snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 3, 2008 18:48:11 GMT -5
Hey guys, I've been reading around here for a bit, and have just entered the hobby with the purchase of a WF and some rough and slabs. I was hoping for advice on an affordable flat lap, and also any comments on this one I found on ebay- cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=370019366471&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=024It is a Covington vibratory model, I know most people use a rotating surface, and I was wondering if anyone had experience with one of these. Any advice about my entry into the hobby is welcomed, thanks! snivlem ;D
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 3, 2008 18:55:55 GMT -5
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Sparky
starting to spend too much on rocks
Still diggin'...
Member since October 2007
Posts: 147
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Post by Sparky on Feb 3, 2008 19:46:00 GMT -5
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 3, 2008 19:55:23 GMT -5
Thanks, Rus, do you know what the weaknesses of the Inland machine are supposed to be? And what do you use?
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mike4bears
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 275
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Post by mike4bears on Feb 3, 2008 20:19:15 GMT -5
what i know about the inland. i would not get one. on another forum some one was telling about getting a shock so bad from one he went to the doctor. it shorted out. anyway the company did send him a new one.
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Post by BuiltonRock on Feb 3, 2008 20:31:06 GMT -5
Welcome Snivlem! One thing I know! Inland ain't the way to go!! I want to purchase a flat lap too but will wait until I can get a good one, I'm considering the "all you need" that Rus mentioned. john
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 3, 2008 20:50:02 GMT -5
How about the vibrating lap by covington? I heard they have a great reputation, but I'm not sure how the vibe model works? And how bout this Super Bowl? I hope the Giants beat those cheaters!
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Post by captbob on Feb 3, 2008 22:37:10 GMT -5
Hi snivlem, You do understand that those 2 machines do entirely different things right? The covington is in no way a flat lap.
That said, if you are looking for a vibrating lap, to polish slabs, I think you should look for a larger machine. A 10" vibrating lap may keep you happy if your slab polishing needs are minimal, but if you want to polish several slabs at once or any larger pieces, you may end up wishing you had gone with a bigger diameter unit.
I'd rather have a nice used machine 15" or up. You seem to have found eBay, so just keep an eye out for one. They come up for sale most every week.
There is a 15" Becon Star listed now, but that may be an older machine... just gotta watch for them.
Welcome to the Forum!
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 3, 2008 23:33:18 GMT -5
Welcome to the group. Captbob is right. Covington makes great, heavy duty equipment. Vibrating laps are used to sand and polish flat surfaces like slabs, geode faces, etc. Rocks are weighted and placed on the pan with a grit/water slurry. The other units you mentioned are flat cabbing units. The 10" wouldn't be very usefull. They make a 12" and 16" also. The 16" would be the only practical size. The Inland unit is a glass grinding machine and is light duty for serious rock work. It wouldn't be bad for a traveling unit. The All-You-Need and Ameritool Universal are much heavier duty, more powerful grinders. They also cost more.
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 3, 2008 23:37:00 GMT -5
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Post by captbob on Feb 3, 2008 23:57:41 GMT -5
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 3, 2008 23:58:48 GMT -5
I just saw your site jsjohn, thanks for your help. What about the difference in 6" and 8" models?
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 4, 2008 0:00:54 GMT -5
That's a good price (20% off list). They make a great unit. Ameritool generally ships same day or next day if he is drop shipping. I've heard High Tech is not very dependable at shipping quickly. They are cheaper probably as Ameritool raised their prices recently.
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 4, 2008 0:01:46 GMT -5
Capt, the one I linked has free shipping and is the 8" version. What machines should I be looking for? I have the workforce, and am looking to make artistic cabs and abstract carved pieces. I am also interested in fusing glass, so a machine that could help in 2 arenas would be nice. Thanks!
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 4, 2008 0:07:02 GMT -5
The only difference between 6" and 8" is the size of the laps. Opal cutters love the 6" as they mostly cut small cabs and the replacement laps and discs cost less. If you want to do large free form cabs the 8" would be worth the extra money. They both have the same base and motor.
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Feb 4, 2008 0:08:48 GMT -5
thanks so much
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notpetrified
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2008
Posts: 14
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Post by notpetrified on Feb 4, 2008 11:24:47 GMT -5
We have an All-In-One that my wife uses for intarsia and have been real happy with it. I have a 14" lap I've been happy with but have an 18" I bought at Victor Valley's tailgate at Stoddard Wells that I'm going to put into use this year. i did make an investment a few years ago that I have been real happy with. They were expensive but I bought Nova diamond magnetic pads for the lap. They are so much cleaner to work with! No grit!
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heathercraft
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2011
Posts: 2
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Post by heathercraft on Sept 27, 2011 9:13:23 GMT -5
Just getting started and had a thought. Can a geode be polished and then cracked open or will the tumbling process break it open?
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 27, 2011 9:37:07 GMT -5
Depends on how solid the geode is to begin with. If it has lots of cracks, it'll probably break up in the tumbler. Of course vibe tumblers are more gentle than rotaries, so even a cracked geode might stay in one piece. The name of the game is trial and error.
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Sept 27, 2011 19:35:02 GMT -5
Depending on the size of the area in the center of the disk that isn't diamond coated, 8" laps probably have almost twice as much working surface area as 6" laps. It's simple math, but even to the eye it's deceptive. In my opinion, cost comparisons between various size laps should be based on square inches of diamond surface, not diameter.
Jsjohns - do you know what the diamond surface areas are for the 6 and the 8 inch Ameritool laps, and how do the costs compare on a "per sq. in. diamonds" basis?
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