Lapidaryforum.net
Gadgets, Gizmos, and Dohickeys => Cutting, Grinding, Polishing => Topic started by: liveoak on December 01, 2021, 04:22:11 AM
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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
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In my Diamond Pacific unit I only use water no additives. I dump it after I finish all my work for the day.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Have fun !
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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.
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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
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Thank you - very good point and it's cheaper to just use water :-)
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I add sodium nitrite (food preservative) as a rust preventative.
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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
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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
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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