automaton25
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2022
Posts: 22
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Post by automaton25 on Nov 19, 2022 20:13:56 GMT -5
Hello Everyone,
I recently received an Ameritool 8" flat lap and got to work on my enormous pile to rocks I've collected over the summer. I have specimens ranging from obsidian to granite to jasper and a lot in between. My tool came with a 180 mesh, but that's going pretty slow on the harder stuff so I have ordered an 80 mesh and a 3000 mesh as well. The tool came with a 180, 325, 600, 1200, and 14,000 mesh.
What's the best way to clean the disks before they get put up on the rack? How long does the diamond paste polish last and what's the best way to clean those felt pads? Can I just leave the diamond paste in the pad until next time? What do you guys use for a final polish?
As you can probably tell, I'm brand new to this part of the hobby so any input/advice is greatly appreciated. I have had good success with some purchased rough Tiger Eye and Apatite. I struggle with anything that has been cut into a slab though, it seems to be very very slow to grind out all of the saw marks.
Cheers, Andrew
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 19, 2022 20:26:30 GMT -5
What's the best way to clean the disks before they get put up on the rack? You should be able to just flush them with water and spin dry. How long does the diamond paste polish last and what's the best way to clean those felt pads? Can I just leave the diamond paste in the pad until next time? What do you guys use for a final polish? As far as I know, you don't need to clean the pads. Leave the polish on and recharge as needed. There are many opinions about final polish. Sometimes, it simply depends on the stone and/or preference.
eta Welcome! Sorry abt the formatting, I messed it up. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 19, 2022 21:33:59 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona! What rockjunquie said about the diamond discs. Just spin them dry. We store ours in ziplock bags to keep them clean. The felt pads with diamond paste you will just want to replenish with diamond paste when they start slowing down. Also adding a little extender fluid helps to spread the diamond around the disc as you're using it. A lot of people just use spray silicone for that and it seems to work well, plus it's cheaper than the extender fluid sold in lapidary shops. You may want to eventually get some more felt and/or leather pads to use with oxides for polishing. You will also need to get more plastic master laps to put them on. |
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automaton25
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2022
Posts: 22
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Post by automaton25 on Nov 19, 2022 22:33:53 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona! What rockjunquie said about the diamond discs. Just spin them dry. We store ours in ziplock bags to keep them clean. The felt pads with diamond paste you will just want to replenish with diamond paste when they start slowing down. Also adding a little extender fluid helps to spread the diamond around the disc as you're using it. A lot of people just use spray silicone for that and it seems to work well, plus it's cheaper than the extender fluid sold in lapidary shops. You may want to eventually get some more felt and/or leather pads to use with oxides for polishing. You will also need to get more plastic master laps to put them on.
Thanks for the input! Do you have a favorite oxide polish? We use aluminum oxide in the tumbler but I've heard good things about cerium and titanium oxide as well. Can you use a powdered polish and spread it on the pad or does it have to be in paste form?
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 19, 2022 22:47:08 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona! What rockjunquie said about the diamond discs. Just spin them dry. We store ours in ziplock bags to keep them clean. The felt pads with diamond paste you will just want to replenish with diamond paste when they start slowing down. Also adding a little extender fluid helps to spread the diamond around the disc as you're using it. A lot of people just use spray silicone for that and it seems to work well, plus it's cheaper than the extender fluid sold in lapidary shops. You may want to eventually get some more felt and/or leather pads to use with oxides for polishing. You will also need to get more plastic master laps to put them on.
Thanks for the input! Do you have a favorite oxide polish? We use aluminum oxide in the tumbler but I've heard good things about cerium and titanium oxide as well. Can you use a powdered polish and spread it on the pad or does it have to be in paste form?
I personally favor Cerium. Hubby likes Aluminum. Just depends on what you're polishing. I have never tried titanium, so can't give any feedback on that. To use it, you make a slurry (mix some powder with water to make a paste and spread a little over a damp lap with a small brush. Or, if you're lazy like me, you use a spray bottle with water and the oxide inside and just shake and spray it on.  You do need to keep the lap a bit damp while polishing. When the stone begins to grab the lap, that's when the polishing happens. If the lap dries out too much after that happens, you could "burn" the stone, so always have a spray bottle of water available to give it a spritz. Spreading the oxide powder on the lap it using too much and a waste of money. You really don't need that much at one time. You can always add a little more if you need it. |
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,176
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Post by rockbrain on Nov 20, 2022 17:04:30 GMT -5
You don't have to clean the pads but you want to keep them clean. I keep mine sealed separate, labeled ziplocks. You don't want to cross contaminate the different grits of diamond paste.
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automaton25
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2022
Posts: 22
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Post by automaton25 on Nov 21, 2022 9:35:17 GMT -5
Thanks for the input! Do you have a favorite oxide polish? We use aluminum oxide in the tumbler but I've heard good things about cerium and titanium oxide as well. Can you use a powdered polish and spread it on the pad or does it have to be in paste form?
I personally favor Cerium. Hubby likes Aluminum. Just depends on what you're polishing. I have never tried titanium, so can't give any feedback on that. To use it, you make a slurry (mix some powder with water to make a paste and spread a little over a damp lap with a small brush. Or, if you're lazy like me, you use a spray bottle with water and the oxide inside and just shake and spray it on. You do need to keep the lap a bit damp while polishing. When the stone begins to grab the lap, that's when the polishing happens. If the lap dries out too much after that happens, you could "burn" the stone, so always have a spray bottle of water available to give it a spritz. Spreading the oxide powder on the lap it using too much and a waste of money. You really don't need that much at one time. You can always add a little more if you need it. Awesome, thank you! |
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Post by victor1941 on Nov 21, 2022 17:44:07 GMT -5
Automaton25, I use the same machine and suggest all heavy grinding be done near the center and not the edge. Premature bearing wear could occur otherwise.
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You do need to keep the lap a bit damp while polishing. When the stone begins to grab the lap, that's when the polishing happens. If the lap dries out too much after that happens, you could "burn" the stone, so always have a spray bottle of water available to give it a spritz. Spreading the oxide powder on the lap it using too much and a waste of money. You really don't need that much at one time. You can always add a little more if you need it.
