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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 26, 2009 9:24:40 GMT -5
This isn't homemade but an equipment question. I'm ready to chunk my vibe flat lap in the lake. I want to buy a wet grinder, so I can polish any size slab or specimen.
Do I need variable speed?
What brand? Best place/price to buy one?
Thanks!
Curt
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 26, 2009 11:12:14 GMT -5
Curt, I use an expando drum and S/C belts and sand dry (with an N95 dust mask!!) for all of my polidhed slabs and Thunder Egg halves. It goes quickly. The concept is similar to the Richardson's dry sander except they use discs instead of belts. I can sand and polish a 3" Thunder Egg half in about 15 minutes with this setup. Bob
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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 26, 2009 11:21:36 GMT -5
Bob
Some of my specimens I want to polish are 10 to 16 inches long.
Curt
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mirkaba
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2006
Posts: 321
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Post by mirkaba on Jan 26, 2009 11:43:39 GMT -5
Don't know if this would help................I set up an end lap with velcro and cheap diamond pads and it does a bang up job on flats/geodes/thundereggs. Bob Crystalpad with diamond paste on velcro
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Jan 26, 2009 12:35:26 GMT -5
I would use better than a p95 filter if you are dry grinding. Sure they are rated to stop 95% of the dust but the 5% they let through is the tiny stuff that gets deep into your lungs and causes silicosis. A set of 3M p100 HEPA filters are under $10 and the mask is about $30. Not worth saving at most $35 and not being able to breathe.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 26, 2009 13:14:29 GMT -5
I've seen pictures of the Baranca wet electric unit and a similar one on eBay. I was in Harbor Freight yesterday and started wondering about using a pneumatic grinder. Would it work for wet grinding? It seemed much less expensive than the electric units.
Chuck
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chadman
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2008
Posts: 106
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Post by chadman on Jan 26, 2009 18:47:51 GMT -5
This isn't homemade but an equipment question. I'm ready to chunk my vibe flat lap in the lake. I want to buy a wet grinder, so I can polish any size slab or specimen. Do I need variable speed? What brand? Best place/price to buy one? Thanks! Curt Have you seen my quick sander? I got the nickel tour at Richardson's Rock Ranch and they showed me their setup for making quick work of medium sized slabs and Thundereggs. I can polish 2 halves of a thunderegg to a finish in about 30 minutes with this and a leather wheel. I can do 6" by 8" slabs rather quickly too. Cost me about $80 dollars if I recall correctly including the 3450 RPM pump motor. I'm going to change to the hook and loop sanding pad and discs I think.
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chadman
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2008
Posts: 106
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Post by chadman on Jan 26, 2009 18:49:12 GMT -5
They have huge dry sanders that work like this for polishing very large pieces. They will sell you the stuff to make a high speed dry sander. The sell a special made rubber backed pad with adapter for 5/8" shaft i believe and sanding disc package with the grits you need. richardsonrockranch.com/lapidary.html
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Jan 27, 2009 12:11:20 GMT -5
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