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[Rockoteer]

I know this has been asked a kajillian times but .... what other grit wheels should I get?

I currently have (left to right) 1st set/two spaces, a SC 8" 100g, an 8" expando.  I can change these as i'm not set in cement on these.




Then a set of six wheels.  (The pics show something on every arbor but in actuality I have three novas, a 1200, 3000 and a 50,000.

[irockhound]

A lot depends on what is being cut.  If you cut a lot of glass like material such as Victoria Stone, Obsidian or Opal than I would lean towards the Steel wheel being a 220 since it will cause less chipping in the roughing stage.
Obviously the expanding drum can take a variety and those are easily changed.

For the Nova's I use a 280 as a wheel that can contour to the stone and yet get rid of those entry grind marks from the 100/220 stages.  I then go to 600 and to me this is the key wheel to make sure that the later 1200 and 14k wheels have an easy time bringing out the polish in the stone.  14K is almost always my finish wheel. The majority of what I cut is Agates and the 14k and then either Optical cerium on Rough leather for most and a couple that respond to Cerium on hard leather finishes it off for me.  I have a 50K that I use on rare occasion and when I do I change out the 14K to finish with the 50K.  I don't do a lot of Jade but I should given how much I have but I think that the people in the forum that do Jade might use the 50k more often than I.  I think that going from 3k to 50k is a bit of a jump but I haven't tried it so I am uninformed on that combo.

I do like your shop setup.  Since my shop is my 3rd garage and I have 6 7ft shelves with sterilite totes with slabbed material by location plus my 18/12/10 and 6" saws and my Titan and a jewelry bench space is tight, along with a faceting machine on wheels.  I want to set up some more arbors with dual wheels for wider grinding surfaces but no where to put them.  In the house we are building now I have made a 25' x 18.5' workshop to work with but that is 6-8 months away at a minimum.

[Rockoteer]

A lot depends on what is being cut.  <snip>

Mostly agate and Jasper.

For the Nova's I use a 280 as a wheel that can contour to the stone and yet get rid of those entry grind marks from the 100/220 stages.  I then go to 600 and to me this is the key wheel to make sure that the later 1200 and 14k wheels have an easy time bringing out the polish in the stone.  <snip>

What kind/type of a 280 and a 600?

I do like your shop setup.<snip>

tks.  Still moving in (came from central Wa. to So. Salem, Or.)  everything isn't where I want it ..... well maybe .... I don't know. lol

[irockhound]

I use Nova wheels on the 280 and 600.  So Steel on 100 and 220 and then nova 280/600/1200/14k.

On the steel wheels I use 100 and 220 and I have used the diamond back pattern for more aggressive cutting and I have bought an inland lapidary sintered 100 grit but haven't tried it out.  So much deeper cutting agent but then again the problem the old carbide wheels had of losing true and re-dressing which is probably why I haven't mounted it yet. But some professional cabbers I asked have said that the sintered wheels are best.

[Stonemon]

I don't know Gary,
That shop looks way too clean. I am pretty sure that I would be afraid to cut anything in there for fear of messing it up....
My wife says... a clean shop is the sign of a dirty mind!
Best,
Bill

[Rockoteer]

I don't know Gary,
That shop looks way too clean. I am pretty sure that I would be afraid to cut anything in there for fear of messing it up....
My wife says... a clean shop is the sign of a dirty mind!
Best,
Bill

I don't want people to talk so I guess I had better do some slabbin and grinding and polishing and ...