|
Post by Pat on Aug 18, 2014 13:33:24 GMT -5
I must have used my Genie to shape a gray stone. The wheels are now gray.
Found this out by putting a pure white piece of coral to the wheel. Ohhhhh, oh. Lots of gray on the coral. This has never happened before.
Squirting water onto the wheels with a squirt gun didn't help, so I used a Nylon? bristle brush, and a brass brush. Took a lot off.
Did I hurt the wheels?
Is there a better way?
It was the first two roughest wheels.
Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Aug 18, 2014 15:06:12 GMT -5
The galaxy wheels are probably fine. I've learned that water is a wheels best friend; cleaner wheels and faster cutting. I put both geysers on one wheel when I cut using my genie and three bubblers on a wheel on my star diamond.
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Aug 19, 2014 20:52:26 GMT -5
Thanks, stardiamondI know next to mothing about mechanics, so feel uncomfortable when things don't look right. Don't want to have to buy new wheels. I put both geysers under one wheel, too. I think I'll avoid gray-bleeding rocks for a while!
|
|
|
Post by mohs on Aug 19, 2014 21:24:01 GMT -5
I can see this is not a black & white issue mostly
sounds like everything you did is just fine, Pat
Ed
|
|
|
Post by Starguy on Aug 19, 2014 21:25:28 GMT -5
Hi Pat.
Grind some agate on the wheels for a while. It will clean anything off the wheels. Make sure to work the agate across the entire width of the wheels. After you're done grinding anything, you should let the wheels run for a while. The centrifugal force should throw most of the water and grindings off the wheel.
I'm not a big fan of geysers. You should be able to clean up the wheels pretty easily with some agate.
it's pretty hard to hurt diamond wheels
hope this helps.
Later
Brent
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Aug 20, 2014 0:25:08 GMT -5
A lot of people use obsidian to clean the wheels, too. That's what I was taught and it works. I have used a fingernail brush, too. Don't worry Pat, those hard diamond wheels are tough as .... diamonds.
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Aug 20, 2014 10:26:51 GMT -5
Thanks, everyone. I'm going to keep some agate and some obsidian nearby. The wheels are wearing out my brass brush. Also good to hear how tough diamond wheels are. In my mind, diamonds and diamond wheels were different --- diamonds being tough; the wheels not so much.
|
|
|
Post by Starguy on Aug 21, 2014 19:14:43 GMT -5
Pat.
I've had the same 100 grit diamond wheel for 20 years. Lots of use on corundum, star garnet and some very durable agate. It's starting to get a little thin on diamonds, but it still works nearly as well as when I got it.
I always use lots of water with a little dish soap in it. I'm also very careful to work stones on the full width of the wheel. Pretty sure you didn't damage your wheels. You should be able to get them cleaned up with a little effort. Let us know how it works out.
later
Brent
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Aug 21, 2014 20:36:55 GMT -5
Starguy Brent, if you don't use geysers, how do you get water on the wheels? Do you always use a little bit of soap? I know about using the entire wheel. I've seen what happens when just the centers are used. Not good. I'll work on all this tomorrow. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Starguy on Aug 22, 2014 18:47:50 GMT -5
Pat. My water is controlled by valves over the wheels. It is always clean water falling on the wheels so you don't need to clean out the pan as often. It's all gravity fed. It goes through the water pretty fast. I need to dump the waste water tub pretty often, but there is no danger of accidentally blowing a piece of larger grit onto a finer wheel. The Genie is a nice system, you just need to clean the pans regularly.
Later
Brent
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Aug 22, 2014 19:43:07 GMT -5
My stardiamond machine had valves over the wheels, but when I reconfigured the arbor they were in the wrong place. I also din't like having to empty the bucket. I use genie trays and two fish pumps with a total of three geyser heads. There is a divider between the 3 cutting wheels and the two sanding wheels and I usually run the wheels for a little while until they are completely wet and clean. My polishing wheels are on my genie. I use water with cool lube and clean and refill the pans between cutting, sanding and polishing. I wipe of the cabs between the 50,000 and 100,000 pads to avoid contamination.
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Aug 22, 2014 20:54:39 GMT -5
Okay. I'm going to start emptying the pans more often--- after grinding, after sanding, and after polishing, as well as between 50,000 and 100,000 grits.
I tried using both the agate and the obsidian on the gray wheels. Wow! A lot more gray was pulled off. Before I resume, I'll replace the pan water, so I can see if there is more gray.
About how long per wheel does it take using either agate or obsidian to get a clean wheel?
Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Aug 22, 2014 21:25:08 GMT -5
Okay. I'm going to start emptying the pans more often--- after grinding, after sanding, and after polishing, as well as between 50,000 and 100,000 grits. I tried using both the agate and the obsidian on the gray wheels. Wow! A lot more gray was pulled off. Before I resume, I'll replace the pan water, so I can see if there is more gray. About how long per wheel does it take using either agate or obsidian to get a clean wheel? Thanks. I'm not sure how long it will take, but the wheel color should be a good indicator. BTW- if I remember right, your wheels are new. New wheels should be "broken in" with a few hard agate cabs. Looks like you're doing it now. I think the best thing to do is to empty the pans after the first 2 wheels. They remove so much rock that it is easy for the 360 to get contaminated.
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Aug 22, 2014 21:41:57 GMT -5
Okay. I'm going to start emptying the pans more often--- after grinding, after sanding, and after polishing, as well as between 50,000 and 100,000 grits. I tried using both the agate and the obsidian on the gray wheels. Wow! A lot more gray was pulled off. Before I resume, I'll replace the pan water, so I can see if there is more gray. About how long per wheel does it take using either agate or obsidian to get a clean wheel? Thanks. I'm not sure how long it will take, but the wheel color should be a good indicator. BTW- if I remember right, your wheels are new. New wheels should be "broken in" with a few hard agate cabs. Looks like you're doing it now. I think the best thing to do is to empty the pans after the first 2 wheels. They remove so much rock that it is easy for the 360 to get contaminated. Your third wheel is the 360 hard? For a Genie the third wheel is usually a 280 soft. Ronsrocks on ebay recommended the 220 Nova which should get out the scratches from the hard wheels but is more aggressive. That's the wheel I overuse. If I'm getting scratch problems I use my Genie 280 soft to get rid of them. Once I'm on the 600 soft, I'm on autopilot unless I didn't get all the scratches out before then. The Genie has the first 3 wheels over the same pan, so that is why I switch my water then even though I'm not using a Genie to cut and sand.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Aug 22, 2014 21:43:47 GMT -5
I'm not sure how long it will take, but the wheel color should be a good indicator. BTW- if I remember right, your wheels are new. New wheels should be "broken in" with a few hard agate cabs. Looks like you're doing it now. I think the best thing to do is to empty the pans after the first 2 wheels. They remove so much rock that it is easy for the 360 to get contaminated. Your third wheel is the 360 hard? For a Genie the third wheel is usually a 280 soft. Ronsrocks on ebay recommended the 220 Nova which should get out the scratches from the hard wheels but is more aggressive. That's the wheel I overuse. If I'm getting scratch problems I use my Genie 280 soft to get rid of them. Once I'm on the 600 soft, I'm on autopilot unless I didn't get all the scratches out before then. The Genie has the first 3 wheels over the same pan, so that is why I switch my water then even though I'm not using a Genie to cut and sand. You're right! SORRY! I always get that mixed up. My third wheel is a soft 280.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Aug 22, 2014 21:45:13 GMT -5
I do 99.9% of my shaping on the first wheel, then use the 220 just to get those scratches out. If I do a really good job at that, 280 isn't a problem.
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Aug 22, 2014 22:05:52 GMT -5
My vision and touch are lacking so I can't do as much with the 80 grit. My 8" 80 grit wheel is from Jadecarver and my 8" 220 is either DP or Jadecarver. A new 220 grit Jadecarver wheel is more agressive than my 80 grit after a little use. On a new 80 grit wheel things happen scary fast. A more skilled tough allows more 80 grit work.
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Aug 26, 2014 21:58:22 GMT -5
Update: first wheel is good. Second wheel still has a lot of gray. Third wheel (sanding) has some gray. While I was at it, I noticed the plastic tray and cover were loaded with mineral deposits, so I cleaned all that off with white vinegar. Looks great! Sure is boring standing in front of the wheels and just holding a chunk of agate or obsidian, just moving it back and forth! I feel another gray hair coming through!
|
|