brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Nov 29, 2023 14:19:46 GMT -5
Right now I final polish hard material with oxides on a variable speed flat lap. I would like to eliminate this machine. Has anybody used a cerium nova wheel? If so, how was it? How does it compare to a 50k nova wheel? Thanks
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,987
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Post by Tommy on Dec 1, 2023 12:54:27 GMT -5
Right now I final polish hard material with oxides on a variable speed flat lap. I would like to eliminate this machine. Has anybody used a cerium nova wheel? If so, how was it? How does it compare to a 50k nova wheel? Thanks I hope you get some experienced responses on this brotherbill - I'm wildly curious and didn't even know such a wheel existed. I've always preferred AO vs. cerium for consistent results on a wide range of rock types - mostly agates and jaspers, but it also could have been the medium I was using it for which was mostly slow speed flat lap on wool carpet. If you have bought one or still thinking about it please document and show us the results. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 1, 2023 14:15:43 GMT -5
I like optical cerium with hard stuff, but some materials that have micro pits or druzy pockets can be troublesome without special attention to either keeping the cerium out or cleaning it out afterwards. If the Nova has the cerium dispersed into the polymer coating like the diamond is in their other wheels, it could be a nice addition for someone with enough space for it. I would like to see results as well.
Several years back my employer was doing some R&D work for a medical customer, we were molding samples of silicone rubber with a cerium filler in it, the cerium theoretically would block x-rays and could replace the lead filled shields used by x-ray techs. Never found out where that went and if the resulting material polished rocks.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 1, 2023 22:45:09 GMT -5
I want to say that jasoninsd uses either the wheel, or the pad that goes on the end of machine. I tagged him so he won't miss this. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 2, 2023 21:16:11 GMT -5
I want to say that jasoninsd uses either the wheel, or the pad that goes on the end of machine. I tagged him so he won't miss this. I've used the pad that goes on the end of the arbor. The issue with this, is it leaves the same type of residue in pits or cracks most other cerium pads do. It's interesting Bill brings this up, as I was looking at the Nova cerium impregnated disk just the other day... |
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Post by catmandewe on Dec 2, 2023 21:52:00 GMT -5
I have several customers who swear by them.
I have never used one myself though, as I have slacked off on making cabs for the past few years.
Tony
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Post by socalagatehound on Dec 3, 2023 2:18:47 GMT -5
I use one and also use super cerium on leather. There is a tiny difference in that final look, but it's a tiny difference. Where it really makes a difference is when I polish stones with fractures or pits. The wheel doesn't visibly shed the polish powder, so, with the wheel, there's no need to worry about getting polish back out of the flaws. I think it's a great product!!!
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Dec 3, 2023 4:41:21 GMT -5
Hmm, I also didn’t know this existed. Sounds like from the conversations above there is both a disk and wheel. I’ll have to take a look…
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 3, 2023 8:20:20 GMT -5
Hmm, I also didn’t know this existed. Sounds like from the conversations above there is both a disk and wheel. I’ll have to take a look… Here's where I got my disks. I didn't have any direct communication with them...but their system is setup to send emails about when they were shipping, and when they had shipped with tracking. I'll definitely be using them in the future for orders... suvalapidary.com/ |
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Dec 3, 2023 12:13:25 GMT -5
Hmm, I also didn’t know this existed. Sounds like from the conversations above there is both a disk and wheel. I’ll have to take a look… Here's where I got my disks. I didn't have any direct communication with them...but their system is setup to send emails about when they were shipping, and when they had shipped with tracking. I'll definitely be using them in the future for orders... suvalapidary.com/I bought my pixie from Suva. I'd rate them 5 stars. I was let down by several vendors before I stumbled on them. The price was less than they originally quoted as they passed on a rebate to me afterwards. Shipping time was better than promised. I never spoke to anyone either but they were fast responding to emails. I believe the guy's name is Chad. I also will do business with them in the future. |
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Dec 4, 2023 2:47:57 GMT -5
Thanks jasoninsd I had no idea there were Nova disks! I’ve been eyeing the Points for doing potential shapes other than standard cabs. What grit(s) did you get? You use them much? Like them better than the 3M cerium pads? |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 4, 2023 21:10:05 GMT -5
Thanks jasoninsd I had no idea there were Nova disks! I’ve been eyeing the Points for doing potential shapes other than standard cabs. What grit(s) did you get? You use them much? Like them better than the 3M cerium pads? I was stoked when I ran across them! I kept thinking of how I could find another cabbing machine to get wheels in the higher grits! WAY easier solution! LOL I got the 8k, the 14k, and the 50k. I have been using 14k diamond paste on a canvas pad to get past the 3000 wheel. The reason I wanted to go with the Nova disks (or wheels...but in my case disks) is the paste and the cerium pad leave gunk in any pits or cracks. Now the idea is always to have cabs without flaws...but sometimes there's material in which flaws seem to the rule and not the exception. These eliminate any paste (diamond or cerium) getting into those voids. I'm working some more material...which can potentially be expensive material...but it's known to have pits. So, it wont touch the cerium at all...at least not until I get that cerium impregnated disk! I'll respond to your post in my Bruneau thread here in a minute...but I won't pretend. I didn't see much of a difference in the polish after the 3000 on those Bruneau cabs. I ran them all the way through the 50K...but I couldn't tell a difference in the polish...at least not with the naked eye...or with the Optivisor on. (For what that's worth...) |
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Post by stardiamond on Dec 4, 2023 23:15:28 GMT -5
I've learned there isn't a one size fits all for polishing. Different materials do better with a different polish. I've been known to throw money at the hobby. The cerium Nova have a place, which is material that does better with cerium than diamond and has areas where the material would collect. A Nova wheel is around $100 and I don't think I would get a lot of use out of it. I haven't tried cerium. I've only used diamond paste, tin oxide and zam. I think I would start with the paste/powder on a pad before investing in a wheel.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 5, 2023 21:48:14 GMT -5
Thanks jasoninsd I had no idea there were Nova disks! I’ve been eyeing the Points for doing potential shapes other than standard cabs. What grit(s) did you get? You use them much? Like them better than the 3M cerium pads? I was stoked when I ran across them! I kept thinking of how I could find another cabbing machine to get wheels in the higher grits! WAY easier solution! LOL I got the 8k, the 14k, and the 50k. I have been using 14k diamond paste on a canvas pad to get past the 3000 wheel. The reason I wanted to go with the Nova disks (or wheels...but in my case disks) is the paste and the cerium pad leave gunk in any pits or cracks. Now the idea is always to have cabs without flaws...but sometimes there's material in which flaws seem to the rule and not the exception. These eliminate any paste (diamond or cerium) getting into those voids. I'm working some more material...which can potentially be expensive material...but it's known to have pits. So, it wont touch the cerium at all...at least not until I get that cerium impregnated disk! I'll respond to your post in my Bruneau thread here in a minute...but I won't pretend. I didn't see much of a difference in the polish after the 3000 on those Bruneau cabs. I ran them all the way through the 50K...but I couldn't tell a difference in the polish...at least not with the naked eye...or with the Optivisor on. (For what that's worth...) Do you have the ability on the Cab King to get another right hand wheel adapter to put the 3 extra wheels on like the Genie has? All I have to do is Spin off the right hand wheels and spin on the other wheel adapter with my higher grit wheels (I have 8k, 14k and 50k wheels on my other adapter). It takes like 3 seconds. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 5, 2023 21:57:31 GMT -5
I was stoked when I ran across them! I kept thinking of how I could find another cabbing machine to get wheels in the higher grits! WAY easier solution! LOL I got the 8k, the 14k, and the 50k. I have been using 14k diamond paste on a canvas pad to get past the 3000 wheel. The reason I wanted to go with the Nova disks (or wheels...but in my case disks) is the paste and the cerium pad leave gunk in any pits or cracks. Now the idea is always to have cabs without flaws...but sometimes there's material in which flaws seem to the rule and not the exception. These eliminate any paste (diamond or cerium) getting into those voids. I'm working some more material...which can potentially be expensive material...but it's known to have pits. So, it wont touch the cerium at all...at least not until I get that cerium impregnated disk! I'll respond to your post in my Bruneau thread here in a minute...but I won't pretend. I didn't see much of a difference in the polish after the 3000 on those Bruneau cabs. I ran them all the way through the 50K...but I couldn't tell a difference in the polish...at least not with the naked eye...or with the Optivisor on. (For what that's worth...) Do you have the ability on the Cab King to get another right hand wheel adapter to put the 3 extra wheels on like the Genie has? All I have to do is Spin off the right hand wheels and spin on the other wheel adapter with my higher grit wheels (I have 8k, 14k and 50k wheels on my other adapter). It takes like 3 seconds. If you're asking me, I don't have a CabKing. I've got Kingsley North KN6. I don't think it does have that kind of easy swap out... |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 5, 2023 22:00:17 GMT -5
Do you have the ability on the Cab King to get another right hand wheel adapter to put the 3 extra wheels on like the Genie has? All I have to do is Spin off the right hand wheels and spin on the other wheel adapter with my higher grit wheels (I have 8k, 14k and 50k wheels on my other adapter). It takes like 3 seconds. If you're asking me, I don't have a CabKing. I've got Kingsley North KN6. I don't think it does have that kind of easy swap out... Oops! Forgot which one you had. Bummer if it doesn't. It really makes it easy to spin on - spin off. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 5, 2023 22:02:05 GMT -5
If you're asking me, I don't have a CabKing. I've got Kingsley North KN6. I don't think it does have that kind of easy swap out... Oops! Forgot which one you had. Bummer if it doesn't. It really makes it easy to spin on - spin off. I didn't even know it had that ability until a week or two ago, when I saw a video of it somewhere. |
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Dec 6, 2023 5:41:35 GMT -5
I was stoked when I ran across them! I kept thinking of how I could find another cabbing machine to get wheels in the higher grits! WAY easier solution! LOL I got the 8k, the 14k, and the 50k. I have been using 14k diamond paste on a canvas pad to get past the 3000 wheel. The reason I wanted to go with the Nova disks (or wheels...but in my case disks) is the paste and the cerium pad leave gunk in any pits or cracks. Now the idea is always to have cabs without flaws...but sometimes there's material in which flaws seem to the rule and not the exception. These eliminate any paste (diamond or cerium) getting into those voids. I'm working some more material...which can potentially be expensive material...but it's known to have pits. So, it wont touch the cerium at all...at least not until I get that cerium impregnated disk! I'll respond to your post in my Bruneau thread here in a minute...but I won't pretend. I didn't see much of a difference in the polish after the 3000 on those Bruneau cabs. I ran them all the way through the 50K...but I couldn't tell a difference in the polish...at least not with the naked eye...or with the Optivisor on. (For what that's worth...) Do you have the ability on the Cab King to get another right hand wheel adapter to put the 3 extra wheels on like the Genie has? All I have to do is Spin off the right hand wheels and spin on the other wheel adapter with my higher grit wheels (I have 8k, 14k and 50k wheels on my other adapter). It takes like 3 seconds. The DP arbor adapters were a great idea. They change a 6 wheel machine into an unlimited number of wheels. I have a pixie so the adapter only accomodates 1 wheel. Therefore you need an adapter for each spare wheel. Now back to my original question. I polish on Novas to 50k. Then on specific materials, I finish on a flat lapping machine with tin oxide at a very slow speed. I am not concerned with oxides depositing in the pits as I clean afterwards with an ultrasound. I would like to eliminate the flat lap machine as I could use the space. Using the end pad on the pixie with tin oxide is not an option as it runs too fast. So my question is (if anybody knows)... is there an improvement in the polish between 50k nova and cerium nova? Thanks |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 6, 2023 7:58:45 GMT -5
brotherbill - Yeah...we kinda took the thread down a different path. Sorry.  I'm interested in seeing if there's an answer to your question as well. I'm having a super difficult time seeing any improvement between the 3000 wheel finish and the 50k disk finish...at least so far...
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Dec 6, 2023 12:13:05 GMT -5
jasoninsdNo problem brother, apology accepted 😉 It was a good path to head down. I am amazed that DP does not more actively promote the arbor adapters in there sales marketing. Other than the Nova wheels this is probably the most desirable feature there machines have over the competition.
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