What type of saw should I buy for murrini?

[spixton]

I want to try complex murrini so I'd need to cut through a piece about 1 inch in diameter.

I have a flat lap so I'm reluctant to buy that all in one type. Just a saw.

What's the best?

[RSimmons]

I use lapidary blades on a wet tile saw. My MK 470 saw has an overhead blade and you can vary the depth of cut by adding spacers to the sled. I also have a QEP contractor-style saw that cuts from below and is good for thinner murrini bars. You are a bit more limited in cutting depth with this saw. I'm using MK Diamond Saber 1000 lapidary blades on both saws at the moment. They have a 250 micrometer kerf and work better if you add a set of blade stabilizers that you can get at any good woodworking store. ProSlicer blades are good, too. When buying blades be sure that they are water cooled. Some lapidary blades are oil cooled and a PITA to work with. Many of the saws are made for 7 inch blades and the thin lapidary blades come in 6 in diameter, making the MK saw a lot easier to manage with bigger pieces. Be sure to wear face and respiratory protection when wet cutting as the mist you generate contains tiny shards of glass that you do not want to breath.

Robert

[Conrad Hoffman]

I had to saw some tough materials for work and was chewing through very expensive diamond blades. Everybody should know about Lopacki! Incredibly cheap and work as good as anything. You still need a saw. I rigged up a gravity saw because I couldn't afford a real one, but if your time is worth more than $0.05/hour, buy one!