Grinding/Faceting Beads??

Shelley · #1 2006-05-17, 4:39pm

Can anyone tell me how to grind beads the way Alica Alba does? What type of grinder does one use? I'd like to have a go myself at the technique...but have no idea where to start....

Thanks!
Shelley

e. mort · #2 2006-05-17, 5:41pm

I use a "Genie" by Diamond Pacific Corporation. However you can also use a flat lap which is probably better anyway. Since the equipment to do it is expensive ($400 USD and up), you might want to find your local lapidary or rock hound group and try it out there. (Do they use the term "Rock Hound" in Australia?)

Eric

Shelley · #3 2006-05-17, 6:12pm

Excuse my ignorance.... what's a 'flat lap' ?? I have absolutely no idea about lapidary stuff... lol.... Rock hound? Dunno..... lol...

Shelley

FiredDesires · #4 2006-05-17, 8:26pm

Shelley.....flat lap, a lapidary machine that does grinding and the grinding wheel lays flat (horizontal, like a high speed record player, lol!). I have a diamond tech and several grit wheels/polishing pads with it. Then you need the grinding slurry, diamond grit etc. for polishing. Very messy affair to be sure.....but some pretty work can be done with them.

maddog1050 · #5 2006-05-17, 8:26pm

A flat lap is a lapidary grinder that uses a flat round grinding surface to grind/flatten/smooth/polish a surface--usually of a stone. These are interchangeable for various grits depending upon the material you are grinding. Often you would start with a coarse grit and go through several grit disks getting finer and finer to smooth the. The final step can be a felt polishing disk with a polishing compound used on it-something like cerium oxide.

Inland Lapidary has a machine called the Swap Top All-In-Wonder grinder. This will do trim sawing with one attachment (cut straight through the material like a stone or bead), flat lapping with another to refine a surface and also has a regular stained glass rotary type grinder attachment for further shaping. I have a lot of separate pieces of lapidary equipment but I don't have this machine. But this look pretty comprehensive for what you want to do with bead faceting and in one compact piece. Arrow Springs also carries this.

Hope this helps.

Emiko · #6 2006-05-17, 9:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddog1050

Inland Lapidary has a machine called the Swap Top All-In-Wonder grinder. This will do trim sawing with one attachment (cut straight through the material like a stone or bead), flat lapping with another to refine a surface and also has a regular stained glass rotary type grinder attachment for further shaping. I have a lot of separate pieces of lapidary equipment but I don't have this machine. But this look pretty comprehensive for what you want to do with bead faceting and in one compact piece. Arrow Springs also carries this.

Arrow Springs is having a special sale on the Swap Top All-In-Wonder this month. Here are some user's testimonials. http://www.isgb.org/forum/ubbthreads...=5&o=21&fpart=

Shelley · #7 2006-05-18, 3:38am

Thanks guys... I'll look into it..... would also have to deal with the voltage difference.....

Shelley

swamper · #8 2006-05-18, 7:37am

Don't know if Arrow Springs carries them both but the Inland website offers both a 110 volt and a 220 volt version of the Flat Lap All-in Wonder.

maddog1050 · #9 2006-05-18, 7:38am

Shelley-Here is a link (hope it works)- to Inland Lapidary's page on this machine. It specifically addresses the issue of different voltages when ordering:

http://www.inlandlapidary.com/single...&partnum=10690

If it doesn't work, just go to inlandlapidary.com and search from there.