Cutting Compounds

Hi all, after failing to get a perfect polish I thought I should ask the experts.

I have the following compounds with my new (secondhand) kit and would like to know what size compound they are and in what order and lap types they should be used with to get good results on sapphires.

I have a bunch of laps including tin, copper, Perspex, steel?

I also have just purchased diamond lap disks 600, 1000, 1200, 1500, 3000 after being impressed with the 1200 lap included in the kit

Jars are labeled:

Cerium Oxide
Tin Oxide
Aluminium A 0.3um
LAPSA
LINDEA

Thanks in advance

G'day Wally,

the cerium oxide & tin oxide are really good on the Perspex lap for quartz & generally any thing with a hardness of 7 or less. Linde A is also a form of Cerium Oxide. I've used Lapsa but generally now I stick with Cerium 7 Tin Oxide. I put about a tea spoon in a spray bottle with water, Metho & a couple of drops of lavender oil. I then spray it on the lap. the lavender oil provides a slight viscosity on the lap but generally I use it to make the Adelaide water smell better!

With your copper & Tin Laps you'll need to obtain some diamond grit & / or spray to use on your stones harder than 7 - I use 3k for pre-polish 14k, 50k then finish on 100k.

The best way is to try what works best for you.

Cheers Dughug

Dughug

Diamond powder on the shopping list it is then.

I know what you mean by the Adelaide water, think I can smell it from here. I must say those Coopers boys do know how to turn it into beer and golf course greens though.