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Post by perkins17 on Oct 13, 2021 21:22:27 GMT -5
First off, let me say I am a VERY low budget cabber and need some advice on what oxide to use as a polish. I am thinking to get belts up to 1200 and then get a canvas or cork belt and charge it with cerium or ao. What polish do you guys use? I'm assuming AO cod get a pretty good shine but really don't know. At this time I can't afford diamond belts so this is pretty much my only idea. I have also heard of using diamond paste from a syringe. Is that easy to work with? I'm pretty sure my local rock shop sells that. Thanks in advance for the advice.
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Post by stonemon on Oct 13, 2021 22:05:13 GMT -5
I use 50,000 grit diamond paste from a syringe and get excellent results on a canvas wheel.
Might have to watch your prep with obsidian and some other edgy materials but with the hard stuff it works great.
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 13, 2021 22:17:46 GMT -5
I use 50,000 grit diamond paste from a syringe and get excellent results on a canvas wheel. Might have to watch your prep with obsidian and some other edgy materials but with the hard stuff it works great. Thanks! |
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Post by stardiamond on Oct 13, 2021 23:55:36 GMT -5
I was polishing everything with 100k diamond paste on a canvas pad. Recently, I was polishing some super 7 cabs and the shine wasn't very good. I had a leather pad on my 8 inch machine with tin oxide on it. I haven't used tin oxide for a very long time. I wet the pad with water and used the tin oxide that was already on it and it did a great job.
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 14, 2021 9:11:44 GMT -5
I was polishing everything with 100k diamond paste on a canvas pad. Recently, I was polishing some super 7 cabs and the shine wasn't very good. I had a leather pad on my 8 inch machine with tin oxide on it. I haven't used tin oxide for a very long time. I wet the pad with water and used the tin oxide that was already on it and it did a great job. Ok thanks! |
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Oct 14, 2021 9:17:20 GMT -5
1200 to final polish is a big jump. You'll probably want to add a 3000 step for sure. Maybe even a 14,000 if you still aren't happy with the shine.
Tin is a good all-around oxide, but white (optical-grade) Cerium is what we use for most things.
I use Aluminum Oxide for harder stones. You will sometimes still see the AlOx sold as "sapphire powder". It is 9 on the Mohs scale.
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 14, 2021 9:51:35 GMT -5
1200 to final polish is a big jump. You'll probably want to add a 3000 step for sure. Maybe even a 14,000 if you still aren't happy with the shine.
Tin is a good all-around oxide, but white (optical-grade) Cerium is what we use for most things.
I use Aluminum Oxide for harder stones. You will sometimes still see the AlOx sold as "sapphire powder". It is 9 on the Mohs scale.
Sorry total noob question, but where would I get a 3000 belt? Kingsley doesn't sell them except for in diamond. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Oct 14, 2021 9:56:36 GMT -5
1200 to final polish is a big jump. You'll probably want to add a 3000 step for sure. Maybe even a 14,000 if you still aren't happy with the shine.
Tin is a good all-around oxide, but white (optical-grade) Cerium is what we use for most things.
I use Aluminum Oxide for harder stones. You will sometimes still see the AlOx sold as "sapphire powder". It is 9 on the Mohs scale.
Sorry total noob question, but where would I get a 3000 belt? Kingsley doesn't sell them except for in diamond. I think you can use a well worn and loaded 1200 and it will do the same as 3000. |
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 14, 2021 9:58:20 GMT -5
Sorry total noob question, but where would I get a 3000 belt? Kingsley doesn't sell them except for in diamond. I think you can use a well worn and loaded 1200 and it will do the same as 3000. Ok I will try that. Thank you for the helpful advice! |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Oct 14, 2021 20:14:16 GMT -5
For cabbing high silica content stones like quartz, agate, jasper, opal, etc., I use cerium oxide slurry on damped hard felt. For cabbing most of the softer stones like turquoise, chrysocolla, malachite, howlite, tigeriron, etc., I use *aluminum oxide slurry on slightly dampened suede leather.
Linde "A", Linde "B", Raybrite, and Sapphire Powder are all forms of aluminum oxide.
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 14, 2021 21:17:38 GMT -5
For cabbing high silica content stones like quartz, agate, jasper, opal, etc., I use cerium oxide slurry on damped hard felt. For cabbing most of the softer stones like turquoise, chrysocolla, malachite, howlite, tigeriron, etc., I use *aluminum oxide slurry on slightly dampened suede leather. Linde "A", Linde "B", Raybrite, and Sapphire Powder are all forms of aluminum oxide. Ok. I might try AO if I don't get good results on a 1200. Thank you for advice. |
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Post by holajonathan on Oct 14, 2021 22:23:03 GMT -5
Sub-micron aluminum oxide works great on almost everything and the price is right. I got some from Kingsley North. $12 for one pound and it will last you a very long time. |
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 14, 2021 22:30:28 GMT -5
Sub-micron aluminum oxide works great on almost everything and the price is right. I got some from Kingsley North. $12 for one pound and it will last you a very long time. Ok thank you! I'm glad to know there is another option than $100,000, (slight exaggeration)a pound optical grade cerium. |
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Post by holajonathan on Oct 14, 2021 23:54:12 GMT -5
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Post by perkins17 on Oct 15, 2021 9:07:45 GMT -5
Ok thanks! I could probably afford that. You get great results. |
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Post by holajonathan on Oct 15, 2021 10:44:12 GMT -5
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