Building an 8" Flat Lapidary Machine
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- čas přidán 4. 01. 2017
- Taking you through the process of building an 8" Flat Lapidary Machine. About 80% of this build was done with re-purposed, upcycled materials.
Part 2: Updates - • 8" Flat Lapidary Updates
I have since made a few modifications to the flat lap and it's working really well! I'll look towards making an update video showing the changes. Also be sure to stay tuned as I'm starting the next project, a cabbing machine!
You can do very nice cabs on a flat lap too.
Do you have a updated version you have made?
Have you had any issues with the stone dust that enters the water system? I was wondering if the pump may become clogged or damaged over time because of that..
I'm really concerned that you weren't wearing an appropriate welding mask whilst making this, I worry about the damage to your cornea and retina from the U.V. light caused by welding.
Welding eye protection and dang son, welding galvanized metal gives off poisonous fumes
Love it. Came across your channel, saw you were building something I have needed for "centuries", yes I am old. You did a great job and the tool is very handy. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Good job! I might have to make something similar for myself. I would probably wrap a wire around the tube for ease of use.
For two years now I’ve been using nothing but an angle grinder, diamond blades, and diamond polishing pads for my lapidary work. Your really can do a lot with just an angle grinder however I think it’s time I upgrade haha.
thank you for your video, it's exactly what I was looking for to aid me in building a machine of my own.
Glad the video was able to help you Vanessa. In my opinion they are vastly over priced so building one is good option.
That's fantastic. Thanks for doing this. I'm interested in building one too. I can't wait for the next video!
Glad you liked it, was a fun build for sure! It's still going strong and we use it a ton. I've just started building the cabbing machine and filming as I go, finishing soon I hope, lots on the go!
I always wanted a Lapidary cutter, sanders and polisher. The cost of the machines are too much for my pocket. I can make one myself. Thank you for you’re idea. It is very helpful..
nicely built. and beautiful stones. Thank you for sharing.
Very good video, congratulations. You can instal a dimmer switch on the motor in order to control the RPM speed, for final polishing it is to high.
Smart, very nice work! Thanks for sharing!!
Great job fella. Really impressive!
Thanks for the kind words! : )
Nice job! I'm sure you'll get a ton of use out of it!
Thanks! So far it's been a work horse for sure and still going strong.
Fantastic. Very creative. Thank you!
If you cut the bucket on a slight tilt then the bottom would slant to one side where it wouldnt matter if the table was level. There should also be a fresh supply of water or filter system. If you put the pump in a second tank and an overflow on the first the sediments will sink and the pump tank will draw water from the top of drain tank but still filter it to avoid pump damage. The grit depending on the stone will work great as an abraisive in other application other than stone polishing.
You should also seal the wood where it has been cut to avoid water damage.
When spraying if you have a negative charge on the item sprayed and positive charge on the pain then the stray paint is attracted to the item. Same principal as electroplating.
If you slice the waterpipe longways, just one cut down its length it makes a great guard to line open metal holes.
The pump does not have a 110 volt motor. There is a step down transformer. You want to get a variable resistor in between the transformer output and motor input. Solar and 12 volts even usb and 5 volts will give you light and water.
Hi Ryad, I've made a lot of modifications since I built it, check out the updated part 2. I've also updated it a bit more since that second video and now use a deeper bowl with a sealed edge. Thanks for the comment!
Rough Market I had checked out the second video, the updates seem much better, i think it would be very helpful to put a link to it in the description or at the end of this video. You can do that in the video manager. I myself am having a look at rotary tools with flex shafts and arduino controlled boards....home made cnc. The hardest part really is no work area/place. It is disheartening to have to pack up one project to work on another and/or pack it up to have a place to put a dinner plate.
Really like your design, you put a lot of though into it. I'm looking to build and have been searching and looking at different ways such as yours. I need mine to be more portable and to be able to put away in a cabinet, I lack space. A couple of suggestions I thought on yours, you can buy an inexpensive flow or water shut off valve to control your flow, although you screw worked very well too. I would have brought the edge of your bucket up a little more to control spray and add a bucket or container for your slurry so you are not polluting your clean supply. Where did you get your used motor and arbor extension from? That is the highest cost in the setup. Thank you for the excellent design.
Awesome project. Turned out perfect but for the water issue. Hope you got that part solved. If the water didn't fall so far to the surface that would help a great deal. Seems you've already done some nice work with it.
Thanks Mychael Lee, check out part 2. All issues were updated and fixed.
There are two things you needed to know before you did this work. 1. Even with your eyes closed, you can still burn your eyes out welding without a mask. 2 You can die from breathing the fumes from welding zinc galvanized metal.
Glad I looked through replies. I watched the first part of the video with my mouth open. Your comment should be pinned at the top
The grinding part wasn't a beauty neither. Safety first, ALWAYS
I'd drill some small holes in the submerged part of the hose at the pumps output. that way you can bleed off some pressure and get the drip. a "Y" splitter with valves can help you get the same result and it'd be adjustable.
because the pump runs at a constant flow (IE:non-adjustable), youre either restricting the excess or bleeding off the excess but if you restrict, your pumps amperage wll raise and the electric consumption will too, if you bleed the excess then the current wont rise the way it would if you restrict the flow.
Glad you mentioned this, I ended up making a few cuts in the hose below the water line as I didn't want to burn out the pump. Thanks Samuel.
Brilliant!
good idea and good skills ,enjoyed
Excellent video. I am going to begin building. Thanks
What a great machine, a few tweaks but very good!
Thank you Deborah. I've made a few tweeks and always looking for ways to make it better!
Wow... just wow. 😳
That turned out really nice.
Thanks Jhon, I was surprised how well it turned out. We've got quite a few hours on it now and I've made a few small changes, but it works great.
Actually quit a few changes.. water was escaping and mist was covering everything, I had the disk mounted too high. I made a new deeper basin from a 5 gallon bucket so the motor, backing plate, and disk sit about 2 inches lower now. That controled the spray I was getting. I also added a sponge filter on the black drain hose to help the life of the motor. I added a solid tube and valve for the water feed to control the flow. So far that's all I found that I wanted to change. I've also started making foam backed disks with sand paper. They don't last very long but they are great for cabbing softer stones.
thank you
Rough Market for the polishing and the
Rough Market I tu the most important thing
Sir, also you may be able to add a torrington bearing to support shaft weight.
Great job..... For anyone interested... Treadmill motors
You can get nice controllers for these on eBay now. It is an oversized motor for this project but would work. The heavy wheel on these motors are balanced very well. They can be turned around on the shaft and a six-inch diamond disk can be placed on top of this plate very nicely. Mine turns very precisely. Any way this motor looks very promising. I was able to get several of these treadmills free of crags list... the Motor controls run about $14bucks... small box not like using the original controller which is much too large. Good luck all.
Thanks for the insight! I've heard of this concept before and was interested to hear some feedback on functionality. Good stuff. I have another project coming up and I might see if I can grab one of those motors. The speed adjustment would be perfect.
Instead of a screw in the hose put a "t" joint near the output of the pump with a valve on the output to the table to divert the water since the water flow is required to cool the pump.
Thank you for this video!!!! For the debit of water, I though to pinch the tube with a clothespin.
Nice work.
Thanks Craig!
GOOD JOB think you
Very helpful and informative video, thank you. The only word of caution is about health and safety: one should never do any welding without eye protection!!
Thanks for watching. Welding covered in comments.
great work
Thanks! Was fun too build.
Thanks for your acknowledgements so much but one thing I don't understand is the types of motors to use , please give me information on that.
very nice job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perfect thanks a lot ... (Be careful with your eyes when doing the spot welding)
Ya for sure, my welding helmet was several hours away at the time. Eyes closed for spot welding, not ideal but got the job done.
I can't read all the comments to see if someone else said this or not, but you need to wear a welding helmet when MIG welding. You are going to seriously damage your eyes--I imagine you had them closed like my buddy does, but still. Plus, you're catching UV rays. Was an excellent video though.
Hi Joe, yes covered a few times in comments. It wasn't ideal and I do have a helmet but it was out of town and I had to get the job done. Thanks for watching!
Nice work... liked and subscribed
you might look into a speed control for the motor, nice job
Thanks eugene. Yes that might be something to look into.
Good one. I would like to give it a try to make similar lapidary mostly to grind glass edges. How did you manage to make the motor water proof (as in how do we prevent water going into the motor shaft?
Awsome thanks for your upload
Good machine facenting...GRACIAS
Хорошая работа 🤓
With this setup, did you ever end up getting any leaking down through the central axle leading to the motor? Just curious and if so how was it fixed, I'm thinking with a washer between the lock nut?
No leaking at all thankfully. The centrifugal force keeps the water moving away from the shaft and allowing it to seep downwards. The washers I use came with the arbor shaft so when you snug them down they fit pretty tight. You could possiby use a black rubber "O" ring that fits around the shaft for 100% confidence, but for me so far so good! Hope that helps.
You might want to look into a coolant additive . . . your lap is going to quickly RUST if not !
Crystal cut is a brand I've used for years , and it's saved me a lot of grief. ( Recirculating the coolant is a very poor idea, especially if you grind hard stones, then a softer one . . . since the swarf can contain particles large enough to leave 'chunks' in the water )
I don't know if you're using multiple laps . . . but I would suggest using a much finer disc for finishing work . * Slowing the speed to around 120 rpm will increase the diamond's ability to cut, as well as prolonging the life of the lap ! I design & cut faceted stones, & speak from quite a few years' experience . . . good luck !
I have been thinking about using a two part water system with the same setup that runs fresh. I now have a filter in place but might test to see how much of a pain it is to run with fresh and a separate drain container. As far as rusting, everthing that touches water is plastic for the most part, all good. The purpose of this lap is just a workhorse for pre-shaping material like agate and common material, not faceting. Eventually I would like to start faceting but I would buy something off the shelf for that possibly. Thanks for the tips and comment!
georgewocosky thanks so much for the tips.
Cheers.
Nice job...
Very cool
Thank you for this video :) I’ve inherited an old sears flat lap but it’s missing the part that sits directly under the master lap and grinding lap. That thick round piece. Where did you get yours and do you know what it’s called? Thanks again
Thank you so much for the information I was looking for long time. I bought some stuff and ready to assemble together, my very concern is about the water. I want to know how to protect the AC motor from water if it is assemble right underneath the plate? water will not go through top screw to into the motor. please give some advice.
Thank you.
Seal it in a plastic bag
Glad to hear your taking on a project like this :) as long as you keep your overflow tube lower then shaft you will never get a water leak. I also used a bit of silicon for extra measure. Don't put anything around your motor, plastic etc. as it will melt or catch fire. It can get very warm after a half hour or so.
Very nice fabrication.👍👍👍👍 Where did you get the backing plate?
Terimakasih atas ilmunya👍👍
Particle board should not be used around water. When it gets wet, it swells up and basically disintegrates. I've seen builders try to get by on the cheap by using particle board for the cabinets in bathrooms or kitchens and they never seem to last because eventually there will be a leak *somewhere* and it will get wet. If you had cut the 5g bucket a little taller and then used a heat gun to soften the portion that was raised above the surface top so that it could be folded outward to form a lip, then it might protect the particle board a bit better since you could caulk between the lip and the particle board top -- kind of like the way they do with the drop-in style kitchen sinks.
You're right :) I updated that shortly after. I cut the hole a bit bigger and it fits a small plastic round tub with a lip you can buy at the dollar store. I also used an epoxy to seal the bare wood edge as well so it wouldn't swell if it came in contact with water. It's still going strong! Thanks for watching and the insight!
Is 8" as big as it gets? Or are there bigger parts to put on there? Is 8" enough, or more than enough? Would a bit more compact than tje 8" size be enough too? I guess i could just shop around and find the size that does it for me. Honestly I'm not too picky, but I am pretty frugal, so whatever size i go with will have to balance cost vs efficiency. Perhaps you, too, are the same, and you picked the size that gives the most bang for a buck. Just wondering. Cool video, and for that i thank you.
Can you make for like that plate machine is it?
Bravo!
Hermoso
Dear sir This is Super idea Please give me this formula of tools Thanks.
instead of using the pump to pump the water directly onto the grinding-polishing disk. have it pump up to a container above the disk. then have it drip down from that through a valve so you can adjust the amount, onto the disk.
I didn't want a gravity fed system. Check out Part 2 the Updates: czcams.com/video/rypncM9M00M/video.html
Are you planning a 6" or 8" saw build
Have you thought of inserting a copper wire into your water lead. Then, you can shape it the way you want without changing anything else.
Originally I glued a wire along side the tube to allow it to be shaped and bent. I've since scrapped that and I now use a small metal tube with a valve. So far so good. A wire running through the plastic tubing is a really good idea as well, I should have tried that.
I am like your thing and would like to know how you did it, like tools and measurements
How long is the arbor shaft extension?
felicidades!
what about contaminated water with used gritt? doesn't pump get stuck?
It does yes, I changed that system a few days after. Check out part 2 the updates - czcams.com/video/rypncM9M00M/video.html
How do you weld with out welding googles?
Does not it need to run way slower than that? I used an old drilling machine motor with the belts and pulley wheels whom came with the machine since you can not use a simple potentiometer without losing torque and a frequency converter is a little bit expensive.
No the speed is perfect for what I use it for. It's a flat lap for cabbing not faceting so it's good.
Mr : you'r Brilliantly
Thanks TinaJewelers, was a fun project!
You're welcome. I love your video great help
Thank you.
can u make for me 1? im willing to buy it
A DC motor from a treadmill would be dandy for that - continuously variable from 50-5000 rpm
Thanks for the tip Bob, that's actually a pretty intersting idea for the motor. I'm going to have to see if I can get one to test for some of the upcoming projects. Great idea.
Vous vous êtes servis de quel type de bidon pour faire le bac ?
What are the disc you use are they all hard disc or some soft disc to I'm gonna build a 10inch flat lap I'm just having a hard time to figure out what disc to use because when I look at them there all hard for that size
Whatis actually holding the 5gallon bucket base to the top plate? Also where did you find the adaptor for the motor shaft?
Hi Paul, cutting the hole a bit smaller holds the water well in place. If you look at a 5 gallon bucket it's smaller at the bottom than it is at the top, so cutting the hole a bit smaller then your top edge holds it in place. I have since updated this to a plastic bowl with a lip on it from a dollar store that works amazingly well and still going strong. The arbor shaft I bought off of amazon, but you can find them in all hardware stores. Just be sure to pre-measure the motor arbor shaft diameter as there are several sizes out there.
Rough Market Can I buy such a machine from you and how much is the price and send you my email and agree on the price and send you money how you want and thank you so mach
I'm wondering about the idea of recycling the waster water back into the reservoir - wouldn't that tend to build up slurry inside your pump over time? Have you had any problems with it?
Hello, and yes you are right, it does build up in the pump. I quickly switched to draining the water into a different reservoir and add fresh water to the pump reservoir. Not only will it clog the pump, but it can contaminate the water into your grinding surface and scratch the stone. Thanks for watching!
What grit of diamond you use?
180, 600, 1200, and 3000.
Final polish with cerium oxcide and an old dvd or cd.
Hello can you share how you install the engine. And how many hp do it has
the entire engine is welded to the frame using gum cement. you can get it by mixing 2 parts epoxy to 1 part big league chew grape flavor and chew it until mixed completely. you then apply to the mounting points in and the engine will be fixed permanently.
the hp is not very important but the turning radius is very important. you need an engine capable of 2.88 radial turns per quadrant. any less and you risk sub-stoic anomalies. good luck 👍
Hi
Where did you get the diamond disc
eBay of course 😉
Very good idea to made something by yourself. I’ll be put a some filter into the water tank, where the water is coming in.
How the power is the mortor?
Hi,I like make 1 lapidary and Where can I buy it from dish bold and motor?
The disks and water pump you can find on Amazon. The rest you have to find or build yourself. Thanks for watching.
Nice design, but I have strong fear of water dripping on the motor making an electrocuting chaos? Have you experienced any issues with this, is motor waterproof or something?
I am building similar machine but with a pulley system to avoid this issue. Water is easier to supply from a small bucket with assembled valve, also it is easier to regulate the flow on the valve. You will need to have water drain in that case.
How long does one disc last, how many stones can you grind let's say 30-40mm cabachons?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Nemanja Pajic, no issues with water getting onto the motor at all. As long as the drain is below the center shaft level there's no worries. For sure a pulley system would get the motor away from the water, but it's a bit bigger machine and I didn't want that. Disks vary how long the last by several factors... price/quality, and the stone itself. Amber or Opal a disk will last almost forever, Quartz or Agate, maybe only a few cabs.
@@RoughMarket thank you so much for quite precise answer. I was afraid of water dripping issues but also I have seen many designs such as yours. The fact that you can cut just a couple of quartz or agate cabs per disc amazes me since the price of a disc is approximately 10 USD at lowest and producing just a few cabs won't pay off cause I do not think they can be sold for more than a couple of bucks a piece.
I suppose that Pacific wheels are more suitable for cabs and have longer life, and discs should be used for more precious stones only since they to not last that long or as you said for softer ones?
Would you care to share your thoughts about the subject.
@@990nemanja I 100% agree, it's not profitable to only get a few stones out of a wheel. I focus mostly on Opal these days as I have very little time and they are rewarding to me. I do think you can buy a sintered flat lap disk that will last a long time, but they are expensive. Best thing to do is start with cheap disks and work your way up until you find what you need within the budget. For me this is just a hobby, but for production for sure need higher end disks.
@@RoughMarket thanks for the advice.
It is just a hobby for me also, but we hunt our own stones so we are figuring out some way to use our creativity, love for the nature and our workshops just to get a fuel refund for our field trips to make it self sustainable. :)
I can hardlley wate to build one for myself it’ sa been years sience I’ ve cute any gem materials. I was learning How to FaceTime gems at the last only Quartz.
What are you using as your tub that you are inserting into the piece of laminate countertop ?
In the video I used the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I updated it shortly after with a plastic bowl that has a lip edge around it. Works a lot better.
@@RoughMarket that's a lot cheaper than the HDPE lab tray I was looking at.Thank you for the response and video. I am going to make one for inlay work in silver.
Pretty awesome build .now can u make me one ..lol
Thanks Tim. Ya I get asked that a lot haha
What grits do you use from start to last
It depends on the material. Agate you should start around 80, as where with Welo Opal I start around 200-600. I finish most up to 3000, but Amber you can get away with stopping at 2000. All get polishing after the wheel. Hope that helps.
Rough Market thanks brother great vid and it will be mostly for turquoise maybe some opal
Like my friend
Curious to know what your total costs were to build this?
Hi Mitch, I think the total cost was under $200. The most expensive part was the Aluminum backing plate and disks.
Can you give information about the project? Do you have drawings and dimensions of the parts?
Hi,Where can I buy all this material?Thank!
The disks and water pump you can find on Amazon. The rest you have to find or build yourself. Thanks for watching.
hey I'm wondering if u could make me a machine like that if so how much would it be ?
Hi Manuel, sorry I won't be making them to sell. They are easy to builld, for a basic one all you need is a motor, disks, and a water supply.
$500, or for that price you can just shop Ailbaba. Happy spending🙂
Change bearings by conical shape
Cool
How can I do this with a potters wheel?
dont get this usually lap wheels run of of v-belt drives becacause the downward pressure on the schaiffe will destroy the motor in no time
So far so good, I do know what you mean though. If this were a commercial production lap it would be made with a belt yes. For what I need it has logged many hours without an issue. I also have spare motors if this one should let go.
GFCI in place of the outlet.
Already covered in part 2 the updates.
good
Hi,I really need you help.I want to build flat lap same you but I can't fine the dish , the bowl and the motor on eBay.Would you mind to help buy those and I would be very much appreciated.
Hello, The original dish I used was the bottom of a 5 gallon pale I cut out. I have switched it to a plastic bowl I found at a Dollar store for $3. It has a rim around the edge and I sealed it to the table so water doesn't go underneath. You can use any dish metal or plastic, just whatever is bigger then the lap disks. The motor is just a regular motor I was given and was out of a furnace. If you have a junk dealer or scrap yard near you there might be one there. Any motor will do really to start out with. Glad the video inspired you to build one!
Thank you very much and Im going to starting my project.
May God bless!
I see your change for a rimmed bowl to be advantageous, but in the long term you may also have problems with your choice of melamine/chipped pine (timber) table and holders etc. as they are renowned for expanding at joints and edges of the particleboard (chipboard.)... a better choice would have been solid timber or plywood (marine ply). A ring of silicone under your lipped bowl you mention would help in the meantime.
Also a good place (at least in Australia) for cheap motors is to scrap a washing machine (junk), good belts & pulleys too, some times.
Happy polishing.
Jim ( Master builder 42 years )
Need to use clean water each time you change grit so you don't contaminated next grit
Hey Andy, ya I've updated the water system. Not sure what I was thinking, live and learn. Here are the updates - czcams.com/video/rypncM9M00M/video.html
What torque is the motor, or should it be kept fairly low to avoid accidents
How much I need one and can’t afford 1000 bucks idk what this cost but I’m sure it’s cheaper otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it thanks edt
just a quick comment - put on some welding glasses - please !!!
I was waiting for a comment about that. My welding mask is several hours away unfortunately. For small tack jobs I close my eyes which is not ideal but works in a pinch.
I attached my phone to a helmet as welding glasses, worked a charm, just turn on the camera and voila, no direct site for the light to damage.
That's a neat trick lunaislife! Reminds me of the VR headsets... nice one.
Muy obsoleto ese tamaño de pulidora, debería ser bien plano usando motores brussle con regulador de velocidad.
You need to filter dirty water going through pump
For sure. Covered in part 2 the Updates - czcams.com/video/rypncM9M00M/video.html