Barranca Diamond Technical Library

Wet Polishing Guide
•	Procedures and suggestions for polishing lapidary materials.
Speed Guidelines
•	Diamond lapidary blade speed recommendations.
Sawing Guidelines
•	Diamond blade sawing recommendations.
Cutting Depth Guidelines
•	Cutting depth guidelines for stone & lapidary blades

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WET POLISHING GUIDE

Wet Polishing Guide: Petrified Wood, Opal, Agate and Other Gem Stones

Polishing Steps:

1 Cut or shape material to the desired surface or pattern using either a diamond blade or diamond cup wheel. 2 Using a clamping device, secure material to be polished to a proper work surface. 3 Remember, polishing is a process which takes time and requires that each grit size pad be used properly to achieve a quality finish. 4 Using the 50, 120, or 220 coarse grit pad, remove all rough scratches and cut marks. Smooth the surface as much as possible with these specific grit pads. The smoothing of the surface during this stage of polishing will determine the quality of the finish that will be achieved. After working the area, dry the surface to determine if all large scratches have been removed. Using a lumber crayon or pencil, mark the surface to determine the depth of the scratches remaining. 5 Once all large scratches have been sufficiently removed, the finer grit pads can be used to achieve the quality finish. The fine grit pads consist of 400, 800, 1800, and 3500. If more luster or color from the polished surface is desired, use the extremely fine 8500 grit pad.

After completing the polishing process, the following steps must be followed if a mirror finish is desired:

• Make a paste of cerium, aluminum or tin oxide using water. • Apply paste to felt wheel. • Run felt wheel with slight pressure against the surface to generate heat. • After paste dries, polishing is complete. • Wash surface with water and dry.

The surface should have a high luster or finish. If the surface appears to have small scratches, repeat step 5. In some cases it may be necessary to repeat steps 4 & 5.

Important Points in the Polishing Process:

• Barranca Diamond polishing pads are designed to be used solely with water to minimize the wear on the pads and prevent hazardous dust. (The use of water acts to cool the polishing pad material, flush away grindings, and eliminate hazardous dust). Always wear eye protection at all times. • Never skip grit sizes during the polishing process. Skipping grit sizes will result in an unsatisfactory finish to the stone. • Diamond polishing pads wear out prematurely due to overworking of the material or by not using a sufficient amount of water. • Failure to spend adequate time polishing with each grit size pad will result in an unsatisfactory finish. • Selection of the flexible rubber backer pad for shaping and curved work is highly recommended. Use the rigid backer pad for the straight edge and flat face material. • Flat 4" 100 mesh wheel can be used to plane down uneven surfaces, remove stubborn scratches and knock off saw nubs.

SPEED GUIDLINES

Lapidary Blade Speed Recommendations

Blade	BD-297	BD-301	BD-303 Series
	Recommended RPM Operating Range in Surface Feet Per Minute
	3000 - 3500	3000 - 4500	4500 - 6000
Blade Diameter	Approximate Arbor Shaft RPM Range
4" (102mm)	2860 - 3340	2860 - 4300	4300 - 5730
5" (127mm)	2290 - 2670	2290 - 3440	3440 - 4580
6" (152mm)	1910 - 2230	1910 - 2870	2870 - 3820
7" (178mm)	1640 - 1910	1640 - 2460	2460 - 3270
8" (203mm)	1430 - 1670	1430 - 2150	2150 - 2870
9" (229mm)	1270 - 1490	1270 - 1910	1910 - 2550
10" (254mm)	1150 - 1340	1150 - 1720	1720 - 2290
12" (305mm)	960 - 1110	960 - 1430	1430 - 1910
14" (356mm)	820 - 960	820 - 1230	1230 - 1640
16" (406mm)	720 - 840	720 - 1070	1070 - 1430
18" (457mm)	640 - 740	640 - 960	960 - 1270
20" (508mm)	570 - 670	570 - 860	860 - 1150
24" (610mm)	480 - 560	480 - 720	720 - 960
30" (762mm)	380 - 450	380 - 570	570 - 760
36" (914mm)	320 - 370	320 - 480	480 - 640

DIAMOND BLADE SAWING GUIDELINES To optimize productivity and blade life it is important to match the material to be cut with the proper blade. The following charts provide general diamond sawing data. The Blade Segment Bond Hardness Cutting Speed Blade Life Harder Slower Longer Softer Faster Shorter Diamond Quality Cutting Speed Blade Life Lower Slower Shorter Higher Faster Longer Diamond Concentration Cutting Speed Blade Life Lower Faster Shorter Higher Slower Longer Segment Width Cutting Speed Blade Life Thinner Faster Shorter Thicker Slower Longer The Job Cutting Depth Cutting Speed Blade Life Shallow Slower Longer Deep Faster Shorter Cutting Pressure (infeed) Cutting Speed Blade Life Lower Slower Shorter Higher Faster Longer Material Hardness Cutting Speed Blade Life Harder Slower Shorter Softer Faster Longer Material Abrasiveness Cutting Speed Blade Life More Faster Shorter Less Slower Longer

STONE & LAPIDARY BLADE CUTTING DEPTH GUIDELINES

Diameter Cutting Depth 6" (152mm) 1-3/4" (45mm) 8" (203mm) 2-1/4" (57mm) 9" (229mm) 2-3/4" (70mm) 10" (254mm) 3-1/4" (83mm) 12" (305mm) 3-3/4" (95mm) 14" (356mm) 5" (127mm) Cutting depth may vary depending on the design of the saw.