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 splash with old Frantom unit  (Read 1593 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

robirdman

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 103
water splash with old Frantom unit
« on: June 17, 2019, 07:38:23 AM »

I cleaned up this old Frantom combo unit that I hadn't used for decades.  I had replaced the original SiC wheels with diamond ones, and I had added an apparatus which I could use to finish the cylindrical jars I cut using a special rock drill.  I am wondering how this worked originally as the other wheels have a basin, while it looks like the water fed to the outer wheel is going to go all over the place.  Was this standard?
Logged

Slabbercabber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 513
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2019, 12:59:15 PM »

I think a picture or two might help.
Logged

robirdman

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 103
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2019, 07:34:29 AM »

I took but forgot to add.
Logged

Slabbercabber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 513
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2019, 05:28:53 PM »

Normally the outer wheel would be a felt or leather polishing wheel.  There would be no water drip on that.
Logged

robirdman

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 103
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2019, 08:47:55 PM »

I have used different diamond belts or pads, but there is a hole with a nozzle above.
Logged

Slabbercabber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 513
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2019, 04:40:57 AM »

Yes, it has been modified.  The spray tubes on the blade are also additions.  Is that a belt tensioner to the right of the photo?
Logged

robirdman

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 103
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2019, 06:59:15 AM »

When I bought it, it had those holes and water spigots.  I just changed some tubing.  If you mean the thing with 2 bearings, that is what I added to polish jars.  It doesn't have the shaft going through.  With that I would dop wax the jar to the shaft and then it pivots in different directions and turns by hand to polish using the diamond belts.  I can't remember if I used water though.  I think if I didn't, they would overheat and wear out sooner, but I don't remember what prevented water from going all over.
Logged

robirdman

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 103
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2019, 05:31:33 AM »

No ideas?
Logged

Rudy2dogs

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2020, 09:15:25 AM »

Hi I just joined the forum. I have a Frantom just like yours. I want to upgrade it to diamond wheels. Is it hard to do?
Logged

Downwindtracker2

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 79
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2020, 07:01:23 PM »

Anytime you replace wheels on a machine where the bearings are on the outside you could be in for some struggle. Or on the other hand, things just might slide off. I replaced the SC with diamond wheels  on an old Frantom .It was just a grinder/polisher only, no trim saw on the end.  When I had it apart, I did the bearing as well. They were off the shelf bearing, easily obtainable. I don't remember any problems. But then  again I don't remember yesterday, chuckle.  A trick is to polish the shaft with a strip of emory cloth. You'll see some in the plumbing section of hardware stores.  You polish the shaft like you are a shoe shine boy. I use 120 grit. For your threads, a fine wire wheel on a drill. Hope this helps.
Logged

Slabbercabber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 513
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2020, 05:23:47 AM »

Be very careful polishing the shaft.  A reduction of .001" diameter changes the fit by up to three classes.  If you remove more than about .003" your fit becomes so bad that in an industrial setting it would be discarded.  If I need to polish a shaft I use nothing more coarse than emery cloth.  Thorough cleaning is much preferred.
Logged

Rudy2dogs

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
blades
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2020, 09:04:57 AM »

I am also wondering what blade is the best for cutting agats using water?
Logged

Downwindtracker2

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 79
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2020, 10:02:11 AM »

I asked that same question around, so I looked it up. For the club's 10" Old Highland Park. We bought a Chinese 10"x .040 x5/8". For a club saw that will get abused, the cheap blade made sense. For the wife's saw we had got a good American made MK-301. Alex uses water on his saws. He is more of a carver and collector. But his answer was to use bigger motors and heavy blades. A retired geologist , who at one time ran a jade mine in the Dease area of BC. An industrial answer. I also heard that a couple of other times.

For my wife's shop and the club shop, we use two 6" trim saws, one oil and one water. Oil for most things and water for opal. Oil has couple advantages over water, it lubricates the, blade extending life, and  it cools the blade. Water unless you have a high flow flood system like they use in the metal industry, doesn't cool well. The water at the cutting end turns to steam which has no cooling ability. In fact I think it insulates. The rules for the club's water saw are that after each use it has to be drained and cleaned, making using it a pain.

My wife  testing the oil trim used fresh Lortone oil in it. It stunk, smoked and likely dusted. Alex and I saw the cloud in the light. We (wife) switched to mineral oil and use it "wet" with out any problem. Though, I had to make a Lexan splash guard for it. That was least repair I made on the 11 machines that I refurbished for the club. 

Logged

Rudy2dogs

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: water splash with old Frantom unit
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2020, 10:12:00 AM »

Thanks that helps.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.099 seconds with 54 queries.