes stands the most to gain from being a member here. You will get out of it what you put into it, and you seem like someone that cares to learn and make smart purchases.

A naive question: is sfa all about stone fab only or about other material as well? (like solid surfaces, ect...)

I ask the question because when comes to countertop, there are many choices other than granite. Same goes with material choices for bathroom.

How about Thefabricatornetwork.com? Are most of us over there too?

Thanks.

It's a nice Sunday here in northern ca. How's your place?

mid 80's and scattered T storms. Perfect day to be inside and relaxing

I believe that SFA stands for Stone fabricators alliance, so we are mostly stone fabricators. Quartz (Silestone etc.) certinly fabricates similar and has basically identical logistics so there are some heavy quartz guys and alot of us do quartz and there is plenty of help here for that. I think a much smaller percentage of guys here do solid surface and that is not really what the SFA is about.

Maybe a director can better answer that. I have not been to the fabricator network, I am not sure what they do there, but I am a marble granite and quartz fabricator, and I can't imagine a better thinktank for what I do than here. There is ALOT of talent and experiance here regarding slab fabrication and dimensional stone.

High 70's and sunny.

The main subjects here tend to be granite, other natural stones and quartz, since all require similar equipment and techniques. Other things discussed are concrete. We have members who do all types (solid surface, laminate), in addition to the natural, hard surfaces.