Lapidaryforum.net
Gadgets, Gizmos, and Dohickeys => Cutting, Grinding, Polishing => Topic started by: Downwindtracker2 on December 29, 2019, 09:24:28 PM
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Sometimes you are so lost you don't even know how to phrase the question. I need some recommendations . The club has rented a basement at a community hall for a shop and I'm setting up it up. Others help but I guess I'm leading. My wife is the rockhound, I'm not. But I am a retired millwright and machinery set up is what I did.
For now, I'm setting up six arbors. Five are 6" Loratone doubles and one 6" Mercury triple. The Loratones were set up with a 100grit diamond wheel, an expando , and 6" disc on the diamond wheel end. The 6" Mercury had a 220 grinding stone as well. My wife has suggested setting it up so you don't have to change belts. Do they have diamond belts ? What about the discs ? THX
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You can buy neoprene backed diamond belts cheap from Han's lapidary. In my experience they outlast far more expensive belts with cloth backing. They are also stiff enough to put a 3" belt on a 2" wheel. I set up my shop with an 80-100 sintered wheel then a 400 plated wheel. After that are three more arbors with progressively finer diamond belts running from 100 to 15,000 grit. That eliminates belt changing entirely.
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For the end of the arbor you can usually use sin ons. 1200 grit pad without rubber backing is a very efficient use of one end. After the pad is broken in it does wonders getting a prepolish on problem stone. One grit coarse if you have a second spin on placement. Spritz bottle is all the water you need.