The $80 Disc Vs. the $0.64 Disc for Flat Lap Polishing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ย. 2022
- I would say this was a good experiment and I learned some things here about running an SC disc vs. a diamond disc.
Thanks for watching!
The SC discs used here are found on Amazon amzn.to/3TYNdgH
Hi-Tech Diamond 8" Flat Lap
amzn.to/3RFcLyg
Hi-Tech Diamond 6" Lapidary Trim Saw
amzn.to/3ewPMqH
If you buy from Hi-Tech directly you can use my code ' currentlyrockhounding ' for 10% off your order excluding machines. hitechdiamond.com/collections...
Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. / currentlyrockhounding
#CurrentlyRockhounding #Lapidary #NotAGeode
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Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. www.patreon.com/currentlyrockhounding
The possibility of an ultra course option for relatively cheap is really interesting. You could get diamond laps in all the normal grits and on the odd occasion that you want or need to start coarser, just slap a $1 disk on there.
Exactly, you can get some really aggressive 36 grit discs for those times you have a really gouged up rock from cutting with a tile saw.
I just bought that flat lap, so the bigger questions, how long will the diamond disk last vs how many silicon carbide sheets with the same amount of usage, any calculations? 🤔
Oh man I have no idea, I'm not sure I would want to use them exclusively but as a filler in your polishing system I think its a good option.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding thanks for the video, it does get me thinking outside the box.
Love the video! From what I have heard from professionals with very very nice results, I would use silicon carbide over diamond. Diamond for some reason, tends to leave deeper scratches then silicon carbide. I would use 100 grit. I promise you, that the results my friend gets from using his method which includes Silicon carbide, he gets almost perfect results. However, be uses a different method then you do and does not use a flat lap I believe. He uses a Arbor with some Silicon carbide belts. Some thunderegg polish a lot better than others. He also uses a polish with the same Mohs hardness as the rock, AKA, he usually uses Tripoli. I do not know his full method as of he keeps it a secret
Nice job! A "Consumer's Report" for the low-budget hobbyist is much appreciated. Spending twice on inferior tools and supplies just kills my time and energy as well as my budget, and the natural tendency to want the more expensive DIAMOND-Coated flat lap is overpowering and in fact you have shown the silicon carbide is the more efficient method for rough cuts and I thank you. Excellent!
this was super helpful. I will definitely try silica carbide with my flat lap! Thanks!
Great comparison. I love these side by side comparisons. It really pushes home the fact that these silicon carbide disks, which are way cheaper than the diamond disks, can essentially do a better job in less time or equal time, for a literal fraction of the cost. And if you dont believe it, heres the proof.we watched you do it. I am all for saving money! And i wouldnt have even thought about using something like a silicon carbide disk, on the flat lap. But i recently saw, on another channel, a disklike this being offered for a fraction of the cost of wheels. Thus other channel uses a faceting machine as a flatlap, and his machine is only the size of a 6" flatlap anyways. This lad seemed really rough to me but was advertised to replace several wheels and just go straight to polish, and it worked really well. Once it was shaped and flattened, it would them give a high shine without going to the 400-3000 disks! im not sure who manufactured his product or how much it was, but it indeed put a high shine without those other disks. Thank you for this demo. Great video and Thank you for sharing!
Very cool! Call it a thunderegg, call it a geode, I call it an awesome sample for the collection.
Thank you.
Thanks for doing all the testing for us.
I love your technical and scientific approach to lapidary.
Thank you, I really enjoy testing things and learning in the process.
The problem with the silicon carbide paper backed is simply that they wear out quite quickly and the much better cloth backed is that I have only been able to find them in up to 600 grit. Would love to find someone manufacturing the cloth backed in all the finer grits up to say 6000 but alas have been unable to. In have a crap load of the paper backed all the way up to 8000 but they simply do not hold up to more than a very few stones. Like one or two.
Awesome video I love your side by side comparisons.
Thank you!
Awesome video!!! I just got a used hi tech flat lap. Thanks for sharing your information! 👍😎
Thank you for keeping it real, I respect you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge. Keep sharing 😂❤🎉
This is just the information I have been looking for. Thank you for all you do for the community.
I'm glad you liked it!
Can you share which 36 grit paper disc you ordered? I need to chew down some rocks before finer polish. Thanks!@@CurrentlyRockhounding
@@c.h.1073 There's a link in the description box.
would you recommend wet sanding with these even though theyre listed as dry sanding?@@CurrentlyRockhounding Also do you have a link to those acrylic plates? Cant find on Amazon.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding can you please link the acrylic disks
I've seen lots of ppl use SC on expandable wheels and they all say the same thing about price.
Thanks for showing us this
Stay warm
I don't think its a replacement for diamonds but as a means of filling a gap in your polishing system I think its good.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I'd have to agree
Sound advice. Will for sure give it a go 👍
Something to think about. Good polish too. Keep the good info coming.😷⚒
I use silica carbide sandpaper and PVA discs quite a lot to polish opals and other rocks. Works great!
Y BRILLO CON QUE LE DAS AMIGO ...PORFAVOR...GRACIAS AMIGO..
I was looking for alternatives to the expensive flat lap disks. Thanks for this video. BTW i LOVE the googly eyes on the drill press.
Thank you!
New to the channel and loving it! In my experience silicon carbide is great for pre-polish but eats material at a much much slower rate than diamond. 5x? I think the softer abrasive just can’t scratch as deeply. Diamond for shaping all day!!! (Hardness 7. I think the difference is less pronounced in softer material.)
Really great comparison! Thanks, Jared( is that how you spell it?)
That is how I spell it.
I learn so much from your vids - had to subscribe. I am taking up the cause around all the gear I inherited from my Gpa. I got a Highland Park , 6 wheel cabber and a trim saw. Flat lap is definitely in my future.
The cabbing matching has 2 expandable drums. The silicon carbide belts seem to work pretty well for the grits I need outside my wheels. Thanks for the effort and the content.
Thank you! I'm glad you have learned from the videos and it sounds like you have pretty good setup already.
Excellent video brother, thanks for sharing this!!
Thank you!
You make me laugh like every time I watch your videos!! However, you also educate me as well and I think that's your main goal so thanks for the laughs along the way.
I'm glad you liked the videos!
Hell yeah Jared, you never disappoint. It's like you read my mind sometimes. Or I have a decent thought... I was wondering about this very topic a bit ago working on my hi tech flat lap. I have one piece I have let slip out of the fingers and it hits the edge of the disk for a partial second. Man the divit it makes is bad. I get frustrated and have to restart the grind to get it flat. Those smaller discs wouldn't reach the end and can get those aggressive ones to make my screw up fixed faster. 2 in one is nice, I have the 160 as my lowest grit. Thanks again for reading my mind 🪨man.
It can be massively frustrating at times to have to work a stone flat again, I think long term diamonds are better but seeing how not everyone has a ton of money to spend all the time on this stuff I think some SC discs can be a nice addition to the shop.
Hi Jared, another very interesting video, with a good tip on those cheaper disks. Keep Safe& Keeps Rockin
I'm glad you liked it.
Beautiful dugway. I start at 60 grit for my aggressive grinding. Even at that, i find it takes a long time to get the 60 grit scratches out with an 80. I much prefer starting with 80 when I can.
Oh for sure, it all depends on the surface finish after cutting.
Wow, so interesting. Today, I polished some agates (cut like yours) with the same flatlap as yours. I used some metal disks that are sold covered with diamond grit like the one you tested. Even if I started from 120 to 180 to 240 to ... etc all the way up to 3000, the end result was with some fine scratches from the diamond grit. To get better results, I need to continue with a felt disk with some paste with fine grit in it. I would never have thought that the cheaper option that you mention could give better results than the diamond option and that is even before using the paste... maybe even no need to use the paste? I will try that! thank you for sharing the results and explanations of what you tried.
I also have a full set of diamond laps and I must say I'm not a fan of them really when compared to the other options available.
Very informative video!!! Thanks for sharing
I'm glad you liked it!
@@CurrentlyRockhounding At my lapidary club, we use home made SC disks and wheels for cabbing and they get the job done. Good to see budget friendly alternatives to the high end options
Excellent experiment! I guess the main difference here would be that the SC discs are completely disposable, one time use but since HiTech says the Diamond is good for roughly 70 rocks, it would still be much cheaper! I like your idea about the 36 grit, I should pick some of those up.
Thank you, you answered part of my question 😁
I don't really think they can or should replace a diamond disc but for a gap filler in your system it might work well.
The 36 grit and 60grit disc would make short work of saw marks when you have them.
THis was very helpful Thanks. Much appreciate your time making these.
Have you ever tried to use Hi-Tech Diamond glass grinding bits on your flat-lap?
I have not tried that.
I watched this again and still enjoyed the comparison. I believe the grit size comes from woodworking sand paper. 80 grit should be 80 grains of grit (regardless of material) per square inch. So an 80 grit diamond wheel and an 80 grit silicon carbide disc "theoretically" should only have 80 grains per square inch. As you stated in the video, the silicon will break down whereas the diamond won't. If I were to purchase a flat lap it's main purpose would be grinding out the nibs left from cutting and also cleaning up the backs of my cabochons. Doing cab backs on the high speed can be done, but it's a bit challenging. In both cases, you got a great polish on that Dugway (nodule, geode, thunderegg, etc.)
It does have its place in the shop I think.
I have never done cab backs with the high speed sander, but it seems like over heating the stone could happen really quick.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Yes, you have to be very diligent about how hot they get. But since they are small, you can do them quickly.
Cool experiment!
Where do you get the silicone car bite and the disk that goes into the flatlock machine question
When I want to polish a lot of thunder eggs or any other flat jobs. I will have 4 silicone carbide disks. One new 80 grit silicone carbide disks and one used 80 silicone carbide disks. One new 400 grit and ond used 400 grit. They are PSA so four pads I have had better luck using PSA then non PSA less tear outs.
Thanks for making this video on this topic. I was in the market for a couple of aluminum back diamond discs. I called one shop here in Washington they wanted 240 apiece 😢 so I went with the cheaper route and purchased a couple of sticky back diamond encrusted sanding discs. 8 inch those were only 30 apiece. I am mostly sanding agate and river rocks.I am looking for something cheaper. What website did you find those .69 discs on. Thank you
I put a link to the ones that I'm using in the description box of the video.
Why did you want an aluminum backed disc?
That’s a great comparison! i’m going to buy the machine so that I can use what I’m looking for.👍
I'm glad you found it to be helpful.
which side was from what...at the end...man a good way to get you too rewind,lol. anyways...was the right one looking at you the carbide..or?thanks so much man, long winter, im back watching ,nice gets you in the game and to start...start remembering what i was about to do after i got froze out,thanks for all the testing as i put my machine together...for me..youtube is really good for that,,, almost like a pregame, but you can no doubt pregame for day and years,, time to start implementing.peace
I would assume (Yea that's a dangerous word) that the diamond disc would of course last a long time, but 64 cents is a lot of discs too! You can get cheaper diamond discs. I could see the benefit in having both on hand but I wouldn't want to waste a bunch of discs just because they are cheap, waste is still waste. My opinion anyway, for what that is worth. Good video, thank you.
Oh for sure the diamond disc will last way longer and yeah you can buy cheaper disc but often those cheaper disc have less diamond and in turn less life in them.
I don't think these are a replacement but I think its a supplement for some people.
Man that silicon wafer with diamond paste. May be dopeeee
If you have time to comment on my question, that would be greatly appreciated.
I will certainly try that very soon. Since I already have some diamond disks, from which stage would you start using the silicon carbide for a better end result? maybe the rough part could be started with the diamond to eat away the rough parts, then in the end, my scratched agates from the diamond disks could be done again with the silicon carbide? if I ended the polishing with the 3000 diamond grit disks, should I just use a 3000 silicon carbide disk or should I go back a bit, with a lower number of grit of silicon carbide and gradually up to 3000 in the end.... do you have a suggestion of which sizes of grit one should buy? I would like to order the disks, but I am not sure which grits... The diamond grit disks do leave some scratches even at 3000.
If you used your diamond disc up to about 180 or 220 grit and then went with SC for resin discs you would get an excellent result.
I have the need to sand and buff 5" acrylic disc (approx 100 disc per day and curreny very labor intensive). Any recommendations for materials and equipment?
I do not know what the best way to do that would be.
But you are the most useful one to us, big Hi from Iraq👍👌
I think the Silicon carbide abrasive breaks down quickly and essentially becomes finer in the grit count whereas the diamond doesn't and maintains the grit integrity
That is true.
He actually said that in the video.
Very interesting. I checked the link you provided for buying the SC discs and it doesn't appear that they have an adhesive backing on them. So how did you get the SC disc to stick to the acrylic backer disc?
These are just held in place by the nut and washer that holds the backing disc down.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thanks for your reply!
Those results between the diamond and silicon carbide don't surprise me. However, did you finish the polish on the flat lap or the silicon, or the high speed sander? Also what grits did you use to finish them? It was a great comparison to see. I'm glad you did this. I was contemplating purchasing a flat lap, but now I'm not sure if I want the expense based on your results.
I finished it on the Hi-Tech Flat lap and I used 180, 220, 325, 600, 1200, 3000, and cerium oxide.
Knowing what I know now I prefer my Highspeed sander and carpet wheel.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Hmm. All the way to 3000. Interesting. I think you can obtain as good a polish on the high speed at about 800. I'd say the high speed is much faster. Although, if you use the high speed to try and take out "lumps" it has a tendency to get hot and flake, so you have to be careful of that. Extra water and such until the chunk is mostly gone.
@@spetkovsek57 I prefer the highspeed method but I can see how its not for everyone as well.
Jared I love this , I am going to give it a go my self since I build all my own tools to save money , this will be a huge for saving cash.
Do you think the plastic or cloth backed discs would last longer ? or even Aluminum oxide with a cloth or plastic backing , both have a Mohs of 9 and would be a LOT cheaper than even the cheap ones from Amazon. I swear every time I watch one of your videos I just go further down the rabbit hole of building stuff and trying things .... And Im cool with that
I'm all in favor of building your own machines.
I do think going into it with a plan of what exactly you want to do first and build things to match is the way to do it.
I would factor in the material, size, and how it was cut and use those variables to determine the direction you go with it.
Don't be afraid to make a vid about your budget rigs, ya girl could use some inspiration lol.
@@ilmorocks9590 HAHA I worry more about the safety of my budget rigs ... not for me but for others .
@@huntingrocks fair.. fair… welp try at your own risk right? 😝
Thanks for sharing
I'm glad you liked it.
Since the Diamond is good for 70 rocks the single use paper discs work out much cheaper, but less consistant ?
I think they are good for far more than that, I think they are playing it safe with that number.
can you do a video on polishing with the flat lap, I do not have luck when it comes to polishing, Keep up the great videos
I do have some up.
Okay this is great. How does the longevity over cost look. How long does the $80 disc last and how many & cost of the carbide discs?
That's a hard one to really sum up I think as it depends on many factors.
For some people, the discs might just be unaffordable and these are a cheaper entry-level option. It's really difficult to test out which one will last longer, an $80 lapping disc or $80 of SC pads.
Where do you order your carbide disks from?
I buy mine on Amazon, there's a link in the video description box.
Oh, also… what are you attaching the paper silicone carbide papers discs to??
I want to add other discs, but they are very expensive from hi-tech.
They are just on a backing plate.
If they are “plain backed” how do you adhere them to the back plate? Is it a Hi-Tech backplate or a generic one. Thanks !!
Link for backing plate?
Where did you buy those 8 inch flat disk carbides?
There's a link to them in the description of the video.
GRACIAS
For someone who would like to try another hobby this is a low cost way to polish rocks, especially when those yt chs on low cost DIY motor/wheels are used as well. SC is hard enough for most rocks below Sapphire/Diamond stones.
Seh intesseant vielen Dank aus germany Bavaria.
Damn your content is top bro
Thank you!
I am going to do that . Got agot ready for jewelry
How do you attach paper disk to the base? Thanks
The screw and washer that you use to secure the disc to the machine.
In your judgement would aluminum oxide discs do a better job than silicon carbide discs.
They would not. Aluminum oxide dulls or rounds over when you use it but silicon carbide will break and you can more sharp material to work with.
Thank you Sir for your response indicating the reason why silicon carbide discs out perform aluminum oxide discs. Much appreciated!
Where can you buy silicone carbide disc?
I buy mine on Amazon, there's a link in the video description box.
What do you use to adhere the paper back disc to the backing plate, please. Do you use generic backing plates? Your videos are awesome. Whenever I have a lapidary question, I cruise your channel first. Thanks!
In this case, it is only held in place by the center nut.
But, is it “resting” on a backer plate?
I have a 6” all-in-one. Want other laps for it. One courser and maybe some soft ones for better cabbing. Looking for alternatives to HT diamonds $80 laps.
I just became a patreon as well. Figure least I could do as I ask a fair amount of questions.
Happy Holiday’s!
@@nhrockaholic6038 Yes, if you want to run the SC discs, you do need a backer master lap. I don't think it's a full replacement for diamond laps, but they do work.
Thank you for becoming a patron of the channel!
Link for master backing lap?
Great video.
Thank you!
How would a attach a grinding disc to an old highland park k-12 flat lap....theres no arbor hole?
I'm sorry but I'm not that familiar with that machine.
@CurrentlyRockhounding that fair....is there a way i could send you some pictures, and maybe you could give your two cents on some modifications i could do to it? If not, that's cool... appreciate your time👍
🚦 They’re winning the race… or whatever 😂 good info on the silicon carbide discs. I definitely want to chew some rocks flat 👍🏽
I think where they really shine is as an affordable gap filler when you don't want to or can't afford diamond discs.
What model is your flat lap? Does it have a good warranty?
It's a Hi-Tech Diamond flat lap.
You are the only one on the planet who calls them Dugway thunder eggs....
I've been there and I have a geode the size of a basketball, found 30 years ago
I've also dug thundereggs and they are not the same thing
People once believed the world was flat until someone proved otherwise, and it became common knowledge and easily proven that the world is round, or more accurately an oblate spheroid.
This is not a matter of opinion. They are literally a thunderegg (one word by the way) and not a geode, this is based on the geological formation they come out of which is rhyolite.
There is an abundant amount of data that backs this up, and just because you don't want to look at it or believe it is irrelevant.
Great video
Thank you.
Where did you get your machine at..I'm looking to buy one
hitechdiamond.com/collections/lap-machines/products/all-u-need-rock-mineral-model?variant=33579646976045&aff=12
I was just wandering what kind of glue do you use for the back to the cab for the dowl
Random question ⁉️ what do you do with the pressure cooker?
I'm sorry what?
@@CurrentlyRockhounding at one point in your video you were showing some of your setup and to the right is something that looks like a pressure cooker with tubes on top. I was just curious what it was and how it is used
@@zenflow4life Ohhh that's a pressure pot which is used for stabilizing rocks with resin.
Hi nice to meet you Thank you for sharing flat lap machine what is the price for it?
You know you can use Google to get the current price on things.
interesting watch.
Having gone thru hundreds of carbide belts and disks I have to say that carbide works great for a brief time (very brief). The problem is the carbide rounds off where as diamonds fracture and stay sharp as new. There is a reason for diamond abrasive.
I agree.
Are you using a backer plate?
Yes, it's clearly shown in the video.
Do you know the magic trick for removing the sticky adhesive from the prior polishing pad? Or would you buy a new acrylic disc?
You could just flip a diamond disc over and use the back side of it.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding We have done that, and now both sides are sticky. We keep buying more acrylic discs, just was wondering what you do, if there was anyway to keep reusing the discs.
@@AZRockhoundExpeditions Oh I thought you were talking about use an acrylic disc for a silicon carbide disc.
I would just keep buying discs as painful as that can be.
Personally I have been enjoying my highspeed sander and carpet wheel more than the hi-tech flatlap. I think it does a better job for the large rocks that I have.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I’ve been keeping my eye out for a sander, boy they are hard to find!!
@@AZRockhoundExpeditions Time for you to take a rock trip to Richardsons!
Change the traffic lights for a roundabout, more quiet, save and a better flow
I don't know what you're trying to say here.
I think if you used a fresh silicone carbide sand paper per stone, your times would have been more consistent.
silicone carbide can break down over time but from my experience with it on the highspeed sander it takes more than a couple of stones to really break it down to the point where the impact of it be less effective is very notable.
In the name of experimenting, how about some jasper throwing stars?
I'm sorry I don't follow you here.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I was just pondering if slabs would make good Chinese throwing stars, shurikens. I used to buy metal ones, but I bet jasper ones would look cool. Not sure if the hardness would hold up to throwing them though.
Grit refers to the number of sharp particles “grit” per square inch
Do you have a source for that I could look at?
You can convert grit to mesh and microns.
It has nothing to do with the amount of sharp particles per inch.
multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/813249O/what-does-grit-mean-tech-talk.pdf
👁👁 👋 ☕️
Do you recommend the extended warranty on this and other Hi-Tech products? Thanks! 😁👍🏻🪨⛏️
I would say no, I mean generally speaking warranty's are profitable for a company because they know more people will be buying them than redeeming them.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Ha, good point. You're awesome and have been so helpful in figuring out everything for this purchase. I will be using your Amazon link as a thanks! At least I hope it works that way for you. 😁👍🏻🪨⛏️
@@CacklingChick I'm happy to help when I can.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding And that's why you're channel is so awesome!!