cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 24, 2010 1:08:28 GMT -5
I need to find a 1/2" thick shaft to replace the short one currently in my arbor unit, that only lets me mount 2 wheels on it, one on each side. I calculated that I need a 26" long shaft, stainless steel I"m assuming, so it won't rust, and also be strong enough to hold the 3 wheels on each side I plan to install on the unit. The arbor unit is 6" wide, and I calculated for using 2" wheels with a 1/2" spacer between each one, that equals 26" if you include the 2" on each end of thread. I need a smooth shaft, with about 2" of 1/2" threading on each end that any standard 1/2" nut will fit. If that wasn't available, I am considering using a shaft that is 1/2" wide and threaded the entire length of the shaft, and maybe filling the threads where they make contact with the bearings with JB weld and smoothing them down to fit or something, so they don't excessively wear the bearings while turning at 1750RPM. I would MUCH prefer the PROPER smooth SS shaft that is only threaded at each end though for sure! Can anyone recommend where I can get a shaft for my unit for a cheap price? Please let me know if you know where I can find one! Thanks! Chris Attachments:
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Jun 24, 2010 5:54:34 GMT -5
www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/5JW38?Pid=searchLocal machine shops can make you one up at a decent price too. Got any lawnmower repair shops around you? Check for axles. Watch for vibrations with the bearings so close together for so much shaft overhang with such a thin shaft. Keep us posted on what you find, Dr Joe .
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 24, 2010 14:52:25 GMT -5
Thanks for that info, I've emailed Grainger and asked them what they suggest. Would a lawnmower wheel shaft really work for such an application? It isn't stainless steel, and i didn't think it would be strong enough to hold the wheels, or straight enough, I'm guessing that a precision extra straight shaft would need to be used due to the need to ensure no vibration or any crazy motion is created during use. Unless it is completely straight, centrifugal force would pull it out of alignment, and eventually bend it, causing a potentially dangerous situation, which I DO NOT want! I'm thinking maybe 2 wheels on each side plus a polishing disk screwed onto the end might be a better choice rather than 3 wheels. Thanks again for the info! Chris
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Jun 24, 2010 17:55:04 GMT -5
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 25, 2010 8:21:31 GMT -5
You would be better off with the machine shop or metal fabricating shop since you would want left hand threads on left side and right hand on right side. You need the shaft smooth where it goes through the bearings.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jun 25, 2010 12:16:41 GMT -5
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 26, 2010 2:35:54 GMT -5
I think I found my solution to my problem, I'm going to stop dicking around and just take the plunge and buy something proper for once! Which place should I buy it from?? It's the 4 wheel Beaver Arbor, 6" arbor, 4 wheels Item No. 13-133 for $250.00 www.deltaonelapidary.com/detail.php?id=273OR: www.gravescompany.com/arbors1.htmThe arbor I have can be used as is for polishing something else, all I need is a motor, which I have to make this unit work, and then I just have to buy the appropriate wheels for it. So, what is best? Silicon carbide or a diamond belt on a flex rubber wheel, or Nova Disks, or something else?? What should I choose? All I know is I want padded wheels so that I have a nice rounded dome on my cabs! What kins of wheels are the best, or cheapest, or best value for the money?? Chris
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Jun 26, 2010 6:21:31 GMT -5
What happened??? Too many selections? Minimum: Four (4) flex wheels, diamond belts, two (2) polishing disks' (SiC is cheap but takes longer, needs more attention to cleaning between rounds, wheels need to be dressed frequently and run after use to dry out wheels). Use your current arbor for a super grinder ten (10) cheap diamond blades packed together) and a diamond hard wheel. Check with John @ johnjsgems , he has wheels on sale right now. Dr Joe .
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 26, 2010 8:40:17 GMT -5
Using existing for grinding wheels and 4 wheel for sanding makes sense. Kingsley has them for $280, free shipping so depending on shipping cost from the others it might be worth checking. The Beaver does not include motor so factor that cost in also.
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 28, 2010 13:38:43 GMT -5
johnjsgems, I'll email you via your site and we can talk about the appropriate wheels I need ok? Thanks Chris
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 28, 2010 21:01:01 GMT -5
Any time. You need to decide between expanding drums/belts and Nova or "Soft" wheels. My Genie (and all Diamond Pacific cab machines)come with 80 and 220 grinding wheels (Galaxy) and 280, 600, 1200 and 3000 Nova (foam backed wheels). I've been very pleased with the way that sequence works (followed by 14,000 diamond compound or polish on an end pad). If you go belts, I'd use 400, 600, 1200, and 3,000. You can use 14,000 and 50,000 belts for polish or Rez Belts with compound for polish if you don't have an end pad. I think the Lortone has a 1/4"-20 threaded hole in right side shaft end so a spin on polish pad would be another choice. A $10 or $11 spin on and diam compound or polish would cost less than diamond belts for polish.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 28, 2010 22:29:31 GMT -5
Since you're going with 6" wheels, you might want to look at the Lortone BA64 arbor. $250.00, and has the pan, hinged hood,motor mount, belt and belt guard included. All you need are wheels and a motor. It will take 4 wheels. I use their BA62, 2 wheel arbor with expando drums, and love it. Don
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 28, 2010 23:00:39 GMT -5
I'm getting confused now, before, I had NO choices, NOW I have too many choices...lol I was dead set on getting the Beaver 6" arbor From Graves or Delta one lapidary, and then I seen the Lortone one you are mentioning at Bernies lapidary online. I almost bought it today from Graves, but got too busy, and couldn't get to it, so if you have a better deal for me, now's the time to reel me in! Where are you suggesting I purchase the Lortone BA64 Arbor from jakesrocks? Do you sell them or does johnsgems? So, looks like I have 3 or more choices now, there is the Beaver Arbor as shown on the pages below, and there is the Lortone one. Which is the better arbor, and what is the best deal including shipping to me here in Canada? I've noticed that the people who sell the arbors don't necessarily have the best deals on the wheels, so I was considering getting them separately at a different location, but if there is someone selling a package deal for cheap including the wheels, then I'm interested. I already have several motors, belts, pulleys and motor mounts, but I would appreciate the machine coming with the motor mount, pulley and belt that's meant for that exact machine, so if that was all inclusive, then that would be good also. I'm pretty sure I want to go with soft backed wheels, after struggling with having to remove facet marks when making my cabs in the hard flat lap diamond disks that I've been working with, after communicating with a few professional opal cutter/miners in Australia, most of whom follow the "old school" ways, I've pretty much decided that what I need are a hard 600 diamond wheel, a soft 600 Nova wheel, a 1200 soft nova wheel, and a 3000 soft nova wheel. I'm still doing my shaping on the flat lap with the coarser grits, as I use it for other things besides opals for the coarse preforms, so I'll be using the 2 machines in combination. I was under the impression that the Beaver and Lortone arbors allowed for an end polish disk to be mounted on the remaining exposed threaded and, and I do currently have a few thread on metal polishing end polish wheels to use with the arbor if it does accept them as I'm assuming it does. Umm...does it? The choices for the Beaver and Lortone arbors that I'm currently aware of, they are all $250, but may or may not come with the same mounting accessories required to mount the motor. For the Beaver arbor: www.gravescompany.com/arbors1.htmwww.deltaonelapidary.com/detail.php?id=273For the Lortone arbor: www.bernieslapidary.com/selprod.asp?CAT=LE1&BOOK=NO
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 29, 2010 1:56:09 GMT -5
Here's a stone I recently did on my existing home brew setup, they will only get better with better equipment. It is about 18.3mm X 11.2mm and weighs 6.7ct's This one was finished with 14,000 diamond polish on a felt pad, then 60,000 diamond polish paste on a felt wheel for the final polish. I'm thinking of going up to 100,000, I want that sucker to glow when I'm done with it! Chris
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 29, 2010 6:39:29 GMT -5
Oh my, that is sexy! What kind of stone is it? (sorry if you mentioned it already in this thread and I missed it)
Dr. Joe, Tractor Supply stores rock! Jo
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 29, 2010 7:13:04 GMT -5
NatureNut, it's an Australian blue on black opal from Lightning Ridge area in Australia, where all the best and most expensive black opals come from. My main supplier is from there, great guy, awesome rough stones! Glad you like it! Chris
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 29, 2010 8:30:24 GMT -5
Hey Chris, I ordered my arbor from Kingsley North. I've always had good luck with that company. The shaft on the Lortone arbors is drilled and tapped on both ends for left and right spin on disks. It also comes with the proper motor pulley. The motor mount is welded right to the back of the arbor, so you don't have to mess around trying to properly align everything. Don
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 29, 2010 8:32:16 GMT -5
The Beaver is a Lortone so probably same model. Graves and Kingsley both have a tendency to market products as their brand so you may have to compare pictures. Talk to Dan at Kingsley. He dropped his Diamond Pacific wheel prices this year and may be best bet for unit with wheels. I don't know if his "free shipping" would apply to Canada though. I don't sell Lortone products but thanks for thinking of me.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 29, 2010 10:43:14 GMT -5
You'll find the Lortone arbors on page 35 in the Kingsley catalog, and they are listed as Lortone arbors. Don
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cooknet
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2009
Posts: 169
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Post by cooknet on Jun 29, 2010 14:26:49 GMT -5
Thanks for your suggestions guys. I TRIED to get an order going with Kingsly North about a week ago, but found them absolutely USELESS when trying to get ANY information about their products. I emailed to someone named Nan. I sent them a simple email with asbout 5 questions in it, including the shipping quote, and they would just keep emailing me back with only ONE answer at a time, and a one sentence reply, after 5 emails to them asking the same questions over and over again, and STILL not even getting an answer about how much the shipping was, as the last email I sent to them asking for an "exact" quote (as their excuse WHY they could not quote me shipping was because I needed to tell them EXACTLY what was in the box to be sent to me!) basically went unanswered, they never even bothered to email me back after all those emails trying to get any answers from them about what they were selling. Ridiculous. The questions I was asking were VERY simple questions, such as "is this wheel one with a padded backing, or just a hard wheel", so it wasn't like I was asking some weird obscure questions that they couldn't answer, all they had to do was tell me more than was written about the product on the page, that's all. After that BS, I decided that they obviously don't want my money, and past experience has taught me that ordering from people who give ZERO customer service is a mistake, because if anything goes wrong, your on your own! So far for a Nova Polishing Wheel, 6 x 1-1/2 inch 600 grit, the cheapest seems to be at JS GEMS for a 6" NOVA WHEEL, 600 MESH Code: DP-100-RW6-60 Price: $91.00, and next Kingsley charges $94.00 for item #1-1169 which is a 6" x 1-1/2", grit 600 I seen them SOMEWHERE for monly $72.00, but can't remember WHERE now! eek! lol. Chris
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