Lubricants for faceting machines

[Hansel]

Is there anything one can add to the water that drips on the laps, that will extend the life of the laps.

Someone told me that a few drops of  glycerin would help.

Thanks in advance for any input.

[lithicbeads]

 Washing the swarf off  and drying the lap after use is the crucial thing  for the cutting lap. These are steel and diamond laps in the coarse grits and I cannot imagine how glycerine would help. Having enough water flow to wash the swarf off the lap so that it does not pile up and mar the facet you are cutting is very important. However too much water and too much speed can result in hydroplaning and poor cutting performance.
  Polishing is an ever evolving art and many people are trying new ideas for lubrication such as  wd-40 spray with the darkside laps. A google search for your particular polishing lap of choice should  uncover some of the new techniques.

[Hummingbirdstones]

A drop of dawn in the water will act as a wetting agent and helps in the cutting process.  Make sure you clean your lap well when finished with it, spin dry and then spray with a thin coating of WD-40. That will keep any swarf left after cleaning from solidifying like cement in between the diamonds on the lap and keep it cutting well.