I have seen others use a cream substance and diamond dust as a final polish using a Tin lap. Are there any other DIY examples out there? Does any one have a recipe for diamond dust in a spray?
Hi Marcus,
I don’t know if a recipe for diamond cream, But I make my own spray by adding half a 5ct bottle of diamond powder to half a bottle of isopropyl alcohol (in the paint section of Bunnings) and a few drops of thin detergent (in my case a few squirts of Orange Power surface spray) to stop the diamond clumping.
regards
Gordon
I wrote an article on using syringes and preparing cream that was published in FT 164 page 6. The method was based on information contained in Cutting Gemstones - A Beginners Guide to Faceting. The method is easy to prepare and is not messy. I added a few drops of Food Colouring of different colour for ease of identification. In my case the colour code for electronic resistors was used eg orange for 3K and green for 50K. It made it easy for me to identify when the so-called permanent marker pen was erased from the syringe during use.
Bruce H
A long time tried and tested formula for a cream (not a spray) is the one developed by the late Frank Dickson. The recipe is 5ml Teflon grease (sold as Superlube), plus 5ml of Teflon oil (same brand), plus 5ct of 50k diamond powder. I mix it up in a 35mm film canister, place a wooden toothpick in the canister - the toothpick is used to place small blobs of the mix on the lap. I work this in to the surface with a finger tip, then wipe the surface free of any surplus with a pad of folded paper towel. This pad is then given a small squirt of Teflon oil, folded in half and placed in another film canister - any time the lap shows any sign of "high spotting", or starts to drag too much, this pad can be used to touch up the spinning lap. The paper will become very black, but you can continue to use it until it starts to break up too much. Some people use a small leather pad instead of the paper towel. I have found that this mix will polish all kinds of materials on tin, or tin alloy (including quartz). I also use it on a ceramic lap to polish sapphires - they can be done on the tin, but the ceramic is much faster.
I omitted to mention in my post that I have a Decor container for 3K accessories and one for 50K. Each contains all items associated with each sized diamond mesh eg 100mm square tile and small artist's spatula. Tile cost about $1.00 and the Spatula about $2.50. The two containers are never opened on the work bench at the same time.
Thank friends for the great information. I will try a few out over the next month or so. Regards
Marcus
Also forgot to mention that if my mix starts to dry out I use one or two drops of Paraffin Oil and distribute it with a calibrated finger. For overseas readers Paraffin Oil is edible Mineral Oil that is used in Baby Oil. Definitely not Kerosene as known in the UK.
I make a spray in a 90-100ml spray bottle using 1.5 ct of diamond. 50% demineralised water and 50% propylene glycol.
This is based on a formula I found on the us facet guild forum.
I get the bottles from cheap Japanese shop “daiso”. The propylene glycol I found in an odd place - namely a vaping supplies shop “vape central” .
I use this for all grits from 1800 (I use as a fine cut on copper) up to 100k.
I find it works really well, the glycol seems to assist in both keeping the laps clean and providing lubrication.
As a chemist, I find it strange that anyone could find some hazard in Teflon grease. Teflon is one of the most inert materials known - it even stands up to quite high levels of heat, as shown by its use in non-stick pans. When faceting, you are putting it on a lap, not eating it, so where can the "problem" be.
Not sure if this will help, here in the US, my mentor makes a diamond spray for his students, he uses 14K diamond powder, not sure on the exact amount and uses a light oil like sewing machine oil and denatured alcohol equal parts in a small spray bottle, just shake & spray on your polishing lap.
I've used it on Batt laps, tin, tin & lead, Darkside, it always works well in polishing my stones, which mainly consist of lab created materials, CZ & spinel, but also works well on glass that I have cut & polished.
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