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: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring  (Read 1031 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Michael

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 132

I have purchased Flat Lap Grinder from a gentlemen who collects Lapidary Equipment, but does not do Lap work himself.  He has a whole garage just full of equipment, tools, supplies, barrels of grit, etc.  He has to move to another state, and is selling as much of the equipment he can at very good prices.

I bought a flat lap grinder, which I think is a Loratone.  It is six inches, with the lap that has what appears to be a center hole, and a flexible outer ring whose purpose appears to go around the 6" diameter. 

The unit came with a broad range of discs, but I am not certain how to attach/use these discs.  I realize this is not a good explanation, but my dad had a flat lap when he began lapidary, so I bought this one out of sentiment, mostly.  I like to learn how to best use this equipment, so I begin here.  Thanks and my apologies for not including a picture, but I cannot seem to upload my I phone picture to the text of this forum.
Mike
Logged

gemfeller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 544
    • Art Cut Gems
Re: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2018, 04:09:49 PM »

I have what I think is the same Lortone slant cabber but can't quite visualize the lap you're describing.  A picture would help a lot.  I use mine mainly for the poiish stage and sanding of deeply curved-top cabs but you can cut cabs on the machine as well.  The variable speed on mine helps enormously with polishing because I like low rpm's for that task.  Mine uses laps with a center hole held down with just a simple flange and hex nut.  Laps with no center hole won't work on my machine.
Logged

lithicbeads

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3214
Re: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2018, 08:15:50 PM »

When I worked in a shop doing primarily opals we used one for fine sanding.You get great control with the variable speed.Not good for hogging off rough but  a nice machine for the latter stages especially with delicate or heat sensitive stones as you can slow it way down.
Logged

vitzitziltecpatl

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1176
Re: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2018, 07:10:39 AM »

Yep. We really like the variable speed on our Hi-Tech flat laps.

hummingbirdstones

  • Opalholic and General Rock Nut
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3055
    • Hummingbird Stones Lapidary Services
Re: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2018, 07:04:08 PM »

Hi Mike,

I believe you probably need to use the Tapatalk app on your iphone in order to upload photos.  If I'm wrong, someone will let me know!   :icon_sunny:
Logged
Robin

Michael

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 132
Re: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2018, 06:51:08 PM »

Thank you gentlemen.  I believe the unit is a lortone, but that is based solely on the color.  There is no label on the machine.  It does have an outer rubber wing that exceeds the 6" diameter.  It has its own captive water tank shaped like a gasoline tank on an old time lawnmower (albeit much smaller) with an irrigation hose.  My problem is that I want to install a threaded shaft of some sort because as one of the members stated in this thread, that he uses that with a flange and hex nut to make matters simple and secure. That is what I want to do.   The disc has a 7/16" hole with no threads, about a quarter inch deep.  Any suggestions?  Would Gorilla glue and and a 7/16"/-20, 1.5" threaded rod work to mount discs for grinding, sanding and polishing work?  The tolerances seem to be close enough to make the shaft suitable for attaching and spinning discs? I have used Gorilla Glue for other applications such as this, but I do not recommend it to others.   I apologize for being so numb nuts about this equipment.  I wish my tech ability to send pictures was better.  I could do a PM picture via Google, but that is an imposition on you gentlemen.  My dad started lapping back in the 70's with a horizontal lap.  He got me started into rocks and lapping early on.  This is my main motivation for trying to figure this out.  Thanks for all your posts, guys!

Mike
Logged

gemfeller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 544
    • Art Cut Gems
Re: Purchased a Flat Lap Grinder (45 degree) Flexible Outer Ring
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2018, 07:01:40 PM »

It doesn't appear to be a Lortone machine like mine.  The drip tank on mine is a V-shaped contraption that fastens to the top edge of the unit.  It has a central arbor but no rubber wing.  Maybe someone else can ID it.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.119 seconds with 40 queries.