minerken
Cave Dweller 
Member since August 2013
Posts: 466 
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Post by minerken on May 7, 2015 13:43:42 GMT -5
I'm looking for some place to buy ALO in 3000,14000, 25000 and 50000 grit can anyone point me in the right direction?
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megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on May 8, 2015 10:01:28 GMT -5
Minerken,
I'm not the most knowledgeable, but I believe - emphasis on that word - that these translate roughly to 5 micron, 1 micron, .5 micron, and .3 micron (otherwise known as Linde-A), respectively. If I'm wrong in my "translation", hopefully someone will jump in with a correction (please)!
I provide that translation because most vendors list polish grits using the micron measurement (or fractions thereof). Knowing that might aid you in finding what you need.
There are any number of well-known vendors that sell AO polishes in various grit sizes, including The Rock Shed, Kingsley North, Johnson Brothers Lapidary, rocktumbler.com, and stone age industries, among many others, as well as Amazon and Ebay. I have purchased from several sources, and have yet to be disappointed.
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Post by orrum on May 8, 2015 10:16:49 GMT -5
I believe John with jsgems has a special very very fine AO polish. I use it for cabbing. Use The Rock Shed in the vibe.
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minerken
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2013
Posts: 466
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Post by minerken on May 8, 2015 11:54:28 GMT -5
I believe you are right 100,000 =linde A .3micron and the .5=50,000 and I see Kinsely sells both.I did not realise that the hardness would be different. they say .3 is A @9 mohs, and the .5 is B @8 mohs. They don't rate the others they have by micron or grit. That leaves me looking for the others.I might give John a call. thanks for the help.
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Post by johnjsgems on May 9, 2015 12:33:18 GMT -5
I only carry .3 micron and a 3-4 micron AO. 3-4 works great for anything that will polish in a rotary tumbler and for any hard rock on a buff that cerium will polish. The .3 works in the vibe and on a buff for a wide range of hardness. Linde A is a lab grown AO crystal. The .3 I carry is ground down to .3 so much less expensive to produce than Linde A. You don't say if you are buffing or tumbling but I think you are wasting money to go through so many steps. A good pre polish followed by a good polish works pretty well. In my own experience with diamond compounds and Vibra Dry compounds I can't see any difference with a naked eye beyond 14000 in most cases and certainly after 25000. Maybe with a loupe but that is pretty excessive if you are making jewelry to be worn not studied.
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mrzulu
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2015
Posts: 245
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Post by mrzulu on Jun 1, 2015 18:42:29 GMT -5
I just ordered four diamond bur drill bits for $13.00+sh. They have an Array of grits and pastes. Lots of lap stuff... www.amlap.com/alw/power.html this is the bur url |
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 10, 2015 19:52:35 GMT -5
Mrzulu, he was looking for aluminum oxide polish compounds not drills. I've heard great things about the "Triple Ripple" drills. The brazed drills should be very good and longer lasting than the so called "bonded" drills. Bonded means diamonds are glued on so use a lot of cooling and light pressure to keep them on.
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minerken
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2013
Posts: 466
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Post by minerken on Jun 11, 2015 1:06:08 GMT -5
John thanks for jumping in here I had almost forgotten about this post.I'll be very candid what I was trying to do is find a supply of these fine grades with the thought in mind to create my own vibra dry polish. I have actually done that to a degree I currently have a test load running ok here is the kicker I am using a .1 micron(AOL) colloidal mixture with corn cob medium.Diamond Pacific doesn't say explicitly what abbrasive they are using at first I thought that they were using AOL but now am not sure as I have found sources for diamond suspensions that are about the same grit sizes that the they advertise.Back to my experiment, the run I'm doing in my vibe is mixed every thing from agate to jasper to sonora sunrise, jade and even some picasso marble. I am only into my 2cd day but am seeing some surprising results on the good side. Now this is a very interesting but fairly expensive experiment so I can't say if it's going to be cost effective. Don't ya just love this craft?
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 11, 2015 13:16:36 GMT -5
I'm guessing they are using diamond. Some kind of magic oil too as everything comes out with a light oily coating. When I was in San Antonio I visited an old rock shop that had really old Vibra Dry from original company. Was mostly corn cob and no mention of grit size. It would be interesting to know if it was "add your own" or came with only one grit choice. We used DP Vibra Dry quite a lot. Mostly 25K. I ran cabs through for final polish in 25K with another run in 50K (although I really didn't see a difference). My wife made beaded jewelry with sterling chain and findings. 25K would remove any tarnish and really make the beads shine. Annoying little particles had to be removed from chain links but it really worked well. The lady that told me about Vibra Dry ran all her cabs to 400 sanding on a belt. Then 24 hours in 600, 1700, 3000, 8000, 14000, 25000, 50000 Vibra Dry. She mounted everything in sterling and touched up in 25000 if silver tarnished before selling. All her cabs from soft to hard had a great polish.
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minerken
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2013
Posts: 466
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Post by minerken on Jun 11, 2015 16:13:35 GMT -5
I didn't dry my first run out enough and it wouldn't tumble very well so I left it out in the sun to dry out more and it really moves the rocks around.What you said about feeling oily mine does too but that doesn't seem to affect the action. I agree with you about what degree of polish the human eye can detect and anything beyond that is probably over kill. These nano polishes are used in the optics industry for telescope lenses, quartz waffers etc. and are pretty expensive a quart cost me $80 but was able to dilute with DI water by 1:1 SO 40$ a quart and I'm pretty sure one could take it to 2:1 and be good on top of that the corn cob sweels to about double so that brings the cost down too. I have also sourced 3 and 1 micron slurreys (8000 and 14000 grit) they are much cheaper and sold by the gallon. I think I may have to much time on my hands, the blessings of being retired.
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mrzulu
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2015
Posts: 245
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Post by mrzulu on Jun 24, 2015 10:37:31 GMT -5
Mrzulu, he was looking for aluminum oxide polish compounds not drills. I've heard great things about the "Triple Ripple" drills. The brazed drills should be very good and longer lasting than the so called "bonded" drills. Bonded means diamonds are glued on so use a lot of cooling and light pressure to keep them on. I guess you missed the "array of 'grits and pastes" reference. I, that's me' bought burs. I was pointing to tumbling grits and polish pastes! lol  |
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
