Noob Q: Hard vs soft wheels/discs?

AQuartzLow starting to shine! Member since November 2020 Posts: 44	Noob Q: Hard vs soft wheels/discs? Apr 29, 2021 20:05:06 GMT -5 jasoninsd likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by AQuartzLow on Apr 29, 2021 20:05:06 GMT -5 Do you need the soft resin wheels for cabbing? Or can hard wheels (or lap discs) be used for all the shaping/polishing?

hummingbirdstones
misunderstood rock expert

Member since October 2017
Posts: 14,145

Noob Q: Hard vs soft wheels/discs? Apr 29, 2021 20:51:47 GMT -5 AQuartzLow and standles like this

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Post by hummingbirdstones on Apr 29, 2021 20:51:47 GMT -5

Apr 29, 2021 20:05:06 GMT -5 AQuartzLow said:

Do you need the soft resin wheels for cabbing? Or can hard wheels (or lap discs) be used for all the shaping/polishing?

You can use all metal wheels if you want to. It will make it more difficult to round the dome though. The beauty of the soft resin is that it has some give and "drapes" over the dome of the cab making it infinitely easier to smooth and polish the stone.

Robin

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
~ C.S. Lewis

It's a long way down the rabbit hole, Alice. ~ Ren

AQuartzLow
starting to shine!

Member since November 2020
Posts: 44

Noob Q: Hard vs soft wheels/discs? Apr 30, 2021 13:37:23 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones likes this

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Post by AQuartzLow on Apr 30, 2021 13:37:23 GMT -5

Apr 29, 2021 20:51:47 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones said:

You can use all metal wheels if you want to. It will make it more difficult to round the dome though. The beauty of the soft resin is that it has some give and "drapes" over the dome of the cab making it infinitely easier to smooth and polish the stone.

Thank you! I’ve been watching lots of videos on cabbing, but haven’t found any that use just the hard wheels/discs. I have a full set of hard discs (to polish slabs for a project), and the first 2 hard wheels and don’t want to shell out on additional wheels at the moment, ya know? ANYhoo...I’ll just give them a go!

stardiamond
gets rocks for Christmas

Member since July 2007
Posts: 6,086

Noob Q: Hard vs soft wheels/discs? Apr 30, 2021 14:07:37 GMT -5 AQuartzLow likes this

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Post by stardiamond on Apr 30, 2021 14:07:37 GMT -5

My first cabbing machine had worn 80 and 220 hard wheels. Next step was worn 400 grit wet sand paper on a belt sander with a spray bottle. Final step was tin oxide on a leather polishing pad on the end of the machine. This was the configuration I bought and I made a lot of cabs with it.

I worked better on some material than other. The main issue was undercutting. I buy johnsonbrothers soft wheels. They do a good job and cost half of Diamond Pacific.

www.etsy.com/shop/stardiamonddesigns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav