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Matrix Lap
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Author:  Gearloose [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 5:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Swore at it in Russian. {Bot moi Kalashnikova}
7.62X39mm, actually. Solved all my problems with it, and suddenly became very satisfied with it.

Author:  Barbara O. Ellis [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Gearloose wrote:
Swore at it in Russian. {Bot moi Kalashnikova}
7.62X39mm, actually. Solved all my problems with it, and suddenly became very satisfied with it.

Those are getting harder to find these days :wink: .

Author:  lorne144man [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

I use my ceramic lap as my flat reference to calibrate my machine. I've thought about hanging my plated laps out at 50 yards.

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Gearloose wrote:
Swore at it in Russian. {Bot moi Kalashnikova}
7.62X39mm, actually. Solved all my problems with it, and suddenly became very satisfied with it.

Where do ceramic laps go when they die?
To the urinal of a working class bar in Boston.

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Gearloose wrote:
7.62X39mm, actually. Solved all my problems with it, and suddenly became very satisfied with it.


Hey! I know somebody who makes brass dops in 7.62x54 mm. Not kidding.

Author:  Gearloose [ Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Doesn't sound ballistically stable.

Anyway, I think it would be fair to bring up something about ceramc laps, and my relationship with them. We all know they produce the sharpest meets, and many people have won championships with them. They are doubtlessly a good proven product. For some people.
My problem with them was that I did get one to work and produce a good polish...sometimes. If I had NEVER gotten good results, I would do as some good, respected gemcutters have done with the Darkside: I would have shrugged it off, saying, "I have spent a lifetime developing sound techniques of speed, pressure, feel, sound, coolant, and polish that have made me successful...and it looks like this is not going to work for me in my shop". (Makes me sad, but it is what it is..)
The part that made me lose my temper with the Ceramic was that I felt like I needed to consult a horoscope or Ouija board prior to taking it down from the wall..there appeared to be no predictable way of knowing whether it was going to work that day, or not.

Author:  ROGER DERY [ Sun Apr 07, 2013 9:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

This past week I worked on a wide variety of gem types. Up until now I was strictly using the Matrix on corundum, spinel and topaz with good and consistent results.

I had planned on giving a more definitive sketch of my uses of the Matrix and how it measured up against my existing arsenal of polishing laps. But since I was so pleasantly surprised with this week's outcome, I thought I would offer this up now.

This week I worked on several Scapolite and Iolite, and from a good 3k on BATT prepolish, a nice finish came up relatively quickly. I would have normally used a Cerium finish for both.

One of the Scapolites became a 17ct finished stone in an emerald cut. Before actually faceting the stone, while still a 28ct pre-form, I polished the huge table by holding it in my fingers against the Matrix. I was taking it from a 1200 Crystalite Sintered lap. NO PRE-POLISH. Awesome!

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Roger,
What polishing media and mesh size did you use on the Matrix for those stones?

Author:  Gearloose [ Fri May 03, 2013 8:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

For a commercial customer:

10" MATRIX laps with 1.00 Inch bores. 3/8 thick baseplate.

Image


Also about to make OMF and Fantasy Mandrels.

Busy little shop.

Author:  ROGER DERY [ Sat May 11, 2013 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

thomas.adamas wrote:
Roger,
What polishing media and mesh size did you use on the Matrix for those stones?
Hi Tom,
I used Crystalite brand 100k diamond powder. As a carrier, one drop of Crystalube. Spread them together so that there was a very fine film well distributed throughout the surface.

This past week I had very nice execution on several blue Zircons and an Iolite. I was also working on a large 15cts+ pyrope/almandine Garnet, and hand-held the stone to polish the table. And the polish was fairly quick to come in.

Like most any polishing system, a consistent pre-polish smooths the way. Depending on the flavor of the day, I am using either 3k on BATT, 8k on BATT and 8k on Zinc. (and the 3k and 8k BATT's are different, dedicated laps)

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Sat May 11, 2013 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

ROGER DERY wrote:
thomas.adamas wrote:
Roger,
What polishing media and mesh size did you use on the Matrix for those stones?
Hi Tom,
I used Crystalite brand 100k diamond powder. As a carrier, one drop of Crystalube. Spread them together so that there was a very fine film well distributed throughout the surface.
This past week I had very nice execution on several blue Zircons and an Iolite. I was also working on a large 15cts+ pyrope/almandine Garnet, and hand-held the stone to polish the table. And the polish was fairly quick to come in.
Like most any polishing system, a consistent pre-polish smooths the way. Depending on the flavor of the day, I am using either 3k on BATT, 8k on BATT and 8k on Zinc. (and the 3k and 8k BATT's are different, dedicated laps)

Interesting. Our techniques are similar. I use 100K polycrystalline diamond powder, usually in distilled water, but sometimes Jojoba oil. I pre-polish normally with a 3K sintered, but for large facets, 8K on BATT.
I have not found anything else to polish Zircon as well as 100K diamond.

Author:  jleb [ Thu May 23, 2013 2:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Currently using my matrix on an umba sapphire with 200k italdo.. it's doing an excellent job of polishing! One warning for folks is NOT to run it up too fast.. I overheated mine stone with speed greed and seriously moved it on the dop, offsetting it 1 index! The fix was to toss it in the transfer jig w/ a smaller cone dop, make sure everything was tight and reheat the wax and press them together hard.. re-alignment on the lap and I was back on target..

Other than the heat caution (which is normal for composites) with wax, it's outstanding. I imagine if you epoxy dopped you wouldn't have this issue as much.. also one doesn't spin up on a darkside as it microscratches, but with this one, fast is no problem, no scratching at all..

Author:  Gearloose [ Thu May 23, 2013 7:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

The Darkside™ is a low friction lap with high thermal diffusivity,so causes little heating, but the Matrix™ is not particularly thermally conductive, so does not act as much of a heat sink. This is because of the microporosity, the suface complexity, and the different materials used.
But the tradeoff is that this heating is a sign of the mechanical Work it is capable of putting into the polishing process.
Analogy: If you drive at 20 MPH and come to a stop, your brake disks are warm. If you drive at 60 and come to a stop, don't try to feel them. All that Horsepower used has been converted back to Heat.

So..Slower and a bit less pressure on the stone, compared to BATT™ or Darkside™.
(Anyone noticed that when changing laps after using BATT™, the lap is noticably warmer? It sucks heat out of the process.)
Yes, "Speed Greed" is a good term.. All of us, over the years, have at times gotten restless waiting for a facet to polish.
When we finally encounter something really fast, it's awfully hard not to put the pedal to the metal...Maybe just a tiny bit more...this is great...look...A little bit more...Oshit.

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Thu May 23, 2013 1:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

I have polished the crown on a nine main round brilliant CZ on the Matrix lap with 100K polycrystalline diamond.
The polishing speed is very fast, faster than anything I have ever used and the facets are flat. When I finish the pavilion, I will post an image.

Author:  jleb [ Sat May 25, 2013 9:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

sorry, no pro photo of that umba sapphire.. it got sold to another person while I was showing it to a dealer at the SF Mineral Society swap meet!!! One of the best looking ones I've cut..

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