We all know that there are numerous minerals and countless ways they
form but it is still amazing when a pattern forms that you would never
imagine could happen.

I got some Polychrome (Desert) Jasper and this piece was included.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/JamesDFarrow/Canada%20Goose.jpg

Canada Goose!

James

Well put the resin disc upside down on a stack of old newspapers
(a piece of wood would work as well), then the sponge pad upside
down on top of that, and finally the backing plate on top of that.

Made sure everything was centered and using a drill, with a half
inch drill bit, drilled through the hole in the backing plate and
into the sponge pad and resin disc. Didn't press to hard. Last thing
you want to do is drill into the kitchen counter. LOL!

Nice clean hole. Worked a lot better than fiddling with an exacto
knife trying to cut clean holes. No end of grief doing that.

Put the backing plate on the Ameritool, and placed the sponge pad
on top and bolted it down. Then lifting up the pad put some feathering
adhesive around all the sides and pressed it down. So far, so good.

Removed the bolt and washer and placed the resin disc on top and
bolted it down. Turned on the lap and spins true. The resin disc lifts
up a bit on the edges but that's because my disc wasn't exactly flat.
No slippage AFAIKS.

Placed it under a couple of phone books and will leave it overnight
to flatten it out a bit.

Looks like it will work fine only having to use one backing plate and
switching out the resin discs as needed.

Will report back if any problems arise.

James

Thanks for the reply.

Will try it on the weekend.

After I drill the hole through the sponge pad and resin disc.

James

I was planning on ordering a few more backing plates and sponge discs
for my 8000, 14000, and 50000 grit resin soft discs but thought I would run
this idea by you folks here first.

I bought some steel discs (they run from 60 to 3000 grit) that are not
attached to a backing plate. They are thin. You just place them on top
of a backing plate and the washer and bolt hold them down and I have
not had any slippage problems at all. They work fine. You only need one
backing plate to use any steel disc you want.

Now what I want to try on the weekend is to see if I can glue (feathering glue as I hate
the PSA stuff) a sponge disc to a backing plate and then just place a soft resin
disc on top without gluing it to the sponge disc. Hoping that the bolt and washer
will hold it in place without any slippage like it does with the steel discs.

Just not sure if being soft and not rigid like the steel discs this may not work.

Anyone here try this idea before?

Opinions? Suggestions?

Thanks,

James

Thanks!

That's what I was hoping.

James

O.K. I was sanding some Sodalite on the red 600 grit soft disc
and got a silverish discoloration on it. I can only assume it's the silver
color from the sharpie color I used on the rock to be a guide to not
missing any spots or flats, etc...

It's odd because I used the sharpie to color the stone on the 325 grit
soft disc and no discoloration al all.

I think the disc is O.K. as it's just color. Right?

James

Lol! I guess that's why I had a mess. Thought you had to use water.

Will check out the ones at Kingsley.

Thanks!

James

I bought the Kent Blades (in Montreal, Canada) steel discs (60 to 3000) and they are not bad.
The rough ones (60 or 80) are not as good qualify as the ones I got with my Ameritool and probably
won't last as long. But for $18.00 CAD$ they are O.K. The higher grits are fine as they don't get a lot
of abuse so they look like they will last quite a while.

They are fine for hard stones (like Jasper, Aventurine, etc...) but really chew up Sodalite and Serpentine.

Got the Hans soft discs (3000 to 14000) a while ago and they seem O.K. Wanted to get
a 50000 as I do not like diamond paste. Makes a mess and just washes off with the water.

I am in Canada so I don't get free shipping on Amazon or from China and it was as much as the disc cost.
That's why I was searching for a 50000 grit mesh disc. The Johnson Brothers ones say made in the USA
so that's a plus as well.

These are the disc I have:

60 Grit (Steel)
80 Grit (Steel)
150 Grit (Steel)
240 Grit (Steel)
500 Grit (Steel)
800 Grit (Steel)
1200 Grit (Steel)
1500 Grit (Steel)
3000 Grit (Steel)

325 Mesh (Brown)
600 Mesh (Red)
1200 Mesh (Blue)
3000 Mesh (Yellow)
8000 Mesh (Pink)
14000 Mesh (Beige)

Polishing Pad (White)
Leather Pad (Brown)

I use all the steel one on hard stones, then switch to the 3000 and up mesh.
For the soft stuff, the 80 t0 240 steel, then switch to the mesh discs.

James

Anyone try these Super Nova discs?

http://www.johnsonbrotherslapidary.com/Laps_Resin_Bond-8_inch.html

I know Nova make wheels for cabbing but just stumbled across these
while searching for higher grit discs.

Looking for an alternative to the Hans Lapidary ones that take weeks to
come from China.

Thanks,

James

I find the steel discs work fine on Jasper and Aventurine for example but for softer rocks like
Sodalite or Serpentine, definitely the soft mesh ones.

James

I have an Ameritool and have steel discs up to 3000, and the softer mesh discs up to 14000.

The steel discs are much more aggressive. Don't even need to apply that much pressure and
they (even at the higher grits) will leave ridges (flat spots) if, like others have said, you don't keep the
stones in motion. It's not easy and it takes practice. You may lose a bit of your fingernails
(like I did until I started using finger cots) from rubbing on the discs but eventually you get
the hang of it. I am still working on it. 

James

Welcome from Canada!

 

James

Welcome from Canada!

 

James

The outlet tube is metal. Looks like it has an almost 90 degree bend in it also.

Wasn't planning to rasp it just scrub gently with the wire brush.

Might try CLR but not sure if that will work or not.

I was just thinking maybe I should e-mail John at JS Gems. He is a distributor
of the Ameritool (that's where I got mine) and maybe this came up before from
another customer.

James

O.K. I have been using my flat lap for a while now and noticed a bit
of a build-up of waste in the water outlet tube.

What do you use to clean it out?

Was looking at the following:

http://www.amazon.com/Diameter-Stainless-Steel-Cleaning-Brush/dp/B00REGY4M8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458384484&sr=8-1&keywords=8mm+Diameter+Stainless+Steel+Wire+Tube+Cleaning+Brush

There are lots of nylon ones but figured the steel ones would be better at scrubbing it out.

Don't know how flexible they are so figured would ask here on what other use.

Thanks,

James