getyourbone
starting to shine!
Member since February 2010
Posts: 44
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Post by getyourbone on Mar 16, 2012 18:41:59 GMT -5
Posted this over on the other forum but thought I would post it here for those that are loyalists So what does walmart/lowes, harbor freight ebay, and a hotel room have in common? The components of making a diamond wheel. This from Harbor Freight(item#65706): becomes this: then add walmart/lowes neoprene like this: and commercial wallpaper (mine if from the hotel I work at) like this: And it looks like this: Finally add the diamond powder from ebay mixed into some epoxy and it looks like this: I probably need to work on adding more coats of the diamond epoxy but this was just a proof of concept. The final wheel above actually has a different foam that is available by the foot from lowes. It is a little thicker and about the same density. The end result is a diamond wheel that is approx 7 inches in diameter and 2 inches wide. In my case I drilled it out for a 3/4 inch shaft. I used 140 grit diamond powder but have a few other grits to try out. Here is one scrap slab of test rock I used. First photo is of what it started off as (backside) and the second is after a couple minutes of grinding - remember the wheel is only a soft wheel so it really shouldn't be a "roughing in" wheel.
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 16, 2012 19:32:34 GMT -5
Main issue would be if the wheel runs true or not. I was just at Harbor Freight yesterday and saw those wheels. I told my wife I worked really hard patching and filling my hand truck wheels with Green Slime and there was a giant box of tires with wheels for $6 or so. The plastic centered import lapidary wheels have had issues with vibrations although some of the problem seems to be with the cheap plastic adapter bushings in the bore. Good luck with your project.
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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 Mar 16, 2012 19:39:43 GMT -5
Brilliant getyourbone!
If they are trimmed on a lathe they would be true John, but there is the issue of balance still. I know I had a problem with vibration on my push lawnmower till I balanced the wheels ;D
Dr Joe
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getyourbone
starting to shine!
Member since February 2010
Posts: 44
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Post by getyourbone on Mar 17, 2012 0:15:04 GMT -5
I agree with the balance issue. If one has the proper equipment, I am sure they would be able to do better. Part of my approach and/or reason for doing this is to see if with the few tools at my disposal, could I fabricate a wheel good enough to use.
Here is a video of a stone on a wheel. The wheel hasn't been coated with diamond yet but It still gives an idea of balance. You can see there is a small amount of vibration. I think I can improve on that in the near future.
Steve
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Post by Woodyrock on Mar 17, 2012 0:42:38 GMT -5
Steve: Looks good, certainly much less than a Nova wheel. Not having a lathe to true your plastic hub is not that big an issue. Set up a temporary tool rest on the cab machine, and true it there. A wood turning scraper would be the tool of choice, and that could be made from an old file.
Dr. Joe, just how fast do you push that lawn mower?
Woody
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Post by stoner on Mar 17, 2012 1:14:08 GMT -5
Nice! I suppose everything is epoxied together? Are the seams cut on a long angle like a sanding drum? My biggest fear would be the wheel flying apart while I'm cabbing. I had a diamond belt come apart on me once and it scared the crap out of me, and stung my hand too!
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,623
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 17, 2012 3:20:14 GMT -5
Very innovative! I think I may have stayed in that motel room missing that swatch of wall paper;)
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Post by catmandewe on Mar 17, 2012 10:18:58 GMT -5
I am impressed, that is some ingenuity.
Tony
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getyourbone
starting to shine!
Member since February 2010
Posts: 44
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Post by getyourbone on Mar 17, 2012 11:31:53 GMT -5
Once again this is posted else where but thought I would include it here as well. What kind of epoxy? I have tried a couple. The wheel above is loctite marine epoxy thinned with acetone to a sprayable viscosity. How much diamond powder? I didn't weigh it but I would gues it was about 10% of the 100 carat bag so 10 carats. a percentage of that 10%-20% was wasted so 8 or 9 carats ended up on the wheel. Solid rubber wheel? I think the rim is poly - something??? Polypropylene? HDPE? Not sure but it is a material that isn't easily adhered to. I have/am trying a couple of different procedures and a few different adhesives. One trick is to flame the surface of the plastic to change the molecular structure of the surface. It will then better accept a bond. Pliobond contact adhesive and 3M 80 Rubber and Vinyl Spray adhesive seem to be the two that work the best so far. Here is a couple of short vids showing removal of the rubber off the rim and starting to remove the ridge of plastic that is underneath the rubber. It take about 10 minutes to remove the ridge so I didn't show the whole process but I use a a carpet knife or utility knife(box cutter for the 911 crowd) to remove the rubber and chisel, rasp, and sandpaper to take the ridge down with. and end result (a wheel I did a couple of days ago) Bearings? No bearings. I believe it comes bored for a 1/2 axle/shaft. I just use a step drill bit to enlarge the hole Obviously there are better tools for each of the step in the whole process but I was just using what I had laying around. I would love a lathe! I picked up a old ice cream maker for a couple of dollars and made a spray booth. The orange things are just a couple of dollar store plastic bowls to keep overspray off the shaft that the wheel rotates turns on while I am spraying the wheel is in the middle. Makes it easier to remove the wheel when finished. Motor to be about 40 rpm and has more than enough toque. And here is the curing oven. It is a $7 rotisserie oven from goodwill. Think george forman had this in mind when he was marketing it? Oh and by the way old burned out hotel hair dryers make good equipment switches. Comes with a GCFI as well.
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Post by stoner on Mar 17, 2012 16:02:25 GMT -5
Interesting. Like Woody said, you don't need a lathe, you've got one. Just reverse the direction of the motor on your arbor and set up a tool rest in front of your wheel and you've got a lathe!
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hh5
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2012
Posts: 136
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Post by hh5 on Mar 19, 2012 20:11:50 GMT -5
Very cool.
I wonder, instead of completely removing the existing wheel, if that rubber could be turned somehow to give a smooth finish.
Great idea.
Harold
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kevin24018
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2012
Posts: 284
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Post by kevin24018 on Mar 19, 2012 20:48:10 GMT -5
I was thinking that as well, if you could find one with very thing treads you probably could, but the one he's using would take a lot of work I think.
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