jimrbto
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2007
Posts: 94
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Post by jimrbto on Feb 17, 2008 13:12:53 GMT -5
I just finished rebuilding an 18" Rociprolap (Rose) and it now runs beautifully and quiet with a new motor.
BUT- - - I have never used one before and there is no one near that I can ask for directions so I need the answer to some questions.
1. Start to finish (first grind through polish) instructions?
2. I know that weight will be needed for slabs. How much weight/sq. inch and how to mount that weight to the slab and keep it there. I have plenty of scrap lead to melt for weights.
3. There is no polishing pad with this lap so what do I use to polish with?
Anyone familiar with using one of these that can offer some help would be most appreciated
Jim
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 18, 2008 22:45:10 GMT -5
Jim, glad you got it going (I think I know you unless there are two Jims rebuilding 18" Rose laps there). I know several Bakersfieldclub members with Rose lapsand can introduce you at the San Juaquin Valley show the first weekend in April.
Most people use 220, 400, and 600 in a fairly thick slurry (no water splashing). A geode half/4-5" rock wouldn't need weight. Weight down slabs to approximate that weight. I used a putty to hold weight when I had a vibrating lap. I know people that use double sided tape, candle wax, dop wax just about anything to hold the weight on. Depending on how much the pan dimples are worn each step will take from 2 hours to 8 hours. Also, make bumper rings to keep rocks from banging together out of tubing (similar to the pan bumper rings) and place over each rock.
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Post by captbob on Feb 19, 2008 22:52:04 GMT -5
Guess I'm not "most people" ...
I start with a 60, never over 100 and sometimes even 30
"each step will take from 2 hours to 8 hours"
I must be doing something wrong. VERY wrong.
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jimrbto
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2007
Posts: 94
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Post by jimrbto on Feb 20, 2008 8:29:35 GMT -5
Captbob
You hint at a lot but don't explain anything! Why don't you say what's on your mind?
If your procedure is different please define it in detail so the rest of us can benefit from what you have learned.
Thanks,
Jim
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mirkaba
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2006
Posts: 321
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Post by mirkaba on Feb 20, 2008 10:19:09 GMT -5
Hi..........I have a Diamond Pacific rig. There is surgical tubing around the inside of the pans for bumpers. The polish pan has a very tight napped piece of carpeting for polishing. I use graded grit and start with 200, then 400, then 600/prepolish and finally the polish stage. Man these rocks get dirty. A good soaking with dawn soap, scrub the hell out of them and rinse well between stages. You can use rubber bands or masking tape around the outside of your rocks/slabs but I cut up some sewer pipe into 1" sections and put the slabs inside with whatever is handy for weight on top, works for me. If you have more than 1 pan always stack with the course on the bottom and the polish on top. I usually run 8-14 hours per stage. Hope this helps.....Bob
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 20, 2008 10:44:44 GMT -5
Captbob, the Rose Rociprolap is the fastest lap around. They are fairly common out here because the man (Rose) that made them originally developed them fro grinding valve plates for oil company equipment. The cast iron plates have machined dimples that allow the grit slurry to rotate under the rock to speed up the process. Courser grit causes the pans to wear out too fast. The pans are thick enough to remachine a couple of times but that isn't cheap. As the dimples wear down, grinding time increases. A new pan wih 220 grit slurry should remove sawmarks/flatten the surface in about two hours. The Rose lap rociprocates rather than vibrates which also speeds up the process. I had a Lortone that used a flat aluminum pan and took forever. Most of the better laps of this kind use dimples or crosshatches to speed things up.
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Post by captbob on Feb 20, 2008 11:30:07 GMT -5
Hi Jim, what I was hinting at was that I figured I was doing something wrong. Very wrong. You need to understand that I have a rather different way of doing most of this lapidary stuff than most... it's called trial and error. I got into this rock collecting/working hobby on my own and have no one around to show me the ropes so to speak, so I read a lot and experiment A LOT. Sometimes the outcome can be rather humorous, but, it's a learning curve and I haven't needed an ambulance - yet *knock wood* - so it's all good. If I ever named my rock shop, it would probably be something like Bob's Wing and a Prayer Rock Shop ;D I just got my first slab saw last month, not counting the little trim saw on one of the Highland Park units, and so far I've only broken one $200+ part.  I got my first tumblers very recently as well, and I'm breaking almost every "rule" that I've read, but it's working for me.  Livin' & Learnin' As to the vibrating laps, I do it WAY differently than what John and Bob have written. That's why I figured I was doing something wrong. That's to be expected around here... John's most recent post explained the difference in the machine that you have and those I have and it makes sense (to me) now why I am doing things differently. I have two little Raytech Hustler 15" vibrating laps. They don't rotate as well as vibrate so they do take longer to do the same job. I hope to get a bigger machine someday as this saw is providing me with lots of slabs that I would like to polish. I start out with much coarser grits and run for much longer periods of time. I'm talking days, not hours. But, I like the results and don't know any better... so I'm happy. As already written here, I hold weights on slabs with putty. What I use is called Loctite "Mounting Putty", altho I have read there is a plumber's putty that will work and it's probably cheaper. As to a polishing pad, maybe a LOW pile indoor/outdoor carpet would work well for you. Sorry if I was vague in my first post, but I really figured I was doing something wrong (again) and was interested myself in hearing how others lap. I guess different machines call for different methods. Good luck and have fun with your new Rociprolap, AND, don't forget to post pictures! |
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jimrbto
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2007
Posts: 94
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Post by jimrbto on Feb 22, 2008 12:09:02 GMT -5
Captbob Strange that we never met, we went to the same school= School of Hard Knocks! ;D I am now majoring in "Do without". "Make Do", "Build It Yourself", "Wing It" and of course "Where Can I Get It Free". In the past I majored in "Creative Cussing" which I am learning doesn't really help but sure relieves some tension at times  Seriously though thanks, I will try the hints provided here but will stick strictly to graded abrasives, I use multi-grades for first grind in tumbling only. If I see a scratch I want to know what caused it. I also have no club or "expert" nearby to help which is why I look here. Take care, good luck Jim |
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riverbendlapidary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,058
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Post by riverbendlapidary on Feb 22, 2008 14:05:18 GMT -5
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jimrbto
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2007
Posts: 94
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Post by jimrbto on Feb 22, 2008 15:44:33 GMT -5
Riverbend,
tried that, sent requests for info form them a couple times since Dec.. No response whatever. Gave up on them.
Jim
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Feb 22, 2008 17:19:21 GMT -5
This cracked me up;
"Dear Mr. Humphries, We have been using the "Rociprolap" lapping machines for over 15 years. Our original machine is Dear Mr. Humphries,..."
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dshalldms
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2008
Posts: 113
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Post by dshalldms on Feb 23, 2008 14:52:59 GMT -5
Hello Jim,
Years ago we solved your problem using the following method.
We were using 24" Highland Park Vibrating Laps.
1. Take an 8"dia steel plate discs.
2. Roughly place the material you want to lap on the bottom
of the disc with about 1/2" spacing between the edge of
the disc and all the other stones.
3. Mix up some car body filler, the sort that takes a few
hours to set.
4. Take each stone in turn, Place a small amount of the filler
and place it on the stone. Then place the stone back onto
the disc.
5. When you have completely doped all of the stones to the
steel disc, turn it upside down onto a flat surface and
leave it overnight to set.
6. If you are not happy with the weight of the disc, dope a
weight onto the top of the disc.
7. We then repeated this three more time so that we had four
discs charged this way.
8. The discs are then place onto the lap, each in its own
separate O ring, as well as the large cushion ring round
the outside of the Lap.
9. The material that you are lapping remains on the steel discs
until you lapping stages are complete. Cleaning between each
stage.
10. To remove the material at the end of the lapping process,
simple place each disc in boiling water, this will soften
the filler and the material will lift off.
Hope this helps,
Derek
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jimrbto
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2007
Posts: 94
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Post by jimrbto on Feb 25, 2008 10:00:50 GMT -5
Thanks EVERYONE,
Lots of good info here and I will certainly give them all a try.
Jim
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Livin' & Learnin'
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