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Post by broseph82 on Dec 24, 2015 0:03:38 GMT -5
How does one overcome this problem? Wash it or just chuck it and buy new one?
I recently made a couple pieces and I have the craziest scratches on the material. It was not there through my wheels and I couldn't figure out which wheel(s) did it until I made a second piece and aha it was the felt polish wheel.
When I was polishing it kept sounding like there was a rock right in the middle scratching every so often. Haven't had this problem with these type of scratches so it must be contaminated.
Any helpful tips?
Thanks
One last thing: I bought some new cerium ox from Rockshed and it has white mixed in. Don't think it's that, but old threads I've read people thought it was their cerium as well (like 6yrs ago--same white and brown/clayish cerium)
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Post by stoner on Dec 24, 2015 1:56:08 GMT -5
Use the edge of an agate or a piece of steel and touch it to the wheel(machine on) and wear away the contaminated layer of felt. It will be like having a new wheel. Then, throw away the oxide polish and get some diamond paste and use that for your polish, you'll save the big mess of oxides.
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 24, 2015 11:10:17 GMT -5
Use the edge of an agate or a piece of steel and touch it to the wheel(machine on) and wear away the contaminated layer of felt. It will be like having a new wheel. Then, throw away the oxide polish and get some diamond paste and use that for your polish, you'll save the big mess of oxides. I do have diamond paste! Just have never used it. Thanks
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Dec 24, 2015 13:08:19 GMT -5
Ed, I've been thinking about going to diamond paste instead of Cerium Oxide. What grit do you use? Please tell me your typical sequence of grits including the diamond paste(s). What type of wheel do you use for it? Lynn
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 24, 2015 14:31:30 GMT -5
I use a lot of diamond but with most rocks over about 5 in hardness no matter how far you go with diamond paste you can polish it more with cerium. There are some rocks that cannot be polished to a wet look state of polish with anything, no need to use cerium with those. Also if there's any sign of tiny pits or cracks I keep them away from the cerium, too hard to get it out of the pits or cracks.
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 24, 2015 21:50:28 GMT -5
I use a lot of diamond but with most rocks over about 5 in hardness no matter how far you go with diamond paste you can polish it more with cerium. There are some rocks that cannot be polished to a wet look state of polish with anything, no need to use cerium with those. Also if there's any sign of tiny pits or cracks I keep them away from the cerium, too hard to get it out of the pits or cracks. After my 3k wheel can I go to 10k Diamond paste? What will give my rocks the wet shine look (where should I stop basically?)
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 24, 2015 23:41:58 GMT -5
After 3k my next belt is either 12k or 15k, can't remember and it's cold in the garage. I have a 50k belt that I've only used a couple times, I think I can see a difference when I use it with dark colored real hard rocks but it definitely makes jade and serpentine go all orange peel on me. I have cut quite a few at the rock clubs shop with hard diamond, then 280/400/600 Silicone Carbide belts on 8x3" expandos, and straight to cerium on leather on a Richardsons ranch 12" polisher. They generally look as good as the ones I cut on my spendy diamond belts under normal light without close inspection with my optivisor. Sometimes I repolish on my own 12" leather wheel here at home, they tend to put too much cerium slurry on it at the shop. If it's all wet and slimy you won't be able to warm the cab up enough to get the wet look. I met highplainsdrifter at a local clubs show shortly after becoming a member, he and an old timer he was demoing with both told me that once the new leather was charged with cerium it would rarely need any more. Their results tend to make me listen. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/63189/bat-cave-owyhee-sunset-jasper
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 25, 2015 11:55:06 GMT -5
Rockoonz well I have paste ranging from 1k-100k so what's the highest I should go for something to look nice?
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 25, 2015 14:22:45 GMT -5
Rockoonz well I have paste ranging from 1k-100k so what's the highest I should go for something to look nice? There are as many answers to that question as there are rocks, I suspect. I really like this guys approach, but I've only tries a little of it so far, he clearly has much more money to toss into the hobby than I do. juxtamorph.com/lapidary-polishing-compounds/I have used lots of diamond belts but the only place I have used paste with cabochons is on polishing laps. I have used paste on felt and leather buffs and nylon brushes with a Foredom for carving and the super polish, which I believe is 100k, usually makes a noticeable difference with everything but jade in what I've tried so far. If you have a dremel or a flex shaft you might want to get some leather and felt burrs to play with on the types of rock you typically work with. It should save a lot of money on trial and error.
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Post by stoner on Dec 26, 2015 2:19:59 GMT -5
I have been using diamond paste almost as long as I've been making cabs. After I sand with 280, 600, & 1200 Nova wheels, I start polishing with 3k, & 14k Nova wheels then move to an arbor that has an 8"x3" leather belt where I have three different grits of diamond paste, 14k, 50k, and 100k. I use the left side of the belt for the 14k, the center for the 50k and the right side of the belt for 100k. I don't have a problem with cross contamination using three grits on one belt. I haven't met a stone yet that I couldn't polish using this method. The diamond paste lasts a long time, and when it does seem like it's not doing the trick, a little spray with Silicone and it's like new again.
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Post by pauls on Dec 26, 2015 5:08:17 GMT -5
I have washed contaminated felt wheels quite a few times and it works, it happens fairly regularly at the club. No matter how many times you tell people to wash up before going to the polish someone is always in too much of a hurry, knows better, couldn't care less, any number of dumb reasons and the wheels get contaminated.
I usually use a garden hose and lots of water, blast the water in at an angle so the water is getting under the grit and blasting it out of the felt rather than embedding it deeper. Put the wheel on the machine and give it a good spin for a few minutes to get as much water as you can out. Its a job I prefer to do in the summer so the felt dries out quickly, its surprising how bad a soggy rotting felt wheel can smell.
Have a go, if you succeed you have a good wheel again, if you don't you have lost something that was useless anyway.
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 3, 2016 0:24:18 GMT -5
Let me bump this so I can get some clarification: ok so i used my 8k diamond paste. It seemed to be dry but after a min or so it seems to smear into the felt. Now after a few pieces have been on there it looks like a pink streak.
Are the pastes supposed to be dry or moist?
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 3, 2016 0:24:35 GMT -5
Let me bump this so I can get some clarification: ok so i used my 8k diamond paste. It seemed to be dry but after a min or so it seems to smear into the felt. Now after a few pieces have been on there it looks like a pink streak.
Are the pastes supposed to be dry or moist? And when do I apply more?
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Post by Starguy on Jan 3, 2016 0:40:07 GMT -5
broseph82 I use diamond extender fluid. It helps spread the diamond around and keeps the stone from heating up. For good hard solid stones, I go to 50K. Most stones don't show much improvement after 14K.
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