flat lap machine
 

I'd put this in the bathroom for quick opinions but by the time most numbers are in the br I am in bed fast asleep. :-)
I want to start doing some cold working on the beads but don't want to spend tooooo much.
I found this today and need some expert opinions..I know some of you do this work. This is a 6" for 260.00 ..[click on pic to go to the site] What do you think?

http://www.thegrindershop.com/accoun...=1375302436844

Pretty cool! We would pay way more than that here

Don't do it - I have one and HATE.IT. Unless they have improved a ton, I wouldn't want it even if it were free.

I don't have a flat lap but this one seems to be popular...

http://www.ameritool-inc.com/store/i...sories-kit.cfm

Ameritool also sells diamond discs that can be used on any grinding machine motor that uses flat discs..supposedly. I haven't tried these yet but will probably gets some discs to try on my Diamond Max.

Looks like a pretty good deal... Just keep in mind that those things are smaller than they sound: between the center spike and the cover over the back half of the disc, you don't have a huge amount of room to play... How big are the beads you'll be cold working? Will you have enough room to move them around on the front (slightly-less-than-) half of the disc? (one of the good things about this system is that if you *do* outgrow the 6", you can upgrade it to an 8" without having to buy an entire new machine; and you can also turn it into a saw, if you ever want a one of those)

[disclaimer: i haven't played with these; i mostly cold work paperweights and larger blown stuff, and 8" was too small... i've got a crystalmaster pro, which i mostly <3]

The water supply contraption for it is beyond ridiculous - seriously, it's a piece of shit.

What do you hate about it Suid? The ameritool is quite a bit more although of course it's worth it in the long run sometimes..
I never noticed that potential upgrade in size feature..very nice.
However, the one who has it HATES it..that's not good. :doubt:
I don't know if I want to spend 600 on something that may outlast my interest. Such an expensive toy.

it doesn't supply enough water? or any..??

sell me yours Squid ;-)

It's hard to take apart - VERY hard at times
It shakes like crazy
It won't stay drained of water - I have to stop about every 15 minutes and manually drain it, which requires taking it apart
The water feed feature is the stupidest thing I have ever seen - incredibly hard to adjust, has to be refilled about every minutes and just a general POS.

I seriously can't emphasize enough how much I hate using mine. The only reason I haven't gotten rid of it is I haven't used it in two years - because I hate it. It's a catch-22. :lol:

well thats not a good review..I guess its a case of getting what I pay for..thanks Linda. I will sit on it til the next time I look at one of those beauties and want to do one! :lol:

I have this one & it's easy to use. I'm not very knowledgeable about how to use one, but it's user friendly. I still have a lot to learn about the different discs, etc.

thanks Vivian..2 for ameritools.

Three for the Ameritool!! \\:D/ I love, love, love mine. Super easy to use, does a very nice job and well worth the money, IMO.

And here's the thing - if you end up buying one and down the road realize you really aren't into using it enough to keep it, there will ALWAYS be people here on LE that would be interested in buying it from you. And they are like torches - very little depreciation. :biggrin:

I have an Ameritool as well but if I had a "do over" on the buy, I would get the other one... oh, crud, what's its name? It'll come to me.... that one has magnetic discs that change easily. The Ameritool disc's don't seem as good to me as the .... --- ... , yeah, that one I can't remember. Give me a minute... brb, gonna run a quick search.

Sue

Sue, I think you are referring to the Crystal Master Pro 12 ... that's the one we have in the studio. Just bought a new one to add to the shop.

Yes, one like you have at the studio but what's its brand name? I can't think of it... this getting old stuff is for the birds!

I think the discs last better on the flat lap you have than the 8" Ameritool that I bought. Yours was pricier though but I think ya get what you pay for. The Ameritool is good but yours is better.

Sue

I believe the brand name is Crystalite. This is the lap that came highly recomended to me, but it will probably take awhile before I splurge on this. They suggested the 12 inch was the way to go.

Darrell

Does anyone use a Diamond Max? I have one from my stained glass days and I bought the kit to turn it into a flat lap, I have not used it yet. have had it for years.

What she said.

Mine lasted maybe a year. The set screw strips easily and the motor will burn out quickly.

I have the diamond max and have been looking at purchasing the set of lap discs from ameritool so that I can do lapidary and glass on it.

Open that thing up and give it a whirl...then report back!! :);-):lol:

I have a diamond max , been using it abt 5 years. I use it a lot. Have to purchase replacement steel discs about once a year,, I like that I use sandpaper discs on it w different grits for different results. It is messy, water shield is necessary. It works for me, would love to be able to afford one of the nicer ones, but this will do until the time comes.

I have the inland and have really had no problems with it, other than the motor, but they replaced it. I have no issues with the water, but you need to be sure the machine is level. Its a great lap for small items. If you are planning on using it for larger or heavy items, like fused plates, I would buy one with more power. Look around, they go on sale often.

I'm going to make one, all you need is an old washing machine motor

http://www.hisglassworks.com/files/lapplans.pdf

Now that looks interesting! I might have to try, but probably won't get around to it for ages. Deb, if you get yours built, please show and share!!

The best hands down, not cheap though http://www.aswdiamond.com/

Ameritool wins out..I just broke down and ordered this one
now I can't wait for it to get here! :D

Thank you everyone!! ..you were a big help♥♥

I'd like to order the biggest and the best glassfreek, that one looks amazing..someday when I have my own studio maybe :-)

congrats on ordering!

I'm going to have to get this one too as I just found out that I can't retro-fit my Diamond Max Deluxe with Ameritool's diamond discs...different sized arbor. It's just as well though because I'll be doing lots of work on it.

I'll order the same one you did...hope you'll post some pics of what you do on the machine!

hey thats great Mikelene..I'll post if you will! :-D Let me know when you start playing!

Just posting to say yeah it's in and I Love it..easy to set up and easy to change out discs. Just a little playing with old beads right now to get a feel for it. But fun fun fun!

4 of these have been flat ground on two sides..faceting is difficult. More practice needed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psc91529db.jpg

Also..for those who have one of these..I have done 6 of these beads today and 2 hours later my hand is still achey. Maybe its not necessary to put as much pressure on as I am? what is your experience?

Much wiser after having read this tutorial by Kalera..and thought I would put that here for future readers.

Your beads look wonderful..thanks for posting pics!

I'm still in the "figuring it out" phase as far as what I might be able to use on my Diamond Max Deluxe. I've found adapters so the Ameritool discs may work on my machine, we'll see.

I'll post pics if I get going in the near future with this!