Best saw/tool to safely cut coticule?

[scag315]

Kind of a weird question I know, but I have an old 6 inch coticule that came unglued either from the backing stone or most likely from a paddle given how thin it is. It's not something I'll ever use for razors unless I decided to get a paddle made for it so instead i'm going to glue it to an aluminum stone blank and use it for edge pro system. The only issue I have is that it's slightly wider than the standard 1" so I was thinking about cutting it down after I glue it to the block to fit flush with the edges like the standard stones but I want to do it safely without risking cracking and ruining the stone.

Right now I'm thinking the safest/most conservative method would be to use a hand jig saw but obviously something like a band saw or even a hand held jig saw would be faster. Anyone have any experience cutting them that could give me some guidance before making a stupid mistake and ruining the stone?

 

[Legion]

I use a hacksaw.

 

[silverlifter]

I used a carbide hacksaw and a mitre box. Worked great.

 

[Gamma]

A lot depends on the dimension you need to remove.
If you only have to take off something like a 5" x 1/8" piece don't use a saw.
Just lap it off. You can cut that with a saw but you will probably be happier lapping it. Stones are funny things. You can hit them dead center with a chisel and cut a perfect half off but try to shave a sliver off one long side and things can get real ugly real fast.

Or, you can bring it to a mineral/gem shop, they probably have a very thin kerf diamond blade saw and can cut it safely to spec.
I've actually done similar surgery myself using a wet tile saw. Thick kerf though.

 

[rideon66]

+1 on the carbide hacksaw blade. Will cut most stones or things in general. Not necessarily for most coticule, but may depend on backing material or hardness. Only real difference is the width of my blades since I use the rods they are like a rounded thick wire. So a little wider cut than traditional hacksaw blade. I have used the tungsten carbide blades on really hard Charnley Forest even No problem. Heck they are made for cutting tile and cast iron Too.

 

[duke762]

I used a conventional band saw with a metal cutting blade to saw up small Coticule slurry stones. No problems.

 

[DrVK]

dremel with diamond cutting wheel

 

[J B Addis]

I agree with Gamma, if it's 1/4"/6mm or less of overhang you will save yourself a lot of potential grief by lapping it off rather than trying to cut it, and it probably won't take all that much longer than cutting it if you use a suitably course stone or plate. One bad twist of the saw while working and you could potentially snap a stone ruining sized chunk out of it.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I have a stone for which I want to remove between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Can I use my belt sander to remove the bulk and then go to my Atoma 140?

Has anyone used a belt sander on stone?

 

[SliceOfLife]

Yes. That will take a bit of time. Coti's are one of the easier natural stones we use to grind down... but still sanding a half inch off a stone is not fast.

If the coti layer is thin... definitely be careful... lateral force from the belt could rip a chunk of it off... breaking the stone... especially if it's a glued stone.

Also I'd always keep the coti side facing the direction the belt is COMING from... to avoid pulling the coticule side away from the backing.

Coti's aren't bad to hacksaw... I'd strongly recommend going that route instead. You get a free slurry stone out of the deal too... instead of just wasting a half inch of stone.


Bandsaw or wet tile saw will both work as well, with care. Everything has a CHANCE to break the stone... faster methods make it harder to control that risk by being more careful.

 

[Legion]

I have a stone for which I want to remove between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Can I use my belt sander to remove the bulk and then go to my Atoma 140?

Has anyone used a belt sander on stone?

I’ve used a belt grinder. They work, but create a lot of stone dust, which is not ideal.

Also wears out the belts, which are expensive.

 

[scag315]

Appreciate all the Great responses!