rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Oct 9, 2011 23:31:57 GMT -5
Hi, all. I'm kind of new to vibratory laps and have a very used Lortone 20" that I got a couple of months ago. I had to buy a polish pad for it and got one from US$J or Kingsley for a decent price.
The problem? I'm only on my 4th batch of t-eggs/agate nodules and the pad is rotating in the pan at the same rate as the rocks. Not sure, but I THINK it didn't do that when I first got it. This definitely doesn't seem like how it's supposed to work and the pad looks like it has shrunk 3/8" to 1/2" in diameter from when it was new, so the bumper ring barely touches it. I'm fairly sure the pad didn't spin around on the first uses and I'm almost positive that this can't but slow the heck out of the polishing process. Is the pad supposed to spin around along with the rocks on these machines? If so, I'd imagine the pan is pretty darn shiny by now from 10 hours of tin oxide - lol
Someone please let me know if this is working right or if I need to come up with a different/better pad. I've thought I might just contact cement the dang thing down to the bottom of the polish pan and clean it out with acetone whenever the pad needs to be replaced. Thanks, Rick
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Post by johnjsgems on Oct 10, 2011 8:44:48 GMT -5
It should stay in place. If that pan is dedicated as a polish pan you could glue it down. I would use a non permanent glue like 3M Feathering Disc Adhesive. You can likely find it anywhere they sell sanding discs.
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Oct 10, 2011 9:15:59 GMT -5
Thanks, man! That's what I thought but had to make sure. fyi - A 13 hour polish with the pad moving only gave a shiny but definitely matted/hazy result. I'll probably get some Oatey PVC wet glue or some other glue that works on wet surfaces since I don't want to lose the 3/4 pound of TiO2 that's in the existing pad. Just gotta make sure I can dissolve the glue when I need to.
That's pretty darn gyppy how this pad actually SHRANK like an old pair of Levis! I'll head out at lunch break and get some short pile marine carpet. The "carpet" type, not the "astro-turf" kind. Thanks again, Rick
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Post by johnjsgems on Oct 10, 2011 19:02:16 GMT -5
You could try calling the vendor you bought the pad from and complaining. The pad should fit snug and not shrink. You might get a free replacement if you whine. I would try anyway.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 10, 2011 20:36:11 GMT -5
If you have an RV supply store in your area, you might see if they have the material that they line the RV basement cabinets with. It's a dark gray synthetic felt type material. It doesn't shrink, and works just as good as the felt polishing pads they sell for the flat laps. I've used it on end polishing disks, and it works great. If they do RV repairs, they might even give you some large scrap offcuts. Don
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Oct 11, 2011 12:21:10 GMT -5
Well, I tried some rain gutter sealer and some mostly dried out wet/dry Oatey cement but neither stuck the pad to the pan. Boy was the pan ever SHINY! lol I ended up having to do a second polish on the ones that went 12hr with the pad spinning. Made it thru by jamming two clothespin halves down onto the pad and clamping them to the rim of the pan. Helped to stretch it back out, too. (only temorarily while the sticks held it) I watched for an hour and didn't get any "traffic jams" like I did the night before. Probably because I had a few less rocks - especially this p.i.t.a Cady Mnt faced chunk that is really thin on one end (one of those "wedgiestones" you see a lot of at ebay) and would lever up its neighbor whenever some rock got stuck on the toothbrush I was using to hold the pad still. Plus the wooden pins are a lot narrower than the toothbrush. Why the heck do they make toothbrushes fatter than a 1st grader's pencil these days, anyhow? I have two really nice, big Montana aggie slabs from that night that got these long, curly, spring-like looking scratches on them. I'm pretty sure they happened when there was a traffic jam and they rode up on top of another vibrating rock. Not a good idea to stick anything into the pan that stops the circular progress of the rocks because, inevitably, one will hang up on the impediment and everyone behind it jams together with the lighter or more top heavy from weighting ones ride up on top of the others and/or tip over. Reckon those to will have to go all the way back to 200 grit. I do tend to fill the pan like 80-90% and there are rounded ones mixed with long sharp ones so sticking that thick plastic toothbrush in their way caused a lot of trouble. I'm going to try to finish the last batch of 600 grit ones I've got 2night and then toss this piece of coprolite polish pad. I'll just do some 220 grinding while I look for a better option for a pad. Don, I don't know about any RV dealers but will look. Can you describe this felt-like stuff a bit more? Thanks, Rick
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 11, 2011 12:54:31 GMT -5
Rick, I can't remember what they call the material. I used to get all of the scraps I wanted, when I worked in the Fleetwood Motor Homes design shop. The stuff is a little over 1/8" thick, and is a medium dark gray color. It's a synthetic felt material, and they use it to line the outside "basement" cabinets on RV's. It seems to last forever, and does a great job polishing rocks. Also, it drains and dries a lot quicker than felt. Don
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Oct 11, 2011 22:20:30 GMT -5
From jakesrocks description, I think the local srereo dealer-installer uses the same mtl. to cover speaker boxes he builds. I've gotten a few scraps from them for other projects. You might check out that sort of outfit if no RV places are available.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 11, 2011 22:25:54 GMT -5
It's not the same as speaker covering. The RV material is much thicker, and fairly stiff. I still have a hunk of it. I'll get a pic tomorrow.
Don
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