sheltie
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since January 2012
Posts: 982
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Post by sheltie on May 10, 2013 15:41:29 GMT -5
I got some new disks in for my wet polisher and they have made an enormous difference. Now the slabs SHINE when polished. I'm still having a slight problem with some of the edges not getting the same shine, however.
Here is what I do. Let me know how this differs from how you do it. I take a slab of 3" x 5" (agate or jasper or whatever) and start with 50 grit (then 100, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000 and 10,000). I let the weight of the polisher do the work without adding any additional weight. I spend about 2-3 minutes with each grit on each slab before switching grits. The whole process takes about 20-25 minutes per slab. I keep the speed constant at 3000 rpm (as suggested by the sales guy) and the water flowing constantly throughout all the grits.
Any recommendations or suggestions?
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Post by johnjsgems on May 10, 2013 18:44:31 GMT -5
Edges are the hardest as you try to not go off the edge and damage pads. I use a 120 grit flat surface grinder first and put a slight bevel on the edges of the slab. Then make small circles with the grinder starting in the center and working out. Stop after 100 pad and dry slab. Look for any deep scratches before proceeding. Old school sanding was as long as needed and then another 10 minutes. With diamond you can cut that to the 2-3 minutes and then sand another2-3 minutes each step. Nobody will ever tell you you sanded it too much.
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sheltie
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since January 2012
Posts: 982
|
Post by sheltie on May 11, 2013 8:25:04 GMT -5
Edges are the hardest as you try to not go off the edge and damage pads. I use a 120 grit flat surface grinder first and put a slight bevel on the edges of the slab. Then make small circles with the grinder starting in the center and working out. Stop after 100 pad and dry slab. Look for any deep scratches before proceeding. Old school sanding was as long as needed and then another 10 minutes. With diamond you can cut that to the 2-3 minutes and then sand another2-3 minutes each step. Nobody will ever tell you you sanded it too much. I haven't been beveling at all (which would probably explain some of my problems with the edges) nor have I been doing any dry sanding. Is the latter really necessary and if so, can I do it with the diamond pads rather than with dry sandpaper?
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