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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 20, 2023 14:00:05 GMT -5
This vintage vibe flat lap 20” highland park unit was practically given to me. See pics below. I can’t find a manual any where! I have watched videos on how to use similar units but my question… See the pics… Is anything missing that is required for me to use it? ? I looks like I will need to turn the pan over and getting the bolts loose may be a bear 😂 HELP PLEASE
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 635
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Post by AzRockGeek on Mar 20, 2023 15:03:40 GMT -5
Nice score! These machines are beasts and have tendency to wander about your shop when on. I have seen them wired to a wall and anchored to a block of concrete.
Before you put much effort into polishing, I would recommend turning it on and see if you want to tolerate the noise and wandering aspect. I used mine one time and got rid of it, faster and easier for me to use a hand-held wet grinder.
It looks complete and in great shape.
Good luck.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,495
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Post by rockbrain on Mar 20, 2023 15:05:18 GMT -5
Not really familiar with that machine. I'm guessing that you flip the pan for grinding/sanding and the side that's showing is for polishing, if there's not a second pan.
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Post by Peruano on Mar 20, 2023 16:31:24 GMT -5
It's a wonderful machine for polishing big pieces. Tie it to a tree in your backyard and let the neighbors decide whether its too noisy. Learning to keep things from bumping into each other or removing the polish from the unpolished surfaces are the important challenges ahead of you. Its a fun machine but only appropriate for special projects.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 20, 2023 17:08:59 GMT -5
Look up Vi-bro-lap, they were the original company who made them in Yakima WA before HP bought them. I agree on noise and wandering, Mine ran for maybe 10 minutes in my attached garage before I decided vibe laps ain't my thing. Mine was the ever elusive 24" square pan unit.
Penetrating oil is your friend for those bolts, PBBlaster or Aero Kroil. WD40 is worthless.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 20, 2023 17:11:52 GMT -5
Looks like DP sells them new, they may have a manual
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Post by HankRocks on Mar 20, 2023 18:15:31 GMT -5
I don't see any vibration isolation devices to keep the frame isolated from the vibrating platform. It's no wonder it's going to walk everywhere and generate a good bit of noise. Most Vib laps have something in place to to accomplish that; heavy duty springs, hard rubber balls and springs.
The indirect drive will take stress off the motor bearings and will extend it's life.
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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 20, 2023 18:38:53 GMT -5
Look up Vi-bro-lap, they were the original company who made them in Yakima WA before HP bought them. I agree on noise and wandering, Mine ran for maybe 10 minutes in my attached garage before I decided vibe laps ain't my thing. Mine was the ever elusive 24" square pan unit. Penetrating oil is your friend for those bolts, PBBlaster or Aero Kroil. WD40 is worthless. I use PBBlaster Thank You
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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 20, 2023 18:41:36 GMT -5
Looks like DP sells them new, they may have a manual I’ve checked on their website and didn’t find anything. I might call them.
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Post by HankRocks on Mar 20, 2023 19:24:55 GMT -5
I would be a bit concerned that with an unsecured machine any lighter pieces are going to want to bounce or hop a bit. Very small bounces, but it might affect the processing.
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Post by rmf on Mar 20, 2023 22:35:49 GMT -5
melhill1659 I had one for a while. I found it in PA and drove back to TN with it strapped to the top of a VW Rabbit years ago. Could not keep it from walking all over the basement. I mounted it sheet of 3/4" plywood and it still walked. I eventually sold it and got a reciprolap. It polished ok it just kept doing a walk-about and it was annoying. Hope you have better luck.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,339
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Post by quartz on Mar 20, 2023 23:32:58 GMT -5
I have one too, put pieces of rubber likely from an innnertube under the feet, no walking, and I made sure it is level. I find it works better with heavier rocks, >1pound. The polishing pad on mine lifts out, it has two identical grinding sides on the main plate. There's a weight on a threaded rod underneath, if you get a bit of hopping move it in a half turn at a time, calms the movement some.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 20, 2023 23:38:18 GMT -5
I don't see any vibration isolation devices to keep the frame isolated from the vibrating platform. It's no wonder it's going to walk everywhere and generate a good bit of noise. Most Vib laps have something in place to to accomplish that; heavy duty springs, hard rubber balls and springs. The indirect drive will take stress off the motor bearings and will extend it's life. The platform is suspended on cables from the corners of the frame, hard to see in pics.
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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 21, 2023 10:11:13 GMT -5
I have one too, put pieces of rubber likely from an innnertube under the feet, no walking, and I made sure it is level. I find it works better with heavier rocks, >1pound. The polishing pad on mine lifts out, it has two identical grinding sides on the main plate. There's a weight on a threaded rod underneath, if you get a bit of hopping move it in a half turn at a time, calms the movement some. Wow Thank You that info is very helpful. Talking about walking…. Do any of you guys have the dual Lot O’s 😂😂 if you do then you know what it takes to secure them. No doubt this to will have its obstacles…
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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 21, 2023 10:11:51 GMT -5
I don't see any vibration isolation devices to keep the frame isolated from the vibrating platform. It's no wonder it's going to walk everywhere and generate a good bit of noise. Most Vib laps have something in place to to accomplish that; heavy duty springs, hard rubber balls and springs. The indirect drive will take stress off the motor bearings and will extend it's life. The platform is suspended on cables from the corners of the frame, hard to see in pics. Correct
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,339
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Post by quartz on Mar 21, 2023 20:23:24 GMT -5
This is not more than an advertisement, but gives a little insight into what you have. I wish the original prices were listed.
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Post by catmandewe on Mar 21, 2023 22:56:38 GMT -5
It has screw in feet to help level it, put a level on the cross braces and get the frame level, then level the pan and it shouldnt walk around too bad. if you are grinding smaller or lighter items put a weight on top of them with silly putty or plumbers putty, put a ring around the pieces so they dont bump into each other or the sides, you can make rings out of pvc pipe or surgical tubing.
Good machine, if you get it set up right it will do you well.
Tony
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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 22, 2023 5:28:13 GMT -5
This is not more than an advertisement, but gives a little insight into what you have. I wish the original prices were listed. Thank You that’s it!!! Some of you guys know me… I’ll throw my whole body down a rabbit hole and will eventually use it for something 😂
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Post by melhill1659 on Mar 22, 2023 5:29:29 GMT -5
It has screw in feet to help level it, put a level on the cross braces and get the frame level, then level the pan and it shouldnt walk around too bad. if you are grinding smaller or lighter items put a weight on top of them with silly putty or plumbers putty, put a ring around the pieces so they dont bump into each other or the sides, you can make rings out of pvc pipe or surgical tubing. Good machine, if you get it set up right it will do you well. Tony cloud.tapatalk.com/s/641ad880db39a/VibeLapInstr.pdfI liked this print out I found for weights.
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Post by Peruano on Mar 22, 2023 6:51:10 GMT -5
I have a big yard and I found it easiest to run my vibratory lap outside on gravel. It did not walk or dig itself into a hole. It tends to hurl grit/solution overboard and would be a mess in an organized shop. Maybe I had it too wet, but eventually I lined the rim of the pan with a strip of foam loosely propped around the perimeter. That raised the outer edge and kept things from contacting on the edges above the surface that I was trying to polish. Tony had good advice on weighting things down. Its best if the weight has a slightly larger diameter than the stone to be polished so that you prize stone doesn't get damaged playing bumper cars with its siblings.
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