papat
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2010
Posts: 261
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Post by papat on Jul 1, 2010 2:37:46 GMT -5
i have just started trying to polish some end cuts what have is a rocks grinder polisher with expand drums what grit belts do i need and how to get final polish after 600 grit and do you go wet or dry thanks i am using petrified wood
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Post by rockmanken on Jul 1, 2010 7:26:26 GMT -5
You are using the hardest rock to cut and polish there is. what you need is: 80 grit hard wheel for rough grinding 220 grit wheel ( expanding drum-can be hard wheel) 325 or 400 grit ( expanding drum belt) 600 grit belt 1200 grit belt felt or leather polishing pad with tin oxide, cerium oxide, or aluminum oxide (leather works best) Use all except polish with plenty of water. This is probably the minimum. Ken
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Post by rockmanken on Jul 1, 2010 7:32:12 GMT -5
On the polish, I wet the stone, not the pad. Very little water. You can expand on the number of belts to use. I add 3000, 8000, 14,000 and 50,000 diamond belts to mine. Almost always use cerium oxide. Zam for the softer stones. tin oxide if there are no pits or fractures. Suggest using a softer stone to start with. Pet. wood is extremely hard and has a lot of fractures.
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papat
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2010
Posts: 261
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Post by papat on Jul 1, 2010 14:55:23 GMT -5
thanks fore info where can you get the 1200 belts all i found are 60 80 100 150 320 400 and 600 pet rock is just about all there is around here that i can find except just little river and creek rocks thanks
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Post by rockmanken on Jul 1, 2010 21:41:44 GMT -5
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Post by rockmanken on Jul 1, 2010 21:42:47 GMT -5
Also, where are you located? sometimes the creek rocks are the best, especially the darker ones. Ken
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papat
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2010
Posts: 261
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Post by papat on Jul 2, 2010 1:12:31 GMT -5
i am in deep east texas Tim
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papat
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2010
Posts: 261
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Post by papat on Jul 2, 2010 1:16:01 GMT -5
all i have to cut with is a home depote 7inch wet saw so verry limeted to what i can cut just got my first rocks out of tumbler turned out ok Tim
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Post by rockmanken on Jul 2, 2010 12:28:25 GMT -5
texaswoodie (Curt) is somewhere in deep east Texas and he finds and cuts and polishes pet. wood and pet. palm. Give him a PM and maybe he is close enough ya'll can get together and he can help you. Ken
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Post by johnjsgems on Jul 2, 2010 22:43:16 GMT -5
1200 and above is only available in diamond (as far as I know). When I use silicon carbide I use a worn 600 dry and then went to polish. After 600 wet there isn't any dust coming off the rock and I suspect the friction more than the worn grit had an effect. Petrified wood comes in many forms. I cut some pieces from Stillwell Ranch in the Big Bend area and it looked almost polished off the saw.
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papat
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2010
Posts: 261
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Post by papat on Jul 13, 2010 15:30:26 GMT -5
do you us a drip or the bubblers
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Post by johnjsgems on Jul 13, 2010 16:07:44 GMT -5
Overhead water systems are generally better for the wheels/belts but messier for the operator.
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papat
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2010
Posts: 261
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Post by papat on Jul 13, 2010 17:29:09 GMT -5
thanks
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