|
Post by captbob on Oct 17, 2014 23:43:22 GMT -5
Okay, that's pretty darn cool! You have more pictures of it posted somewhere? I'd like to understand this better.
The plate is more of a flat lap with none of the grooved squares like most vibrating laps?
The piece on top turns to keep the rocks running laps? How so and how fast?
|
|
|
Post by roy on Oct 18, 2014 9:44:12 GMT -5
Okay, that's pretty darn cool! You have more pictures of it posted somewhere? I'd like to understand this better. The plate is more of a flat lap with none of the grooved squares like most vibrating laps? The piece on top turns to keep the rocks running laps? How so and how fast? the bottom plate is dead flat took me a year to find someone that could make it ,the bottom plate rotates counter clockwise and the top ring rotates clockwise this cuts down the time by more than half ! i have only had this machine for a couple of months now so my time has been limited on use but i will have lots more time here soon and will be cranking out lots of slabs for the comming months to have for the shows in 2015 here are some that i have done so far not the best of photos took them with my phone will have to start takink better pic with the camera when i have enough to start listing them until that happins more practice first !had to start over on one batch cause a piece broke off in the 600 stage and scratched up everything a large grave yard end cut a large angelwing slab and this one grrrrrrrrrrrr! when i get them ready to polish i move them over to my 27 vibro lap on the carpet for now have a polish pad made for the 36 but to much grinding to do to switch it over! will probley have a polish machine made next year
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Oct 18, 2014 10:24:12 GMT -5
How thick is the plate, what type of steel, and the price? I got a quote locally for a plate of a steel alloy specifically for lapping laser cut, center drilled and ground flat on one side, don't remember what it was though.
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Oct 18, 2014 10:40:16 GMT -5
the bottom plate rotates counter clockwise and the top ring rotates clockwise this cuts down the time by more than half ! That would work fast! This is just slick as can be. I'd really like to see more pictures of the machine if you can find the time. A video showing the speed would be awesome. It's probably a lot quieter than a vibrating lap (?)
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,171
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 18, 2014 12:57:57 GMT -5
the bottom plate rotates counter clockwise and the top ring rotates clockwise this cuts down the time by more than half ! That would work fast! This is just slick as can be. I'd really like to see more pictures of the machine if you can find the time. A video showing the speed would be awesome. It's probably a lot quieter than a vibrating lap (?) Here is photos of three big ones captbob. I believe the center of rotation for the top is off set from the bottom rotation to mix the grind up.
|
|
|
Post by roy on Oct 18, 2014 22:43:16 GMT -5
the bottom plate rotates counter clockwise and the top ring rotates clockwise this cuts down the time by more than half ! That would work fast! This is just slick as can be. I'd really like to see more pictures of the machine if you can find the time. A video showing the speed would be awesome. It's probably a lot quieter than a vibrating lap (?) ya it is unless you use 60/90 and 180 that grind is loud ! i will get you a video soon ! headed south for a couple weeks remind me then .
|
|
|
Post by roy on Oct 18, 2014 22:46:56 GMT -5
How thick is the plate, what type of steel, and the price? I got a quote locally for a plate of a steel alloy specifically for lapping laser cut, center drilled and ground flat on one side, don't remember what it was though. about 800 3/8 steel it had to go under a strecher for three days to put retention in the steal then ground dead flat both sides
|
|
|
Post by roy on Oct 18, 2014 22:48:18 GMT -5
That would work fast! This is just slick as can be. I'd really like to see more pictures of the machine if you can find the time. A video showing the speed would be awesome. It's probably a lot quieter than a vibrating lap (?) Here is photos of three big ones captbob. I believe the center of rotation for the top is off set from the bottom rotation to mix the grind up. those machines belong to steve with sticks in stones
|
|
The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
|
Post by The Dad_Ohs on Oct 18, 2014 23:02:23 GMT -5
I have an old Richadson Ranch flat grinder that uses dry paper discs on a rubber backing and I can usually do a slab or face on a large rock in about 2.5 - 3 hours start to finish which would be 4 sizes of paper and polishing on a leather wheel with Cerium Oxide. But my saws make very smooth cuts, especially my 10 inch!!
|
|
|
Post by pghram on Oct 20, 2014 20:51:17 GMT -5
Great setup & beautiful slabs.
Rich
|
|
Don B.
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2012
Posts: 52
|
Post by Don B. on Oct 21, 2014 10:38:46 GMT -5
I uhh... I suddenly feel inadequate with my little 6 inch grinder I made. I think I need to go buy a big truck.
|
|
rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
|
Post by rykk on Oct 21, 2014 20:53:18 GMT -5
The best way to shine nodges that big would be a vibrating lap. 3-4 days in a 60/90-220-600-Polish sequence. I hear people bandying about 2-3 hour grinds on jiggle pans and I very much doubt those numbers, though I sure wish they were real. Heck, it takes *time* for the grits to wear down to the next finer one in the process. If you try to hurry things up and go through the grits without putting in the time it takes *them* to be ready, you end up with a really inferior polish, methinks. It's not all about how long it takes for the pencil grid to disappear. The 60-90 rough and the 600 final grinds need to go long. You need time for the 600 grit to wear down to at least 2400-3000 unless you add a 1200-1500 grit SiC stage after the 600. C-ya, Rick
|
|
blackout5783
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 248
|
Post by blackout5783 on Oct 23, 2014 15:36:07 GMT -5
This is something that has escaped me for a long time. I finally had some success using a modified version of Bobby1's (I think it was his) dry sanding method. He's able to go from a used 100 grit belt straight to polish. I'm not that good yet. I start with a 220 grit SiC belt on an expando drum, then 400, then 600, and finally tin on a felt pad for polish. A roughly 3" t-egg takes 10 minutes or so start to finish if there aren't any heavy saw marks. If there are, I'll start with an 80 grit first and it might take twice as long. If you're going to try this, WEAR A RESPIRATOR! It makes a lot of dust, none of it you want to inhale. And I wouldn't chance it with just a dust mask either. Also the stone does heat up, so you can crack it if the material is prone to it. I find that sanding until it's just barely getting uncomfortable to hold (bare handed) is OK. Then spray with water and wipe dry or just wait for it to cool. If you're doing 4 or 5 at the same time you can move from one to the other on the same belt. The first one will have cooled a bit by the time you work your way around.
|
|