Since it only requires warming of the stone to get the dop wax to stick, the stone is not damaged and any residue of dop wax which remains after the cutting is easily removed with no ill effects to even the most precious meteorites. All cuts are perfectly parallel and all can be the same thickness if I wish. If I know (and I do) the kerf the blade makes then I can easily calculate the desired push of the stone on the mandrel to get the thickness of slice I want. I dial in the next cut by moving down a dial micrometer’s plunger against the surface of the stone which is left after the last cut. After making a cut I simply release the locking thumb screw holding the mandrel tight and turn the advancing knob. This holder has a threaded advancing rod on one end that I can turn to push the mandrel out in the direction of the blade. However, what really works best on small stones is to attach the stone with dop wax to an aluminum mandrel and place it in a holder I have constructed on the saw. I works best for large stones of more than say a couple hundred grams but does work on smaller stones. It allows me to hold almost any size stone and place pressure just about where ever I want. I have created a vise that resembles multiple C-clamps more than anything else. So modifying or in my case starting from scratch with a holding system was the answer. I have never liked this it takes too long to prepare and you still end up generally making a first cut nearly blind. One is to encase the stone in something else and give it a shape that can be held. So several schemes have been devised to deal with this problem. Especially if the stone is friable or has fractures in it. There is nothing more frustrating in this world than trying to hold a smooth round stone in the standard vise that comes with a rock saw. This time I think I will just hit the basics. Often I attempted to answer every conceivable question I could think of. I have written articles before on cutting meteorites. What is the best coolant and what thickness blade to use.
What will be the best way to hold the stone in the saw for cutting. Among these are how will I get the most material in the final form I want. Each stone presents a set of decisions that must be made. Some very large and some now with meteorites very small. In the years since I have cut thousands of slices of rock. It has been thirty-nine years since I made my first cut with a diamond saw. I will not be around for more than a few decades at best, but if I do my job correctly the meteorites in my collection will be preserved for future study, knowledge, and enjoyment. So some care and concern should be exercised when doing anything to them. Meteorites are among the rarest objects on the Earth. Before beginning any discussion of cutting meteorites it is always prudent to make mention of what rare things they are.
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