Some of you may know that I collect 50mm Meteorite Spheres.
Since there are not a lot of them available I had to learn how to make them
myself, part of the process is cutting the rough material into a "sphere
rough".
I have 2 processes, one I use a core bit to create a 2.080 core which is
machined into a rough 50.25mm sphere.
The other is to cut a rough meteorite into a cube that's 52mm which is
machined into a rough 51mm sphere.
They both have advantages and disadvantages but I thought some of you might
like to know how I cut or "slice" my meteorites since I do not use a
conventional method.
I was not happy with the surface a band saw left on a slice I had to sand
and polish so I decided to try a different approach.
I purchased an MK-100 Brick/Paver Saw and made a few modifications
Here is a picture of the Saw with the Mods
A - This is the meteorite set in a block of Plaster of Paris. This keeps it
aligned so every slice is cut from the same orientation.
B - This is modified Milling Machine Vise. It's what holds the block in
place. I noticed that the block deteriorated as I cut more slices. This
created tapered slices. To fix this issue I augmented the vise with 2
pieces of angle aluminum which distributes the pressure one the block more
evenly
C - This is the depth stop which gives me consistent slice thickness. It's
just a bolt clamped to the table.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/BobaDebt/Meteorites/MK-100.jpg
When cutting a meteorite into a rough I start at the small end and cut 3mm
slices until I get to a predetermined section and then I cut a 52mm section.
Then the rest is cut into 3mm slices
Once that's done I clamp the 52mm section in the vice 90 degrees to it's
original direction and cut each end until I get a 52mm x 52mm section.
This has to be re-set in plaster to make the final slices on the remaining 2
sides.
Each cut takes 15-30 minutes but it's worth the effort.
This method leaves the surface very smooth so I don't have to spend a lot of
time sanding off the saw marks which is a waste of time a material.
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