Does anyone know how to cut brown Sharpmaker rods cleanly?

[JoviAl]

Hi all,

I’ve had an idea rolling around in my head for ages about bonding a section of Sharpmaker rod to a coffee (or in my case - Tea) mug with angled sides. It’s been on the back burner until recently when I discovered a beautiful large mug in Zurich with tapered side walls that are roughly 15 degrees from vertical. I’ve bought the mug, but now realised that I’m not sure how to cut the sharpmaker rod to the appropriate length so it doesn’t stick up into my face when I’m drinking from the opposite side. Alternatively I could just fabricate a new mug and turn the rod into part of the handle, but I’ll still need to cut it to size.

Any ideas? I have access to a fully equipped workshop with machining equipment and I have a Foredom at home that I use for porting engines, so tools abound. It’s more the technique of the thing I’m loathe to bodge.

Thanks in advance!
Al

[JoviAl]

*or option #3 - can a brown rod tolerate being baked in a kiln if I make a new mug out of traditional materials with the rod integrated into the mug’s clay?

So many questions on the path to success

[JoviAl]

Imagine if you will that these rods are actually situated at ~15 degrees from the vertical plane (these are not the mugs I plan on using, just mocking it up for photos while on my lunch break at work). Every time you wash the cup the rods get the buildup removed too - a handy byproduct of the design.

I know Spyderco make beautiful branded mugs and brilliant sharpening equipment. I would love a merging of the two, especially with a cheeky pun in the name (although I can’t think of one off of the top of my head )

[JoviAl]

The ‘Mentally-Sharp Maker’, on account of the mug containing caffeine AND it can make your knives crazy sharp?

…

I’ll get my coat

[Bill1170]

Diamond-bladed tile or rock saw will cleanly cut Sharpmaker rods. Feed slowly with water coolant.

[JoviAl]

Diamond-bladed tile or rock saw will cleanly cut Sharpmaker rods. Feed slowly with water coolant.

Thank you Bill - that is very helpful. I believe we have a mitre-type tile saw with coolant feed in the workshop. Roughly what RPMs do I want to be spinning it at? I’m guessing just enough to cut without vibrations.

[PeanutButterFan]

Hi, Jovi,

Welcome to the forum. Stay safe.

Peanut

[JoviAl]

Hi, Jovi,

Welcome to the forum. Stay safe.

Peanut

Hi

I’ve been on here about a year now, but thanks anyways

Have a great day

Al

[sal]

Hi Al,

The rods are already fired t 3200 degrees F for 3-1/2 days, so baking is futile. We use diamond saws to cut them. As mentioned, slowly and carefully.

sal

[JoviAl]

Hi Al,

The rods are already fired t 3200 degrees F for 3-1/2 days, so baking is futile. We use diamond saws to cut them. As mentioned, slowly and carefully.

sal

Top info, thanks Sal I’m hoping to create a repeatable proof of concept that I can gift to friends as well as have myself. I love a good project!

[Fastidiotus]

Roughly what RPMs do I want to be spinning it at? I’m guessing just enough to cut without vibrations.

Most lapidary saws spin at lower rpm than your standard construction saw and the blades are also more sensitive to speed in regards to glazing over. Tile saws have more durable blades that can withstand higher rpm but they are generally thicker and are designed for a more shallow cut. If your tile saw is variable speed setting it on the lowest setting will minimize chipping. Much like sharpening on a diamond stone you'll want the diamonds to do the work, applying pressure doesn't tend to make the cut go quicker. Heres a link for wet saw guidelines, it's over kill for a small project like this but worth a quick skim through.
https://www.ukam.com/cutting_recommendations.htm

[JoviAl]

Roughly what RPMs do I want to be spinning it at? I’m guessing just enough to cut without vibrations.

Most lapidary saws spin at lower rpm than your standard construction saw and the blades are also more sensitive to speed in regards to glazing over. Tile saws have more durable blades that can withstand higher rpm but they are generally thicker and are designed for a more shallow cut. If your tile saw is variable speed setting it on the lowest setting will minimize chipping. Much like sharpening on a diamond stone you'll want the diamonds to do the work, applying pressure doesn't tend to make the cut go quicker. Heres a link for wet saw guidelines, it's over kill for a small project like this but worth a quick skim through.
https://www.ukam.com/cutting_recommendations.htm

Thank you this is most useful. I have diamond abrasives for my Foredom which is highly speed adjustable, maybe that would be better for the job than the chunky table mounted tile saw I’ve just been trawling Amazon for some mugs to do trials on. I’m going to need a heap of brown rods too (no potty jokes thank you gentlemen ).

[zhyla]

If I was just doing a couple of these I would try a diamond hacksaw blade. These are generally handy and while I wouldn’t expect the substrate to hold up under a lot of use, they’re cheap and you can find them at a hardware store.

[Bill1170]

Diamond-bladed tile or rock saw will cleanly cut Sharpmaker rods. Feed slowly with water coolant.

Thank you Bill - that is very helpful. I believe we have a mitre-type tile saw with coolant feed in the workshop. Roughly what RPMs do I want to be spinning it at? I’m guessing just enough to cut without vibrations.

I’m not sure on RPM, but fast is good. My 7.25” diamond saw spins at around 5000 rpm, my 4.5” spins at 10,000 rpm. The feed rate at which the blade progresses through the cut should be slow and cooling water abundant so thermal stress doesn’t build up and the diamonds slowly cut their way through the ceramic without being forced. As we say, “Let the tool do the work.”

[JoviAl]

Diamond-bladed tile or rock saw will cleanly cut Sharpmaker rods. Feed slowly with water coolant.

Thank you Bill - that is very helpful. I believe we have a mitre-type tile saw with coolant feed in the workshop. Roughly what RPMs do I want to be spinning it at? I’m guessing just enough to cut without vibrations.

I’m not sure on RPM, but fast is good. My 7.25” diamond saw spins at around 5000 rpm, my 4.5” spins at 10,000 rpm. The feed rate at which the blade progresses through the cut should be slow and cooling water abundant so thermal stress doesn’t build up and the diamonds slowly cut their way through the ceramic without being forced. As we say, “Let the tool do the work.”

Duly noted I’m planning on ordering some brown rods this afternoon and getting to it when they arrive. Just a bit of fun, but it’s always nice to be able to give interesting and useful gifts.

[Bolster]

Well. If I had not read this thread with an authoritative answer from Sal, I would have tried a masonry cutoff wheel (aka "abrasive disc") on a 4-1/2" angle grinder. For tile, brick, and stone; inexpensive. And I might have made a mess of things, too. I've no idea, that's just what I would have tried. Maybe it's good that I'm in California and you're in Singapore. Probably safer for you that way.

(I won't even get into the story about my trying to eliminate gophers with an oxy-acetelyne rig. For the record I did apologize to the neighbors but they really shouldn't have had so much flammable stuff sitting around on their property, and how was I to know gopher burrows went that far.)

Promise me at least that you will find a way to roughen the surface of your mug under the stones, so the epoxy has something to grab onto.

Oh wait, you speak the King's English. I meant: "...so the epoxy has something on which to grab."

[JoviAl]

Well. If I had not read this thread with an authoritative answer from Sal, I would have tried a masonry cutoff wheel (aka "abrasive disc") on a 4-1/2" angle grinder. For tile, brick, and stone; inexpensive. And I might have made a mess of things, too. I've no idea, that's just what I would have tried. Maybe it's good that I'm in California and you're in Singapore. Probably safer for you that way.

(I won't even get into the story about my trying to eliminate gophers with an oxy-acetelyne rig. For the record I did apologize to the neighbors but they really shouldn't have had so much flammable stuff sitting around on their property, and how was I to know gopher burrows went that far.)

Promise me at least that you will find a way to roughen the surface of your mug under the stones, so the epoxy has something to grab onto.

Oh wait, you speak the King's English. I meant: "...so the epoxy has something on which to grab."

Thanks for that handy dandy American to English translation I was just staring at my phone in utter puzzlement until I saw that at the end.

I can’t imagine how you got to ‘oxyacetylene’ from the starting point of ‘gophers’, but I’m glad you did (your neighbours probs not so much)!

[JSumm]

(I won't even get into the story about my trying to eliminate gophers with an oxy-acetelyne rig. For the record I did apologize to the neighbors but they really shouldn't have had so much flammable stuff sitting around on their property, and how was I to know gopher burrows went that far.)

Uhh... yes you will! If that doesn't deserve an Off-Topic thread of its own, I don't know what does.

[JoviAl]

(I won't even get into the story about my trying to eliminate gophers with an oxy-acetelyne rig. For the record I did apologize to the neighbors but they really shouldn't have had so much flammable stuff sitting around on their property, and how was I to know gopher burrows went that far.)

Uhh... yes you will! If that doesn't deserve an Off-Topic thread of its own, I don't know what does.

Here here!

PS - I wasn’t drinking a whisky JSumm. I had no plans to enjoy a dram tonight. But then I saw your tag line, and now here I am mysteriously holding a glass containing a finger of Glenfiddich 18. It’s like some sort of dark magic

Cheers!

[WilliamMunny]

I would try a Dremel with a cut off disk. I mean the disk will cut hardened steel cleanly so I think it would work on a stone.