lisatech
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Member since May 2011
Posts: 140
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Post by lisatech on May 31, 2011 10:39:27 GMT -5
No matter what I seem to do with this cab, I can't seem to finish it. I am pretty confident that the scratches are still coming from the 14,000 belt as I have worked on one direction, see the scratches follow that direction and rotated to the next side and the scratches shift to that direction. I have tried the lightest touch to firm pressure and neither seem to make a difference..... Any hints??? Or is it just a process that I need to keep working the belt? I have a round cab that doesn't seem to be afflicted by these scratches... go figure... Attachments:![](//storage.proboards.com/1258779/thumbnailer/Ac9Ny7rTnLz1RqjE1Wg8.jpg)
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2011 11:21:49 GMT -5
Is there any chance that you've contaminated your belt with coarse grit form another belt ?
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Post by johnjsgems on May 31, 2011 11:24:38 GMT -5
If it is a new belt it may need dressing. If you don't have a 220 dressing stick try holding a flat agate against the belt with plenty of water flow.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on May 31, 2011 11:28:26 GMT -5
Hi Lisa,
I don't think you should see any scratches from a 14k belt. I hate to say it, but you may need to back up a belt or 2. At least that has worked for me when I've had similar problems.
Chuck
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mc2
fully equipped rock polisher
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Member since April 2009
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Post by mc2 on May 31, 2011 11:31:11 GMT -5
I have had a lot of problems similar to that with my 8000 grit belts. Thanks to John of jsgems' help, I think I have finally got past that. Due to my lack of experience, I was not getting the belt 'dressed' out properly, and, as I would continue to try to figure out what was wrong, I believe I would also damage the belt by pressing a stone into it too hard, maybe. At any rate. John's suggestion certainly helped me out. Hope it helps you also, it can be frustrating!
Mike
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Post by mohs on May 31, 2011 11:33:42 GMT -5
is that carnelian your working? it sure is a pretty piece hard material
I'm working the same problem with a piece of agate fine scratches I'm having some success with the 8000 grit wheel using lots of firm vigorous pressure, with a circular, let it slide motion
its bit of an obsession and I'm not sure who's going to win but were both hard headed
good luck! Ed
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lisatech
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Member since May 2011
Posts: 140
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Post by lisatech on May 31, 2011 15:38:36 GMT -5
Thank you to everyone for your comments!
Jakes - I don't think I've contaminated the belt as I have a gravity water feed and with only one drum, have to switch belts for the different grits. Stone is always rinsed and dried before the new grit.
Chuck - lol, gmta - I've been back and forth twice now... but hey, maybe third times a charm...
John & Mike - I have some scrap agate that I'll try to dress the wheel with and maybe it will take it down just that much.
Ed - you make me laugh - me, being as hardheaded as I am too! I don't know specifically if is Carnelian, just as it was an agate in my brother-in-laws box of goodies.
I am fortunate that my brother-in-law is busy with other things and his girlfriend wanted her laundry room back so his equipment is on semi-permanent loan with me - :-) Now I am just figuring out how to use it. The belts are mine and have been working through breaking them in - the rest are behaving themselves other than this 14000 one...
Onwards and downwards, well down to the basement anyways to take another stab at it...
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
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Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
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Post by peachfront on May 31, 2011 15:41:18 GMT -5
I'm not the most experienced person here, but in my personal experiences, I go with "what Chuck said." You say you don't have the problem with the round cab, and that's pretty much an "aha" for me. I don't have the same problem with domed tops as with those pesky flat tops, and it is not being caused by the 14K belt. It's being caused by I didn't really get the sanding perfect on the 600 belt. It wouldn't be unknown for me to have to back up to the 200 wheel. There is something about the way I work the stone that makes it much easier to grind/sand out scratches if there's a domed rather than flat top. I may also install a magnifying glass to give me a better shot of seeing those scratches before I take it all the way to the polish. By the time I'm wearing reading glasses with shop safety glasses on top, and I'm working a wet stone, some scratches are getting past me on the flat tops until I polish them up and out they "pop."
A technique I may try, for future triangles etc. is to polish the slabette first in the tumbler to get a nicely polished flat top and THEN cab the stone.
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Post by mohs on May 31, 2011 15:59:47 GMT -5
O.K. I just stopped on my lunch break and got on this stone. After this morning of really smoothing the stone t out on the 8000 grit I mean... I really had a high polish with scratches all over it My theory was get the stone as micro-smooth as possible then go back to re-sanding I just re-worked the stone on 600 grit. Nova and started seeing vast improvement! Ha HA! I mean I really worked that stone. Good pressure and do the curve round-over thing under the periphery of the wheel Good light --good concentration. Part of the process is mind control. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) Something I don’t have a whole lot of. But I try. ! Anyway work that stone smooth, fast, slide, curve, dome. You’re the boss!! Continue on to finer grades. You will succeed!! But take time to eat. Cause I got roll right now. Go thru a drive later on Ed
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