Diamond polishing pads

[Taogem]

I like how these appear to have a lot of padding. Like it would have to eliminate any possibility of dealing with flat spots. You should be able to sorta press the stone into the padding a bit for a nice smooth polish.

I would be curious to know if it turns out that the gaps grab the stones in any way like Seth mentioned.

Also a link to how to purchase would be great.

[Taogem]

Well, trial and error...

I am not liking these Micro Tex discs. After just a few uses I can see how they are not going to be long lasting. Or even a short time.

The discs work just fine, but the problem will be the amount of paste will be going through for the few cabs that I can polish on each disc.

Here is a pic after using on three cabs. It required applying a full tube of paste. So the cost of the paste is going to be high with these.

Will be curious to see how yours work out Bob. They sorta look like they might have to suck up a lot of paste before they are concentrated enough.

Ron mentioned using Polypads. Think will try to find them.

[mirkaba]

Hey George....................I got the pads here:

 http://stores.ebay.com/THK-Diamond-Tools

The pads are already charged and do not take paste. Something is wrong that you used all of your paste on the mc disks. I got crystalbelts for one of the expandos I got from you and it only takes about 10 dots of paste to charge one up. On my spool polisher I only apply 2 or 3 dots once in a very long while. I am still experimenting with the pads but they seem to work well on large flats. I also did a cab that I shaped on 100 diamond wheel and went to the pads. I will post pics. I may not have hit the 200 hard enough because I failed to eliminate scratches. I will go back and hit it with 200 wheel and go through the pads again. Seemed to polish ok I definately need to work with them some more. Thest are polished to 3000 and I did not clean them up.  Bob
Very large flat Jasper/hematite

Indian Fancy Bloodstone

[mirkaba]

Howdy.......The new diamond pads are working great for larger stones, flat top cabs, geodes and thundereggs. Apparantly you want to use the dry type pads (running wet) for smaller scabs and such. The resin/diamond  on the pad is in a hexagonal configuration and is much smoother. I have seen some of the opals finished on these pads and am amazed. The finest grit in the pad set was 3000 and there is abuffing pad that works well but I don't know what it is. So I raised I went a step farther and Velcro mounted 3 Crystalite polish pads and charged them with 8,000, 20,000 and 50,000 diamond paste. I finish polished  6 opals and a couple Montana agates with these pads today and the results are great. Worked quickly and made for a great polish! George.......................I hate to say it but your micro-tex pads look like paper. The crystal pads  appear tob e like canvas. The 100 through 3,000 pads use no paste. They are an diamond impregnated plastic type stuff and should last a very, very long time. Pics below...............Bob
Crystalite Crystalpad


PSA Velcro strips added to pad


Diamond Paste added to pad.


Paste on  pad.

[Taogem]

George.......................I hate to say it but your micro-tex pads look like paper. The crystal pads  appear tob e like canvas. The 100 through 3,000 pads use no paste. They are an diamond impregnated plastic type stuff and should last a very, very long time.

Thanks for these pics and info Bob.

Say...., if these don't require the paste, is there a reason your using it with the one in the pic?

Yes, the ones I got are (as usual) not the right way to go. Your right about them being some type of paper.

I will order up these crystal pads  :)

Thank you..

[mirkaba]

George..........The initial set I bought , grits 100-3000 are  diamond impregnated pads. (pre diamond impregnated). Look back at page 1 of this thread for pics. I liked the velcro quick connect idea so got the uncharged crystalite pads and put velcro on them. I then charged them with 8000, 20,000 and 50,000. So now I have 100-50,000 velcro backed disks. they are only 4" disks but are proving to be pretty darn handy. I have less than 75.00 invested not counting the diamond paste. The velcro actually acts as a backing pad for the  crystalite disks. Not sure exactly what all I can do with these yet but I am rapidly finding out. The best buy I can find on the crystalpads I can find is Alpha Supply. Just got a new catalog from them. I am mounting them on one of the end laps on my old crown machine................Bob

[mirkaba]

Now I am wondering how these might work with a little velcro on the back! I am thinking about the 15,000 and 50,000 only. Has any one used these particular 3m products?    Bob

[Taogem]

Hey Bob.....

James (unconventional lapidary) has some 3M Micropolishing discs that look like what I might like to try..

Tightly graded diamond material is precision coated on a polyester film backing.

[mirkaba]

George.....I think they are the same thing. Just cut a little different. The alpha discs are much cheaper....I am looking around for larger pads. I really like them. They really throw a shine on flats! Today I am going to see what they do with domed cabs. I will do the coarse shaping with 100 and 600 hard diamond wheels....See what happens. I bought a bunch of velcro PSA strips on ebay. I am velcro-ing leather and carbide 8" discs today! Do you think I am over doing it? ;D

[Taogem]

I bought a bunch of velcro PSA strips on ebay. I am velcro-ing leather and carbide 8" discs today! Do you think I am over doing it? ;D

Just so long as you don't invite the neighborhood over for a velcro party, then the obsession is under contriol  ;D

[getyourbone]

I think it was this thread that I saw a question on what grit the final black and white "countertop" pads were?

I was told a few years ago by a friend in the countertop industrythat they were about 10,000. 

Hope this helps someone.