Applying to join this forum, you HAVE to activate your membership in YOUR email in the notice you recieve after completing application process. No activation on your part, no membership.

Lapidaryforum.net

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome new members & old from the Lapidary/Gemstone Community Forum. Please join up. You will be approved after spam check & you must manually activate your acct with the link in your email

Congratulations to Bobby1 and his Brazilian Agate Cab!

 www.lapidaryforum.net

Another cabochon contest coming soon!

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Water additive in cabbing machine ?  (Read 1318 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

liveoak

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24
Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« on: December 01, 2021, 04:22:11 AM »

Upgrading from my old craftsman flatlap to a KN Cab 6 !!!!
Do I need to add a water additive for grinding  polishing or just plain water ??
Any advice appreciated.
Patty
Logged

charles

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 47
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2021, 08:34:22 AM »

In my Diamond Pacific unit I only use water no additives. I dump it after I finish all my work for the day.
Logged

lithicbeads

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3239
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2021, 04:03:09 PM »

Water is fine for cabbing and I have never heard of anyone using an additive for cabbing. The water should be debris free so as not to clog the tubes.
Logged

55fossil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 858
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2021, 04:31:28 PM »

   No to additives, BUT....  I replace my water frequently when using my Diamond Genie for cabbing. When the mist dries on your cabbing machine and there is a layer of dust left, that is what you are breathing while you cut cabochons. Plus, the fine particles can cause problems as you progress through finer wheels. The particles ground off using the 600 grit wheel are being sprayed onto the 3000 grit wheel and your stone if you do not change the water. 
   I am seriously looking at making a pressurized water sprayer to each wheel on my Genie so I am always cutting and polishing with fresh water.  My other two machines are pressurized water sprayers and I love it. Yes, I wear a mask at all times regardless of which machine I am cutting and polishing with. Even with fresh water spray there re particulates spraying around while you grind.
Logged

liveoak

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2021, 04:53:21 AM »

Thank you all for the input- no additive necessary , got it.
Interestingly the KN unit I ordered yesterday has separate fresh water valves.
I'm looking forward to it .
Patty
Logged

lithicbeads

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3239
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2021, 04:07:13 PM »

Have fun  !
Logged

R.U. Sirius

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 307
  • asleep at the grinding wheel
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2021, 10:33:51 AM »

I'll just add here that one reason not to use additives is chemical safety - you will be soaking your skin for hours on end with this water. Various anti-corrosion agents, surfactants, and/or lubricants may pose long-term risk. Safety data sheets are often unavailable from lapidary shops selling these products. Even the generally "safe" (nontoxic) components may lead to skin sensitization over time, and once you cross that line there is no going back.

I think it's reasonable to protect my health and comfort first before considering the diamond wheel longevity.
Logged

irockhound

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1480
    • RockhoundingUSA
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2021, 12:32:18 AM »

I'll 2nd that post.  I have times where I work a lot and then go dormant for a while.  I once ordered one of the lubricant additives and used it solely on my steel wheels  Normally with water it evaporates and I just add more water, with the lubricant it started growing only what I could describe as a clearish algae growth in the water and thought, this isn't healthy with the squirters taking that and the wheels moving that to mist.  Mask or respirator or not I dumped it and stopped using the lubricants and never have issue with rust.  you can also just turn off the wheel wetting system and let it spin dry for a couple seconds when done if needed.  Not worth the risk, not knowing the ingredients you are adding to your shop environment
Logged

liveoak

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2021, 07:54:55 AM »

Thank you - very good point and it's cheaper to just use water :-)
Logged

Slabbercabber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 513
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2021, 04:56:50 PM »

I add sodium nitrite (food preservative) as a rust preventative.
Logged

liveoak

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2021, 04:26:44 AM »

Interesting , I never heard of that.

Thankfully the KN unit I ordered is Stainless steel, so I'm thinking rust will be less of an issue.
Patty
Logged

irockhound

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1480
    • RockhoundingUSA
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2021, 08:35:39 AM »

True and I think you'll be fine.  It isn't normally the machine itself people worry about with the rust although it never is good but the aggressive steel wheels in your machine.  If rust takes hold of those wheels it can cause it to weaken the hold on the diamonds embedded and thereby damage the wheel.  Normal care can avoid it so even with just water like I use it is not a problem
Logged

liveoak

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24
Re: Water additive in cabbing machine ?
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2021, 09:56:36 AM »

Thanks Steve, I hadn't thought about that, it's the wheels to worry about.
 
I actually liked your idea of letting the wheels spin dry for a little while at the end of a session.
Makes perfect sense.

Patty
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.032 seconds with 45 queries.