Post by docharber on Sept 28, 2009 15:33:51 GMT -5
:help: I have a crystal of moonstone (adularia) which is like a flattened hexagon in cross section versus a rhomboid that has weathered and worn. It reminds me of some tapered corundum crystals I've seen. Anyway, how do I orient the stone to best display the adularescence? Is a high dome necessary as in a star or cat's eye stone?
:)I've been playing with my GP8 and have learned that compared to a flat lap, it can gobble up expensive rough REAL FAST. That's one nice thing about the Ameritool- I can realize my mistakes before they get too far out of hand. The expando drums are terrific for sanding. i noticed the belt is a little loose after some use but this is a minor problems. Does anyone have any tricks for securing a poose belt that wanders a bit?
:(Alas, my Ameritool flat lap, as the Rolls Royce people used to say, has failed to proceed. It stopped in the middle of a sanding . I can feel the 60 cycle hum but it won't move at all and when I try to turn the shaft, there is a notchy feel. nothing noisy or rubbing, though. I wonder if the rectifier (it's a DC motor) is bad. I calleed AMeritool and they gave me an address to send it in for repairs . I still have the shipping, though.
:2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: (I'm a doctor. Why would you think my opinion would be cheap?) About the Ameritool. I have found that it tends to vibrate and dance around at higher speedsunless the laps are very well balanced. Even at lower speeds, the drip cup rattles and rotates so that you have to keep it filled to stabilize it. A little piece of the sponge rubber mesh used in tool drawer,lining material helps. The hose tends to stick up out of the water about 2/3 from the top so refilling it is annoyingly frequent. A bigger drain cup would be nice, too. The unit has a seamless plastic basin and the splash guard is easily removed for cleaning. The motor (direct drive) is well protected from moisture by the high center and covered shaft outlet. it drains easily. The splash guard can be raised or lowered as needed.
>:(One real nuissance is the speed control - the unit will change speed all by itself at times, and even start and stop itself at the lower end of the control range with or without any vibration. The speed control knob is easy to tough inadvertently and has littel resistance so you can accidentally change speeds very easily. A notched / indexed speed control would be less troublesome. The control is otherwise smooth and the motor has lots of guts. The housing is plastic and that's not a bad thing in this case, but it's light weight and flexibility makes for more low frequency vibration problems than I would expect from a rigid metal chassis. I have checked out the spindle, bearings, etc. If I use a very good, well balanced lap wheel on it, it runs full speed very smoothly. The highest speeds really aren't necessary, though.
;DI also found that one of those stainless steel screw in floor glides for furniture (1" across) with a thick rubber washer attached and a 1/4"-20 stem makes a dandy knob for securing the laps. A slight bit quieter too. the original knob was slightly crooked and I thought the balance would be improved if I swapped it out. It wasn't.
:)Overall, I like the Ameritool for its portability, compactness, and ease of use. My GP8 is a soggy monster confined t9 the garage. While I like it for rough grinding and sanding, I'm glad I have the Ameritool for indoor work and for more delicate material. I have noted a few things about the GP8 that could have been done a lot better, but they are minor. Using a vertical polishing pad will definitely be more difficult to manage than using the flat lap.
I'll post when my machine comes back about Ameritool's service.
Mark H.
:)I've been playing with my GP8 and have learned that compared to a flat lap, it can gobble up expensive rough REAL FAST. That's one nice thing about the Ameritool- I can realize my mistakes before they get too far out of hand. The expando drums are terrific for sanding. i noticed the belt is a little loose after some use but this is a minor problems. Does anyone have any tricks for securing a poose belt that wanders a bit?
:(Alas, my Ameritool flat lap, as the Rolls Royce people used to say, has failed to proceed. It stopped in the middle of a sanding . I can feel the 60 cycle hum but it won't move at all and when I try to turn the shaft, there is a notchy feel. nothing noisy or rubbing, though. I wonder if the rectifier (it's a DC motor) is bad. I calleed AMeritool and they gave me an address to send it in for repairs . I still have the shipping, though.
:2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: (I'm a doctor. Why would you think my opinion would be cheap?) About the Ameritool. I have found that it tends to vibrate and dance around at higher speedsunless the laps are very well balanced. Even at lower speeds, the drip cup rattles and rotates so that you have to keep it filled to stabilize it. A little piece of the sponge rubber mesh used in tool drawer,lining material helps. The hose tends to stick up out of the water about 2/3 from the top so refilling it is annoyingly frequent. A bigger drain cup would be nice, too. The unit has a seamless plastic basin and the splash guard is easily removed for cleaning. The motor (direct drive) is well protected from moisture by the high center and covered shaft outlet. it drains easily. The splash guard can be raised or lowered as needed.
>:(One real nuissance is the speed control - the unit will change speed all by itself at times, and even start and stop itself at the lower end of the control range with or without any vibration. The speed control knob is easy to tough inadvertently and has littel resistance so you can accidentally change speeds very easily. A notched / indexed speed control would be less troublesome. The control is otherwise smooth and the motor has lots of guts. The housing is plastic and that's not a bad thing in this case, but it's light weight and flexibility makes for more low frequency vibration problems than I would expect from a rigid metal chassis. I have checked out the spindle, bearings, etc. If I use a very good, well balanced lap wheel on it, it runs full speed very smoothly. The highest speeds really aren't necessary, though.
;DI also found that one of those stainless steel screw in floor glides for furniture (1" across) with a thick rubber washer attached and a 1/4"-20 stem makes a dandy knob for securing the laps. A slight bit quieter too. the original knob was slightly crooked and I thought the balance would be improved if I swapped it out. It wasn't.
:)Overall, I like the Ameritool for its portability, compactness, and ease of use. My GP8 is a soggy monster confined t9 the garage. While I like it for rough grinding and sanding, I'm glad I have the Ameritool for indoor work and for more delicate material. I have noted a few things about the GP8 that could have been done a lot better, but they are minor. Using a vertical polishing pad will definitely be more difficult to manage than using the flat lap.
I'll post when my machine comes back about Ameritool's service.
Mark H.