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Post by akansan on Jan 16, 2007 19:48:04 GMT -5
For those of you long-time cabbers, which is preferred? Hard diamond wheels a la jadecarver or nova wheels a la Genie?
Why?
I have two hard diamond for my 400 and 600 wheels, and I just started wondering (after the fact, I know) which is preferred for what wheel and why. My setup (currently) will be, when finished, hard diamond through 600, and then diamond paste on resin for 1200 - 14000, then diamond paste on a leather end pad for 50000.
But what's really preferable?
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Jan 16, 2007 20:02:42 GMT -5
I find it pretty easy to get a nice smooth dome at 350-400 grit using belts on an expando rubber drum.
I only have hard wheels for 100 and 220, which work great for what I'm trying to do at those stages, but I always have little facets or flat grinder tracks coming off the 220, so the soft belt at 350 evens all that out.
I expect the Nova's would work similarly, but I would think your hard wheels at 400 and 600 would be leaving little flat "grinder trails" on your domes if you look at them with a loupe.
After runing about 8 months with resin belts, I'm thinking of going to leather, expecting to get a little longer service life and more efficient use of the diamond compound, as resin tends to shed the diamonds pretty fast.
Then again- if you are getting results you like, who can knock that?
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Post by stoner on Jan 17, 2007 0:35:09 GMT -5
The hard wheels are usually used for general shaping which is why they are usually 80 and 220. By the time you're done with the 220 wheel, you should have your shape and your dome roughed out. Then the sanding process begins. I bought a 280 Nova wheel 2 years ago and I'm still using it. About 2-3 months ago I bought a 325 Flex wheel from Kingsley and it is already worn through in spots so spend the extra money and buy a Nova wheel. And in my experience, Raytec's "true Circle" diamond belts are far better than the Eastwind belts.
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Post by freeform on Jan 17, 2007 17:00:18 GMT -5
Ed's right. hardwheels are best for the frist shapeing steps. use 80-120 hardwheels for agate and jaspers or anything real hard and dense. Uee 220-400grit hard wheels for stuff like Turquoise or Opal becasue they are generally softer or reqiure a softer touch. sanding should always be done on a flex type wheel. If you sand on hard wheels, you create more facets on your cabochon which will be a polishing nightmare if your just starting out.
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Post by akansan on Jan 17, 2007 18:29:16 GMT -5
Well that's good to know. I guess I'll switch out the 400 and 600 with the nova wheels, then. I'm sure I can find a use for the two hard wheels eventually...
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Post by rockds on Jan 19, 2007 10:29:28 GMT -5
I'll go with ed also, I use a 80 grit hex to do the rough shape, smooth it out with a 220 grit then on to the nova wheels to sand and polish - polish with a 14000 wheel and finish with 50000 diamond paste
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Post by akansan on Jan 19, 2007 10:35:11 GMT -5
All right, one more question regarding Nova wheels, then - am I correct that the grit sizes go 280 then 600? That seems like a large leap between the two sizes, especially if you use a 220 hard wheel. Do any of you make pit stops between the two smaller sizes? Like at 350-450?
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Post by joe on Jan 19, 2007 12:49:49 GMT -5
I go from 280 Nova to a 600 belt (Expando drum) also. It seems to get all the scratches out just fine. I really like the 280 Nova!
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Post by stoner on Jan 20, 2007 1:39:11 GMT -5
The 280 Nova wheel is a workhorse. It pretty much cleans up any flats and scratches. Even my well worn 280 Nova wheel takes care of cleaning up the stone to the point where I have gone straight to 3000 and then on to polish.
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Post by rockds on Jan 20, 2007 21:53:05 GMT -5
If my 280 has done its job right, I don't have to look at the cab again until its finished. Everything else is cake after the 280 is finished. The jump from 280 to 600 isn't really all that. The next jump for me is from 600 to 1200 and then to 14000
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jan 22, 2007 11:31:09 GMT -5
Once My diamond belts get here (arrrrhhhh if they ever get here!) my steps will be: 100 belt, 220 belt (both SiC) then 400, 600, 1200, 3000 belts (diamond) then 14,000 and 50,000 diamond paste (on a resin belt) but those are sanding belts- the nova wheels are so much more forgiving and flex alot nicer- so a 280 to 600 jump is really not out of the question!
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