Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Mar 12, 2013 9:06:43 GMT -5
Hello all!
I have a few questions concerning grinding wheels. What is the big difference, other than price, between a silicon carbide 100grit & 220grit grinding wheel and the 100-220 grit diamond wheels?
I am pretty sure the diamond wheels would be faster? Do they last as long as the silicon? Are there other options for a 6”x1” wheel?
What wheels/grits are the “must have” to turn out a solid cabs with - mohs 5-7?
I have a Rock Rascal Model T. Standard size grinding wheel for it is 6”x1”. It looks like it will hold the 1.5” wide wheel with a slight modification to the table/ledge on the front.
I was thinking I could maybe use a hollow aluminum tube as a “shim” and run a longer bolt through it, to offset the table the extra ½”.
My goal would be the ability to use the 6”x1.5” expanding drum & belts. Has anyone tried using the 6”x1.5” wheels on one, or; does anyone see any potential problems with this idea?
As always, I appreciate the help and experience!
Thank you,
Roger
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 12, 2013 9:36:05 GMT -5
Roger. I'm pretty old and of course started out on SC wheels. I had one of those big ole 10" combo rigs. The silicon carbide wheels actually used to work pretty well but of course not as fast as diamond. My main gripe was the wheels need a lot of dressing to keep the surfaces even as they tend to get scooped out to concave shapes. The sanding belts of course wore out faster than diamond and tended to create more flat spots if you didn't really keep the cab moving on the wheels and I think scratch removal took a lot longer. The plus side was, if you like working jade, nothing works better than a worn SC sanding belt to achieve that smooth sanded surface you want before polishing. On things like jade, tiger eye, rhodonite etc with fibrous structure, diamond really tend to cause undercutting.....Mel
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 12, 2013 9:36:55 GMT -5
Diamond wheels are much quicker cutting.
If you don't treat diamond wheels rough, they will outlast SC wheels by at least 4 to 1.
As for grits, look at an add for the Genie. It will tell you the grit sizes commonly used.
I'll let those with a Model T answer the wheel size question.
For spacers, many use heavy wall PVC pipe. It's cheap and easy to cut to length.
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 12, 2013 12:05:07 GMT -5
I am pretty sure the 6x1.5 drums are not 1.5" wide on the arbor. Just 1" I think.
The only issue is the part of the wheel sticking out on the right past the chield may splash a bit. You can rig a plastic extension.
I rotate belts on two 6" drums at each end of my 6-wheel arbor. Be sure to mark the size on the back of the belt with a good dark thick sharpie. The manufactured stamp wear off and you can have trouble telling belts apart.
You can get 100g belts, but IMO, a hard wheel is best for the grinding. Maybe in 80 or 100 and in 180 or 220. Then the belts for the sanding. You wear out a lot of 100g belts.
You can get resin or nickel-braised diamond wheels with metal core or plastic core in 6x1.5 in the $50 to $70 range. They last pretty well (years) if not used for production/commercial numbers of cabs. You can also get sintered diamond wheels with 5mm of diamond for $250-$350. These basically last forever.
So you can do all belts, or you can switch hard grind wheels and the drum with sanding belts, or you can have a hard grinding wheel and put the sanding on the end plate.
At some point it is personal style, but the ability to move up and down the grit size as you work a piece, w/o changing wheels/belts is something a lot of folks become willing to pay for after the commit to the hobby.
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Mar 12, 2013 17:54:57 GMT -5
Thank you for the replies. This is why all the questions lol I am trying to look at all my options before committing fully..I think I am going to want a multi wheel unit pretty quickly..I am not keen on changing out wheels frequently. I would get lazy, try to get to much or too little from a wheel, then ruin a wheel or a cab..
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 12, 2013 18:11:41 GMT -5
If you have the room, you could get 3 - 2 wheel arbors for less than the cost of a 6 wheel setup. You'd still have 6 wheels, with the advantage of more working room between wheels.
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