wire saw

A wire saw is a helicoidal saw, meaning it has a spiral shape. Historically, it was a primary technique for separating stone from the parent mass in quarrying. This type of saw consists of a steel wire, often about 6 mm in diameter, around which an abrasive material like sand or aluminum oxide is fed in a slurry with water. As the wire is pulled across the stone, it wears down, creating a groove or channel. While the abrasive does the cutting, the wire guides the process. Wire saws produce smooth cuts that minimize later processing and do not damage adjacent rock. However, this method has largely been superseded by other techniques.12