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[olaf]

I have a problem with my new 220 Galaxy wheel. It is very abrassive and leaves scratches that you can not get out by the finer grids.
Does anybody have a solution for this problem?

Thanks in advanced
Olaf

[55fossil]

   This is really common, and probably normal.    Use your 220 wheel on some hard agate or jaspers while it breaks in. You should see the surface of the wheel transform and become smooth as you use it for awhile.  New wheels are very rough and abrasive. I use Galaxy wheels on my Genie and other grinders and they are all rough at the beginning.
    Other possible problem is your finer grit wheels are becoming worn and do not have enough diamond left to knock out the scratches.

[olaf]

Thanks for your answer. My finer grit (140 Nova wheel) is relative new. So I will try it with some agates. Hope it will work.

Greetings,
Olaf

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Hmmm. I'm a bit confused here.

The 220 grit is actually finer than the 140, so I'm not sure what you're talking about doing there.

You should use some agate to break the 220 Galaxy in. Don't use a lot of pressure - just enough to keep the agate from chattering agains the wheel. You'll see and feel the difference as it gets broken in. Work the agate over the wheel all the way out to each edge so you get a consistently smooth surface.

[olaf]

My 140er is a soft-bonded wheel. I have always took this to put out the scratches from the metal-bond wheels. I wonder, why Diamond Pacific don`t write in their information sheet that the galaxy wheels have to be broken in. On the sheet to their Nova-wheels there are according informations.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Yeah, I understand about using the 140 Nova to remove scratches from the 220 Galaxy. There have been a few different grit sequences described on here, and on other forums.

As for breaking in the wheels, I don't even like using the Nova wheels for some types of rough until they have been used for a while. It's always good to break the Novas in with light pressure on some agate. I listen for any "ticks" that might indicate a high or hard spot, and then use a little more pressure to feel for any stiff areas in the belt or resin.

That 220 Galaxy should last you a long time. Just remember that excess pressure isn't good for diamond tools. As long as you have enough pressure to keep the stone from chattering on the wheel you're good. Really forcing a stone against the wheels can chip or dislodge diamond from the resin or plating. I was told to "just let the tool do the work" and not force it.

Happy Cutting!

[olaf]

 I have know cut two agates on this wheel but it is still rough. I will keep trying. It is the first time that I use cm 15 cm Galaxy wheel on the Genie. Before I had a Pixie. From the Galaxy wheels (220 grids) for the Pixe I didn`t know this rougness. There they had the "right smoothness" from the beginning. So I was very surprised. 

[lithicbeads]

The wheel may very well be defective. I sent two 220 wheels back to them as each produced gouges in stones that were coarser than my new 30 grit wheel. Look carefully at the wheel for black carbon marks and a very heavy aggregation of diamond. I called repeatedly and was given a bs line until I called during lunch one day ( theirs) and a production person answered the phone and agreed that the 220's had problems. Then I really complained but all the shipping was on me. I looked up complaints and lawsuits against the parent company  and frankly was shocked.

[olaf]

The problem is that I don`t know how a defective looks like in comparison to one which is o.k.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

It takes a lot more than two agates to break in a Galaxy wheel.

Building on what Lithicbeads said, use one of your junk agates and move it slowly toward the 220 wheel until it just barely touches. A piece of agate with a straight edge - like the edge of a slab - works best for this. If there's a big chunk or pile of diamond somewhere on the wheel you should hear a tick every time it rotates back around and hits the agate.

If that doesn't give you any clues, use the flat surface of an agate slice. Hold the flat face of the slice against the wheel without moving it for a few revolutions of the wheel. If the face of the agate is more scratched in one area, look at the corresponding area of the wheel under magnification with a small bright flashlight.

But - like I said - it usually takes a LOT more than two agates to break one in. More like two weeks worth of agates... .

Good luck.

[lithicbeads]

That is exactly how i found the pile of diamonds on my defective wheels.

[olaf]

Thanks for your help. So I will try to find out if the wheel is defective. When the wheel is o.k. I will keep on cutting agates.

Greetings,
Olaf

[ToTheSummit]

I have a defective 220 wheel also.  Try as I may I have never been able to locate the spot that causes the problem.  I've ground away gobs of hard junk agate that I have trying to fix it but it still leaves nasty scratches.  I thought it was me at first until I learned there was a problem with them.

[lithicbeads]

Extremely frustrating.