Loading a Ceramic or Iron Cast lap with diamond powder or spray. [photo]

[Sam]

I'm going to get some diamond powder and give this a try on my cast iron lap.

 

[DKanger]

If you stay in one spot, you will put a groove in it fairly quickly... (not a big problem if you have a lathe, I suppose

Brian,
You don't need a lathe. They make scrapers for that purpose. Actually, I think they use them when refurbing the ways on a lathe. A handy person could easily make their own.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Yes, Dave...


I own some scrapers and I have used them to scrape ways before.

I own some hammers and chisels too.


At this time in my life I've chosen to use power assisted tools of many kinds, and I happen to have a lathe...

It's 3 minutes on the lathe - versus 30 minutes to an hour with a hand scraper - to true up an iron lap.


I am no longer that young. Or enthusiastic, for that matter...


B.


You could even "lap yer lap" on a sheet of thick glass with some valve grinding compound - but the very thought of that much effort makes me wanna go back to sleep...

 

[monk]

brian: mineral oil did the trick. maade a good slurry of the original hard stuff.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Glad I could be of some use...



It is a good thing to post the results of advice - be it good or bad.

One of the reasons why several well known metalsmiths and engravers have quit botherin' to help out on this forum and others - is because of the total lack of response they get when they do it.

It takes time to write... and lots of years to get the experience to give the help when and where it's needed.



B.

 

[Southtexas]

brian: mineral oil did the trick. maade a good slurry of the original hard stuff.

Wasn't it silver solder paste you were rejuvenating? I would think mineral oil wouldn't play nice when heated with the torch... I have a half dozen solder syringes that hardened years ago and would like to find a way to make use of them. I was told once to use distilled water, but wasn't told HOW to go about using it.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Southtexas,


See the title of the thread... (My fault we got off it) Diamond lapping compound is used oily or greasy so's it'll to stick to the iron lap.

And yes this method will work with the solder paste too - PROVIDED you use water in place of oil. Distilled is a good idea.

You can also get the water into the syringe by using it hot or warm in both the vacuum chamber and/or the ultrasonic.


Brian

 

[Southtexas]

Thank you for the information Brian. What caught my eye, and the reason for the post was that Monk's last post in the thread was...

"i too have a solidified silver solder syringe. i;d suppose acetone or some methanol; would work. i'll try it and let you know how it works. "
and then he posted that he'd used mineral oil... It was/is a bit confusing and yes, a bit off topic.
I did not question the validity of going off topic since Monk is a moderator.

I use diamond coated laps and 'stones' most of the time myself. I use diamond spray on leather as a final polish. But good to know how to charge a lap should the need arise.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

I use diamond spray on leather as a final polish. But good to know how to charge a lap should the need arise.

I tried that too with the GRS diamond spray and now I did by using my finger tip to smear the diamond powder on the leather, easier, cheaper and better.

arnaud

 

[Sam]

I ordered some diamond power and am looking forward to trying this.

Arnaud: are you using dry diamond powder on the leather?

 

[Willem Parel]

May I ask where you ordered it Sam, was it somewhere in America or in Antwerp?

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

I ordered some diamond power and am looking forward to trying this.

Arnaud: are you using dry diamond powder on the leather?

Yes Sam, just using my fingertip and smearing some powder on the leather. The way it was explained to me, you need to use not the polished side of the leather but the side that is a bit rough.

arnaud

 

[Sam]

May I ask where you ordered it Sam, was it somewhere in America or in Antwerp?

Willem: I found it on eBay.

Arnaud: I will give this a try as soon as my diamond powder arrives. Thanks!

 

[DKanger]

I wonder what this diamond powder is made from.....industrial diamonds, artificial diamonds, leftover chips from the cutting process, poor quality raw diamonds, etc? Anyone know for sure?

 

[Brian Marshall]

As is usually the case, the cheapest material that will get the job done wins out.

In this case (the finer grits), it's mostly man made - synthetic.


B.

 

[Sam]

If synthetic is the case, then I assume it won't polish carbide, right?

 

[mrthe]

Why the synthetic will don't polish carbide?
A synthetic diamond can be more hard than a natural one,expecially the ones used to make abrasives tools,and i think that the 99% of this type of laps are made from synthetic diamonds ,not natural,that i'm sure is more cheap.
Are the GRS,Lindsay or other brand diamond laps or powder made from natural diamonds? i'm not sure but I think not.

 

[Gemsetterchris]

Why the synthetic will don't polish carbide?
A synthetic diamond can be more hard than a natural one.

Where do you get that idea :what:

 

[Brian Marshall]

A synthetic is usually a chemical & crystaline duplicate of the natural - so it IS diamond, just not formed in a volcano...

Has all of the attributes, hardness included.


Brian

 

[mrthe]

Where do you get that idea :what:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond

"The properties of synthetic diamond depend on the details of the manufacturing processes; however, some synthetic diamonds (whether formed by HPHT or CVD) have properties such as hardness, thermal conductivity and electron mobility that are superior to those of most naturally-formed diamonds.

Synthetic diamond is widely used in abrasives, in cutting and polishing tools and in heat ......"