Hi Dave, you have been a great inspiration to me!!!!!!! I met Moonstone Bill up in wausau, wi. Loved your video at the tuscon gem show. It is a small world in the lapidary hobby.
For a watering system you can use a empty wine box. They already have a bladder and adjustable valve to control water flow. Just add your hose and #12 solid copper wire to direct the hose and you are done. Of course the fun part is draining the wine out of the box!
I know folks that do this with a drill I think the only problem with using handrill is that it might have a hard time getting up to speed or chucking the bolt but it does work especially in a pinch thank you for watching
Lapidary Dave, I am so happy to find your video. You have single handedly saved my marriage. I have been using all kinds of machinery for more years than I would like to remember. In the future, to keep all your fingers attached to your hands, please roll up your sleeves and secure them safely away from your moving parts. As far as laying your drillpress down. Make a 2x4 wood "L" frame on the Vertical side drill 2 half inch holes measuring from the holes on the base plate. I think the slots aer 1/2" so using some shorter 1/2" bolts, washers and nuts secure the drill press to the frame. Ensure that the frame is wide enough to prevent rolling. Now, you have a way to either stand, or lay flat your drillpress without ever having to remove it from your "L" frame. Hope this helps. Tee
I planned on doing the flat lap with the bucket version of this. Then.i saw the upside down drill press idea.... I think I'm going that way. Thanks Dave it's a pleasure knowing you!
I have had the parts for a few months now, but it’s been too cold to work in my little shed/workshop. Well, I set it up yesterday for the first time. Works fantastic. Had issues with the drip system which is a KFC plastic to go drink bag (bout 1/2 gal), but it worked out. I used a disposable aluminum roasting pan for my catch system. Flexible,adjustable, and CHEAP. I went with the fully threaded rods, but as you said, they don’t turn as true. After reading the comments, I’ll be grinding the chucked end tomorrow. Love the videos and the information. Keep up the good work.
To get more threads on the bolt look for a carriage bolt instead of one with the hexagon all end, since you’ll be cutting off the end anyway it doesn’t matter. The carriage bolts might be lower in strength and I think would rust more easily, but they should be plenty strong enough still and are cheap enough to replace as necessary. I’m not an expert on bolts, but these do have more threads on them. Thanks for the great video, as always. I got a drill press off craigslist for $75, and I got lucky it came with a rolling cart that the person I bought it from made as well. There were cheaper ones but the one I got is just like the one in the video, which I was absolutely thrilled about.
@@MrGaryStaples hi yeah I’m happy that it inspired folks to give it a shot. Please let me know how yours works out. I’d love to try to make another the same video. I want to focus on one dedicated to putting it sideways and using it for wheels instead of just flat lap
@@lapidarydaveI haven’t gotten into grinding with anything other than a dremel tool yet, I’m just messing with some smallish opals at the moment. I did put the drill press on its side though, using milk crates and some pavers, and used it as a trim saw on an opal. I cut a slot in a piece of tupperware and filled that with water. What I’ve seen done is using a sponge to catch the water from the blade. I got absolutely hosed without it. I’ll say this as well. Walmart sells little cheap bendy car oil funnels that both fit onto a 3 gallon water jug well, and also fit nicely into each other for lots of reach and bendiness.
Great video! If you can’t find a bolt that the threads won’t go all the through your lapidary wheels, you should see what the cost is for a tap and die set to extend the threads.
When I started out I tried this seeing it on you tube. Problem was is my little drill press from harbor freight, the motor got seriously hot and nearly burned up. The capacitor blew out first and I was able to get another one and it works again. So for the cheapies out there like mine beware the motor getting hot spinning that weight. I ended up getting a potter wheel for $99 on ebay. I drilled a small hole in dead center, put a thin 1/2" round washer as the arbor and screwed down and the flat laps hold on very well! Perfect speed, not too fast, not too slow and I have now done about 130 nice pendants on it. Just also get a couple small 6mm hoses and get 2 nuts and bolts. Drill down thru the center of them so water passes though. Drill at the lowest points in the plastic pan. Its very simple and drain into a bucket after you put a little drip system on it. Remember to get some rubber washers onthe inside and outside of those two bolts so it doesn't drip. You can make a couple if needed from the rubber out of the inside of a plastic coke bottle. The entire thing cost me like $108.oo. Try to get aluminum bolts at about 6mm round to use so they don't rust out from water passing through them all the time. Cool thing is you can switch plate sizes if you get the 11" pottery wheel. With not having to have any backing plate. The wheel is your backing plate.
What an amazing idea! My drill press is an upright floor type so I will have to get a bench top model. Thanks for show how to do this otherwise it’s 1-2k $ for a lapidary machine!!
Nice vid man!! Quick tip on your fastener setup....good rule of thumb is at least two to three full threads should be showing to make sure that nylon lock (Nylok) nut is doing its job.
Very creative. A tip: don't use two pliers to tighten the nuts as you will end up chewing up the nuts. Use wrenches. Yes, tape a length of at least 12 gauge copper wire to the watering tube before taping both to the drill. With the wire, you can direct the stream to exactly where you need it.
everyone who has ever used pliers to tighten nuts knows they are chwing them up and that wrenches are better. But we don't want to look for the right wrench 🤣
I made my own flat lap just like yours. Made a smaller version to fit my rotary tool in a clamp👌.. Works great, i make Jewellery, silversmith n stuff so started wanting to make my own cabs an thought how can i do it without spending loads! Where there's a will theres a way😉. Shout out from ireland Dave 👍🍀
Dave -- it's easy to add more threads to a partially threaded bolt. Get a die from HF and cut the extra threads you'll need. Love the idea of the expandable wheel mounted in a drill horizontally! Another possible source of long bolts with custom washers (and rubber bushings) is a sway bar link kit for autos -- if you have a friend willing to let you open a few boxes on the shelf in an auto parts store --- you may find something that will have the right measurements. I once fixed a broken differential mount on my Triumph TR-6 with a sway bar link -- worked perfect.
Thanks for watching I really appreciate it and thank you for subscribing it really helps out the channel let me know how it works out for you my friend if you decide to put the drill press upside down instead of hanging with that laugh like I did you’re gonna want to cut the bolt as short as possible which will keep the bolts shaft from warping of getting bent
Just a suggestion, when mounting a wheel with a drill press, reverse the motor so the direction grinds away from you instead of towards you. Much safer that way. A knife makers trick
I've used a cheap bench grinder, drill press a d a regular hand drill mounted to a two by four frame. With the bolt, you can also take a file or grinder and file three sides flat to fit in the drill chuck better. It just takes some effort to balance it.
I have four drill presses around and this was interesting . I have cabbing machines , polishing equipment and all kinds of purpose built tool s. Drill presses are easy finds at garage sales . And can change speeds by flipping the belts inside !
Just bought some cheap diamond plates and long bolts for my drill press. Thanks for the tip, This is easy and cheap way to start this hobby 👍 Also got bench grinder and some diamond pads for that.
@@lapidarydave i think it works well, for me anyway 😄👍 i did some video too. Just started my own UA-cam channel for rocks, here in Finland there is no that kinda content, havent seen anyway. I did some videos of rocks my other channel sometimes and then i tought why not rock channel also 😊👍 kotikylän kivet is homevillage rocks in English 😄 Thank you for the videos, very helpful videos 👍 i think this is gonna be very fun and intresting and teatching journey for me 😊😎
Hiya dave, Get a die and die wrench from your favourite big box store, maybe before cutting the head of the bolt off, use the correct die to lengthen the treaded part. Stay safe, Steve...
I have a Shopsmith that’s been sitting around. Not only does it convert to a drill press, table saw, sander, etc but the whole thing is variable speed so I can use the lower rpm settings. Just need to figure out how to keep the motor dry. They freaking last forever. Ours is circa 1940 something and still runs great.
So David now I have to get rid of my spray bottle it works but not as good as the dripping water does😂 I like it I got all of it however one of my wheels is flat I think Johnson could fix it I hope
YOU ARE MY HERO! Thank you for posting this. I have been wondering how you make a decent lapidary using a hand held grinder. However, I HAVE A DRILL PRESS! What more do I need? I already have some lapping disks of various grits, bolts and nuts of all sorts, and even developed an IV drip system for my water source.
@@lapidarydave Thank you! You have greatly inspired me to have aguick and easy fix to my 3 year dilemma. I only bought my little drill press last year for $40 from a listing on Craigslist. It is about the size of yours! LOL. Thank you, again!
That would be totally awesome my friend I wish I knew how to find something to extend the threads hi I am pretty much hardware illiterate and have to reach out to my friends when it comes to stuff like that if you don’t mind I would love to see a link with your ideas on what could make it better
@@markattardo facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010423326634 This is my Facebook link feel free to message me on Facebook it would be a pleasure and an honor also if you don’t have Facebook you can hit me up on Instagram via #LapidaryDave
I’m sure he would Deborah and I imagine if the drill press is older it would be a lot better than most things you could buy nowadays new let me know if you need any helps with your set up thanks for watching
Nice video brother. For solving that wheels thread problem and shaking problem you can just go to your nearest lath mashen workshop and they make you a fitting size rod with desired threads in 5 minute. And it's would be very cheap. Thanks for video
Dave- great video. I’m very new to this gem world. I recently dug some garnets in NC and would like to polish them up so you can actually see the their beautiful color. Could you please tell me what wheels I need to achieve this. Thank you!
Depending on what machine you plan on using to grind and polish it might be different between machines but a good rule of thumb would be to buy 80 grit disk/wheel, 220grit hard disk/wheel, 280 grit soft disk/wheel, 600grit soft disk/wheel, 1200grit soft disk/wheel, and 3000grit soft disk/wheel all should be diamond :)
Another option for the wheel mount is to chuck a length of all-thread of the right diameter into the drill press and use a file to remove the threads from one end.
I'm surprised i haven't seen a cheap lathe adapted to a cabbing machine yet! it's already sideways and you could easily support a bar with a bunch of wheels!
@@lapidarydave lol very good point! Cutting stones to shape with a wet saw, and indeed the discs! Did you build your own? Trying to find an affordable way to cut and shape stones before I tumble them, I’ve got little space and little budged, I’m a disabled jewellery maker! Even making jewellery I work on a try or a tiny corner of a room! Need to try and find a way to cut and shape. I am wondering if I can use my flexshaft, I’ve made a make shift saw table from a really useful box but it’s just for small stones, and I use a iv bag for water. Not tried it yet as I need to make a temporary bench to use it on outside first!!! 😃
@@PhoenixCreationsKaTyJs so if you just look up Lapidary flat lap disks, I use the 6 inch ones 80 grit 220 and 600 then you switch to diamond impregnated resin 1200 and 3000 is all you need?
Just a note; if you don't thread the bolt thru the nylon, it defeats the purpose. I would imagine you could use a spent 8" saw blade as a master lap. Grind off sharps of fine tooth luann blade. A colapsable camping water container has a valve, better control of your drip. A larger chuck would allow you to use your other wheel. I have $65 HF press, I can change chucks.
Just get yourself a router speed control, then you can fine tune the rpm to each wheel/accessory without changing the belt locations and still not getting the proper rpm... Ive had mine for ten plus years and it's still going strong.
Awesome video! I recently aquired a bunch of turquoise rough , looks treated already. Ill be doing this project this week. My question is are you using the 6 inch or 8 inch flat disks ? I appreciate your time !
@@brandonhightower792 You also may want to recover the Turquoise dust/sludge in the bottom of the water tank, as it's valuable to use for other things, or sell to others!
You should use correctly sized wrenches rather pliers as the pliers will mare the nuts. R.E.: Water collection. Turn the table 90 degrees out of the way and use blocks of wood to bring the collection pot to the required level. R.E.: Threading Bolts. Get a die with the proper threads and thread the bolts the distance you require.
If you’re talking about grinding stones for like a graining a hard stone wheel against stones for shaping definitely silicon carbide and you’re gonna wanna make sure that it’s a lapidary silicon carbide wheel
Used a nylon cutting board for backer. 8" bolt, bottom of nylon nut sat perfectly in hole of base, water lubricating. Then developed heck of a wobble, turned down the rpm to 2200, but feels like bolt is bent. Going to try shortening. Thanks for the ideas. ✌️
If I could go to only One show it would be the Tucson gem and mineral show there are literally thousands of vendors spread amongst a few different venues during the Tucson gem and mineral show in January and February However this year it’s been rescheduled for April almost anything you could ever think of can be found at the Tucson show
Definitely , I don’t use it often but I have a friend that uses it every day on even cheaper job for us and she is kicking a lot of butt with it she loves it and plans on making a few more
Hello. I hope you are aware that nylon locknuts are meant for a one shot usage. You can of course use anything more than once, but be aware. I also hope you are threading the bolt further along passed the nylon than you showed. Ugh, no pliers! At least use an adjustable wrench if you're not going to use proper wrenches or sockets. Thanks for sharing the idea. I like the possibilities.
Thank you so much for the information and I really appreciate you sharing it in a kind and sensitive way some people just call me an idiot and tell me that I don’t know what I’m doing LOL which is actually true I don’t know much about tools especially when it comes to locking nuts wrenches screwdrivers etc. so I’m so thankful for your helpful educational tips I will definitely in the future try to use something different besides the one time use locking nylon nuts
gave a good presentation but i think you need to know this about safety. don't wear long sleeves jackets, shirts if you do make shore to roll or tie them up so you don't tangled up in the machine. just a tip.
Hi Dave, you have been a great inspiration to me!!!!!!! I met Moonstone Bill up in wausau, wi. Loved your video at the tuscon gem show. It is a small world in the lapidary hobby.
For a watering system you can use a empty wine box. They already have a bladder and adjustable valve to control water flow. Just add your hose and #12 solid copper wire to direct the hose and you are done. Of course the fun part is draining the wine out of the box!
great too my friend
That is such a good idea,I'm loving this channel
Haha I had the exact same thought earlier today lol.
Great video! I Don't want to go broke buying all this equipment, this is a means to work the stones at a very low cost. Thanks!
You've given this newbie so much confidence, in such a short time. Thank you kindly!
Thank you for watching my friend :)
I'm embarrassed to say that I've done this with a drill and did NOT think to do this with my press............GENIUS
I know folks that do this with a drill I think the only problem with using handrill is that it might have a hard time getting up to speed or chucking the bolt but it does work especially in a pinch thank you for watching
This just gave me an idea to use my HF wood lathe as a cab machine.
Lapidary Dave, I am so happy to find your video. You have single handedly saved my marriage. I have been using all kinds of machinery for more years than I would like to remember. In the future, to keep all your fingers attached to your hands, please roll up your sleeves and secure them safely away from your moving parts. As far as laying your drillpress down. Make a 2x4 wood "L" frame on the Vertical side drill 2 half inch holes measuring from the holes on the base plate. I think the slots aer 1/2" so using some shorter 1/2" bolts, washers and nuts secure the drill press to the frame. Ensure that the frame is wide enough to prevent rolling. Now, you have a way to either stand, or lay flat your drillpress without ever having to remove it from your "L" frame. Hope this helps. Tee
howdy my friend this info was super helpful:)
I planned on doing the flat lap with the bucket version of this. Then.i saw the upside down drill press idea.... I think I'm going that way. Thanks Dave it's a pleasure knowing you!
Totally my pleasure and my honor I’m so thankful that this has helped in any kind of way thank you so much for watching my friend
I have had the parts for a few months now, but it’s been too cold to work in my little shed/workshop. Well, I set it up yesterday for the first time. Works fantastic. Had issues with the drip system which is a KFC plastic to go drink bag (bout 1/2 gal), but it worked out. I used a disposable aluminum roasting pan for my catch system. Flexible,adjustable, and CHEAP. I went with the fully threaded rods, but as you said, they don’t turn as true. After reading the comments, I’ll be grinding the chucked end tomorrow. Love the videos and the information. Keep up the good work.
To get more threads on the bolt look for a carriage bolt instead of one with the hexagon all end, since you’ll be cutting off the end anyway it doesn’t matter. The carriage bolts might be lower in strength and I think would rust more easily, but they should be plenty strong enough still and are cheap enough to replace as necessary. I’m not an expert on bolts, but these do have more threads on them.
Thanks for the great video, as always. I got a drill press off craigslist for $75, and I got lucky it came with a rolling cart that the person I bought it from made as well. There were cheaper ones but the one I got is just like the one in the video, which I was absolutely thrilled about.
@@MrGaryStaples hi yeah I’m happy that it inspired folks to give it a shot. Please let me know how yours works out. I’d love to try to make another the same video. I want to focus on one dedicated to putting it sideways and using it for wheels instead of just flat lap
@@lapidarydaveI haven’t gotten into grinding with anything other than a dremel tool yet, I’m just messing with some smallish opals at the moment. I did put the drill press on its side though, using milk crates and some pavers, and used it as a trim saw on an opal. I cut a slot in a piece of tupperware and filled that with water. What I’ve seen done is using a sponge to catch the water from the blade. I got absolutely hosed without it. I’ll say this as well. Walmart sells little cheap bendy car oil funnels that both fit onto a 3 gallon water jug well, and also fit nicely into each other for lots of reach and bendiness.
Great video! If you can’t find a bolt that the threads won’t go all the through your lapidary wheels, you should see what the cost is for a tap and die set to extend the threads.
Impressive!!! I am learning to work with semi-precious stones, and this is very helpful. Thank you.
Dang! You are indeed a brilliant lapidary wizard! So cool, so fun, absolutely inventive!
Truly I’m not the first but i did it my way 😅 I really appreciate you watching my friend
When I started out I tried this seeing it on you tube. Problem was is my little drill press from harbor freight, the motor got seriously hot and nearly burned up. The capacitor blew out first and I was able to get another one and it works again. So for the cheapies out there like mine beware the motor getting hot spinning that weight. I ended up getting a potter wheel for $99 on ebay. I drilled a small hole in dead center, put a thin 1/2" round washer as the arbor and screwed down and the flat laps hold on very well! Perfect speed, not too fast, not too slow and I have now done about 130 nice pendants on it. Just also get a couple small 6mm hoses and get 2 nuts and bolts. Drill down thru the center of them so water passes though. Drill at the lowest points in the plastic pan. Its very simple and drain into a bucket after you put a little drip system on it. Remember to get some rubber washers onthe inside and outside of those two bolts so it doesn't drip. You can make a couple if needed from the rubber out of the inside of a plastic coke bottle. The entire thing cost me like $108.oo. Try to get aluminum bolts at about 6mm round to use so they don't rust out from water passing through them all the time. Cool thing is you can switch plate sizes if you get the 11" pottery wheel. With not having to have any backing plate. The wheel is your backing plate.
That is a fantastic idea there, guy! Outstanding!
What an amazing idea! My drill press is an upright floor type so I will have to get a bench top model. Thanks for show how to do this otherwise it’s 1-2k $ for a lapidary machine!!
I watched your video and I made my own. Thanks, it works nice!!!!!
@@alanm3438 heck yea!!!
Great idea. I have a lortone cabbing machine and trim saw but this will be a game changer for me. Thank you very much.
Nice vid man!! Quick tip on your fastener setup....good rule of thumb is at least two to three full threads should be showing to make sure that nylon lock (Nylok) nut is doing its job.
Thanks for the tip my friend:)
Thank you! You just saved me a BUNCH of money.
Very creative. A tip: don't use two pliers to tighten the nuts as you will end up chewing up the nuts. Use wrenches. Yes, tape a length of at least 12 gauge copper wire to the watering tube before taping both to the drill. With the wire, you can direct the stream to exactly where you need it.
Ah, the old wire trick.
everyone who has ever used pliers to tighten nuts knows they are chwing them up and that wrenches are better. But we don't want to look for the right wrench 🤣
I made my own flat lap just like yours. Made a smaller version to fit my rotary tool in a clamp👌.. Works great, i make Jewellery, silversmith n stuff so started wanting to make my own cabs an thought how can i do it without spending loads! Where there's a will theres a way😉. Shout out from ireland Dave 👍🍀
What does that look like? I would like to have one for a rotary myself
Thank you so much for letting me know the video helped ken :)
Dave -- it's easy to add more threads to a partially threaded bolt. Get a die from HF and cut the extra threads you'll need. Love the idea of the expandable wheel mounted in a drill horizontally! Another possible source of long bolts with custom washers (and rubber bushings) is a sway bar link kit for autos -- if you have a friend willing to let you open a few boxes on the shelf in an auto parts store --- you may find something that will have the right measurements. I once fixed a broken differential mount on my Triumph TR-6 with a sway bar link -- worked perfect.
That is some great information thank you so much I will have to try that
Thanks for saving me a boatload of money! Subscribed!
Thanks for watching I really appreciate it and thank you for subscribing it really helps out the channel let me know how it works out for you my friend if you decide to put the drill press upside down instead of hanging with that laugh like I did you’re gonna want to cut the bolt as short as possible which will keep the bolts shaft from warping of getting bent
Absolutely the best for the begginers starting out great effort but very appreciated Shane Fox Aust
Love your videos. You now have an admire all the way from India.
That is fantastic my friend :) maybe you can show me around when I come to India 🇮🇳
@@lapidarydave Any time brother. Will be a pleasure. Can help you out planning a trip if you are interested.
@@rgrovermz definitely interested in your help
Just a suggestion, when mounting a wheel with a drill press, reverse the motor so the direction grinds away from you instead of towards you. Much safer that way. A knife makers trick
could move to the left a few inches 🤪😁
Just change which side of the press the one uses. My press does not easily rotate in an opposite direction.
It doesn't matter which way you run the motor 1 side is always going the right direction
What a cool idea , i was going to buy one, now i just use the drill press, brilliant idea....
I've used a cheap bench grinder, drill press a d a regular hand drill mounted to a two by four frame. With the bolt, you can also take a file or grinder and file three sides flat to fit in the drill chuck better. It just takes some effort to balance it.
I have four drill presses around and this was interesting . I have cabbing machines , polishing equipment and all kinds of purpose built tool s. Drill presses are easy finds at garage sales . And can change speeds by flipping the belts inside !
Very clever Dave. Thanks for the video.
😅 I didn’t come up with the idea but I had share it for Thomas that it could help :)
I liked this idea, so I tried it and it has worked very good for me.
Cool a Mcgyver style Lapiary wheel, Nice video . Keep them coming dave we love your videos.
Thanks for watching my friend
Man i just found your channel and this is an awesome idea
Thanks for watching brother. I really appreciate it.
@lapidarydave you are most welcome bro,and thanks so much for the cool idea.
Just bought some cheap diamond plates and long bolts for my drill press. Thanks for the tip, This is easy and cheap way to start this hobby 👍
Also got bench grinder and some diamond pads for that.
Heck yea tell me how it goes
@@lapidarydave i think it works well, for me anyway 😄👍 i did some video too.
Just started my own UA-cam channel for rocks, here in Finland there is no that kinda content, havent seen anyway. I did some videos of rocks my other channel sometimes and then i tought why not rock channel also 😊👍 kotikylän kivet is homevillage rocks in English 😄
Thank you for the videos, very helpful videos 👍 i think this is gonna be very fun and intresting and teatching journey for me 😊😎
Another great one my friend... thank you as always!!!
Always my pleasure :)
what a fantastic idea, thanks so much for sharing!!
My pleasure thank you for watching
Hiya dave,
Get a die and die wrench from your favourite big box store, maybe before cutting the head of the bolt off, use the correct die to lengthen the treaded part. Stay safe, Steve...
I have a Shopsmith that’s been sitting around. Not only does it convert to a drill press, table saw, sander, etc but the whole thing is variable speed so I can use the lower rpm settings. Just need to figure out how to keep the motor dry. They freaking last forever. Ours is circa 1940 something and still runs great.
i’ve been looking for a shop smith for a while they are so cool
Clever way to make due with simple tools!
Definitely :) love your channel bro
An Idea. buy enough bolts that you can mount all your laps for easier switching.
This video saved me hundreds of dollars. . . at least for now!
So David now I have to get rid of my spray bottle it works but not as good as the dripping water does😂 I like it I got all of it however one of my wheels is flat I think Johnson could fix it I hope
If no nylon or other locking nut, use 2 regular nuts to prevent the backing off od the nut.
YOU ARE MY HERO!
Thank you for posting this. I have been wondering how you make a decent lapidary using a hand held grinder. However, I HAVE A DRILL PRESS! What more do I need? I already have some lapping disks of various grits, bolts and nuts of all sorts, and even developed an IV drip system for my water source.
i think your good to go my friend let me know how it works out for you
@@lapidarydave Thank you! You have greatly inspired me to have aguick and easy fix to my 3 year dilemma. I only bought my little drill press last year for $40 from a listing on Craigslist. It is about the size of yours! LOL.
Thank you, again!
That is one way to do it w?o spending a fortune-which is not possible. Good job!
Fantastic information!!! I wonder if conical washers / Belleville Spring Lock Washers would be beneficial in addition to the fender washers.
Also, you could extend the threads with a 1/2" die, just get the correct pitch.
That would be totally awesome my friend I wish I knew how to find something to extend the threads hi I am pretty much hardware illiterate and have to reach out to my friends when it comes to stuff like that if you don’t mind I would love to see a link with your ideas on what could make it better
@@lapidarydave I posted a reply but it seems to have vanish, let me know if you saw it.
@@markattardo unfortunately I did not get it UA-cam has been extremely weird with my comments
@@markattardo facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010423326634
This is my Facebook link feel free to message me on Facebook it would be a pleasure and an honor also if you don’t have Facebook you can hit me up on Instagram via #LapidaryDave
I want to try this, I have a drill press that was my late husband's, and I think that he would want me to give it a try 😉
I’m sure he would Deborah and I imagine if the drill press is older it would be a lot better than most things you could buy nowadays new let me know if you need any helps with your set up thanks for watching
Loosen the table and spin it around to the side or back, then you can have more room for a deeper collection pan.
Nice video brother. For solving that wheels thread problem and shaking problem you can just go to your nearest lath mashen workshop and they make you a fitting size rod with desired threads in 5 minute. And it's would be very cheap. Thanks for video
Definitely my friend I was thinking the same :)
Oil drain pan would be perfect for the water catch.
That is really Cool!!!
Hey pretty cool man.👍
Love this thanks for sharing, that setup is brilliant! Just gave your shop a favorite, I'm (Crimson Dragon Jewelry) :)
Thanks so much my friend I really appreciate it:)
Thanks👍 have to try this too 😄👍
Thank you so much! Very helpful!
Nice video Dave👍
Dave- great video. I’m very new to this gem world. I recently dug some garnets in NC and would like to polish them up so you can actually see the their beautiful color. Could you please tell me what wheels I need to achieve this.
Thank you!
Depending on what machine you plan on using to grind and polish it might be different between machines but a good rule of thumb would be to buy 80 grit disk/wheel, 220grit hard disk/wheel, 280 grit soft disk/wheel, 600grit soft disk/wheel, 1200grit soft disk/wheel, and 3000grit soft disk/wheel all should be diamond :)
Another option for the wheel mount is to chuck a length of all-thread of the right diameter into the drill press and use a file to remove the threads from one end.
Shweeeeeeeeeeet! 🧠💎🔥
Can you show me the number of discs you are using? What brand and models? What brand of discs are good?
Awesome idea thanks
I'm surprised i haven't seen a cheap lathe adapted to a cabbing machine yet! it's already sideways and you could easily support a bar with a bunch of wheels!
i’ve seen it before but it’s way river to use a pulley motor pillow blocks and a threaded rods
so super glue will work for daub stick been curious about that.
Ty Dave
🤯😀 you are very creative 💯🤩
Thanks for watching:)
@@lapidarydave thank you for your awesome videos 😊💫
Omg thank you so much. This was a great video. You da 💣kid
Totally my pleasure
Love this - what do you use for cutting? 😊
@@PhoenixCreationsKaTyJs like sawing? Or do you mean the diamond disks? :)
@@lapidarydave lol very good point! Cutting stones to shape with a wet saw, and indeed the discs! Did you build your own? Trying to find an affordable way to cut and shape stones before I tumble them, I’ve got little space and little budged, I’m a disabled jewellery maker! Even making jewellery I work on a try or a tiny corner of a room! Need to try and find a way to cut and shape. I am wondering if I can use my flexshaft, I’ve made a make shift saw table from a really useful box but it’s just for small stones, and I use a iv bag for water. Not tried it yet as I need to make a temporary bench to use it on outside first!!! 😃
@@PhoenixCreationsKaTyJs so if you just look up Lapidary flat lap disks, I use the 6 inch ones 80 grit 220 and 600 then you switch to diamond impregnated resin 1200 and 3000 is all you need?
@@lapidarydave thank you! Have you ever made your own set up to cut stones?
@@PhoenixCreationsKaTyJs time saw
Really smart! Thank you
what diameter is the bolt? and length? 100 cm? by 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch diameter?
Very helpful thank you.
Just a note; if you don't thread the bolt thru the nylon, it defeats the purpose. I would imagine you could use a spent 8" saw blade as a master lap. Grind off sharps of fine tooth luann blade. A colapsable camping water container has a valve, better control of your drip.
A larger chuck would allow you to use your other wheel. I have $65 HF press, I can change chucks.
1/2 inch shoulder bolt
Hi Dave. Thinking of doing this but wondering what size of flat lap disc you were using. 6 or 8 inch. 👍🇨🇦
this was 6 but i’d prefer 8 any six that dosent hit the neck of the drill press is fine
Great guy...love you
Interesting, but why must the wheel spin up ad down and not sideways as it spins?
It doesn’t have to you can spend it anywhere you like in fact in the Middle East and in the Philippines they use their flat laps sideways
Just get yourself a router speed control, then you can fine tune the rpm to each wheel/accessory without changing the belt locations and still not getting the proper rpm... Ive had mine for ten plus years and it's still going strong.
Awesome video! I recently aquired a bunch of turquoise rough , looks treated already. Ill be doing this project this week. My question is are you using the 6 inch or 8 inch flat disks ? I appreciate your time !
In this video and at my house I use 6”
@@lapidarydave Great , thank you !
@@brandonhightower792 You also may want to recover the Turquoise dust/sludge in the bottom of the water tank, as it's valuable to use for other things, or sell to others!
You should use correctly sized wrenches rather pliers as the pliers will mare the nuts.
R.E.: Water collection. Turn the table 90 degrees out of the way and use blocks of wood to bring the collection pot to the required level.
R.E.: Threading Bolts. Get a die with the proper threads and thread the bolts the distance you require.
🤩....from malaysia
When buying grinding stones what would you recommend silicon oxide or aluminum oxide or neither
If you’re talking about grinding stones for like a graining a hard stone wheel against stones for shaping definitely silicon carbide and you’re gonna wanna make sure that it’s a lapidary silicon carbide wheel
Muito top amigo parabéns ótimas dicas tmjs amigo 👦
I missed it. What's the grit # on the flat lap, please?
Maybe 80#
a 1/2 hammer drill on a vice might work better for the expandible wheel
Definitely worth a try thank you so much for watching and thank you so much for the suggestion
Used a nylon cutting board for backer. 8" bolt, bottom of nylon nut sat perfectly in hole of base, water lubricating. Then developed heck of a wobble, turned down the rpm to 2200, but feels like bolt is bent. Going to try shortening. Thanks for the ideas. ✌️
good luck my friend keep me posted :)
Bolt threads never touched the nylon on the nut
Hello Dave, If you could only go to one Gem show a year , which one would it be? Thanks Charlie
If I could go to only One show it would be the Tucson gem and mineral show there are literally thousands of vendors spread amongst a few different venues during the Tucson gem and mineral show in January and February However this year it’s been rescheduled for April almost anything you could ever think of can be found at the Tucson show
You didn’t tighten that nyloc nut down far enough so it wasn’t actually “locking”
Good info thankyou
Excellent. Thanks.
Thank you :)
Aviation nut. for vibrations.
Hows this going for you Dave? Still running ok?
Definitely , I don’t use it often but I have a friend that uses it every day on even cheaper job for us and she is kicking a lot of butt with it she loves it and plans on making a few more
It's called a Ny-lock nut
Just get 1/2 in all thread rod
So sick
Perfect. ✌️
Genius!
A brand would be NYLOCK nuts. maybe poly nuts
Hello. I hope you are aware that nylon locknuts are meant for a one shot usage. You can of course use anything more than once, but be aware. I also hope you are threading the bolt further along passed the nylon than you showed. Ugh, no pliers! At least use an adjustable wrench if you're not going to use proper wrenches or sockets.
Thanks for sharing the idea. I like the possibilities.
Thank you so much for the information and I really appreciate you sharing it in a kind and sensitive way some people just call me an idiot and tell me that I don’t know what I’m doing LOL which is actually true I don’t know much about tools especially when it comes to locking nuts wrenches screwdrivers etc. so I’m so thankful for your helpful educational tips I will definitely in the future try to use something different besides the one time use locking nylon nuts
You only need a drip, drip, system for the water, not pouring.
gave a good presentation but i think you need to know this about safety. don't wear long sleeves jackets, shirts if you do make shore to roll or tie them up so you don't tangled up in the machine. just a tip.