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Thread: UK Cabbing Machine? Or is a flat lap ok?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    2

    Default UK Cabbing Machine? Or is a flat lap ok?

    I was wondering whether any of you wonderful people could help with advice please?

    We are trying to find some way of polishing crystals. Nothing massive maybe 5" maximum. The majority of the stuff we wish to polish are smaller pieces such as Tourmaline slices (from quarter of an inch to an inch) and other pieces of crystals and minerals.

    We have had advice from one person that we need a cabbing machine but cannot find anything in the UK. Whereas flat lap machines seem to be a little bit more readily available. If it is a cabbing machine that we need have you any ideas how we can get one over here?

    I know very little about this but am willing to learn so if you can assume I know nothing if you answer that would be great

    Thank you very much

    Janey

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Central London
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    There are some members here with stone cutting experience and hopefully they will answer. But most of us just buy in our stones, myself included, so we don't have much to say on the subject.

    You might be better looking at a lapidary forum, for instance here: https://www.google.com/search?q=lapi...ient=firefox-b

    Good luck in your search, Dennis

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    South Australia
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    To do this successfully you need to work from course grades through to finer grades then a final polish all with a lubricant (water) you could do this on a flat lap, with which you would have the change the lap three or four times with each stone, using a Cabbing machine you have the wheels in sequence next to each other all on the one shaft.
    This makes it much more convenient and in turn will produce better results either way I would have a separate final polishing unit
    I use this company although it would not be a cheap exorcise to have one sent. http://www.gemcuts.com.au/cabbing-machines

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    2,067

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    It might be worth a call to Manchester Minerals, they were incredibly helpful when I called to ask them about stone cutting a few years ago.
    https://www.manchesterminerals.co.uk
    The thing is there are techniques to learn and also how different stones behave etc.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Scotland
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    We did lapidary as part of our course at ECA and I remember it being a very long laborious and dirty process. I would imagine there are many forums on FB too

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    ok thanks everyone xx

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    129

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    Hi Janey I have built all my own machines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM_z4dnWNrw&t=10s cabbing machine and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX9FdRulW60 Flat lap , It depends on exactly what you want if they are going to be flat then a flat lap is ideal but if they are going to be cabochon then you will tend to get flat spots with a flat lap , We have a big community on facebook who are all very helpful https://www.facebook.com/groups/1413...-p8OnvClrZig3w

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
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    As said above if you are able to build you own or know some one who can assist you to build you own, you will save a large amount of money, here in Australia many machines are home built especially on the Opal fields
    all my machines are home built, but then again I am a certified Womble and never throw any thing out and get a kick out of constructing my own stuff.

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