January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
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 Post subject: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 9:26 pm 
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Thanks to our friend Wilson for the suggestion on an earlier thread:

Quote:
This was much smoother than the other zinc lap I was using. AS a cutting and prepolish lap it worked very well.
Not sure if he would ever consider it with a matrix center. I like it as a prepolish alp but I like to be able to finish the polish after prepolish, but the zinc does not do a good job on the final polish.


I am looking for a couple of current DOMINATRIX™ users who can give an A/B comparison of the operating experience differences between the Dominatrix™ and THIS:

Image
I anticipate significantly faster prepolishing, but more aggressive and possibly less pleasant and forgiving than the BATT band of the Dominatrix™.

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 12:25 am 
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Location: Wylie Texas but in Alaska for a while
can I try one?

It would be nice to have a god polish lap here in Alaska.

I had my wife send me what she thought was the right lap. One was an original matrix (vs diamatrix) lap. I used the back to polish a synthetic spinel with 13k and 100.

Today, I am working on a stone that lefty sent me. (calcite maybe?) I am sing the dominatrix with 13k and 100,000. The 13k leaves a alost acceptale polished face. Just a few seconds with 100 on the atrix makes it shine.. It has been a real pleasure to cut so far. The only problem I am having is that it is so clear, I am getting reflections on the facet from unpolished section of the stone.


She thoght she was sending my the test zinc lap, but it yturned out to be a foam backed sanding pad.

I will also need to get online and order some more 13k. I used almost all of the last stick on a synthetic ruby, adding it to the twistor.

Wilson temporary in Alaska......

It looks like I will be here at least another month.


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 1:00 am 
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Gearloose wrote:
Thanks to our friend Wilson for the suggestion on an earlier thread:

Quote:
This was much smoother than the other zinc lap I was using. AS a cutting and prepolish lap it worked very well.
Not sure if he would ever consider it with a matrix center. I like it as a prepolish alp but I like to be able to finish the polish after prepolish, but the zinc does not do a good job on the final polish.


I am looking for a couple of current DOMINATRIX™ users who can give an A/B comparison of the operating experience differences between the Dominatrix™ and THIS:

Image
I anticipate significantly faster prepolishing, but more aggressive and possibly less pleasant and forgiving than the BATT band of the Dominatrix™.


As only ever used a dual lap from the start that's what was lacking in the zinc you sent me , it works epic on sapphire :)


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 2:26 am 
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I actually find it more forgiving on sapphire , in the sense it gives such hard edges and less time on the lap . Win win I reckon , just the change from prepolish to polish annoys me ( a Little bit ) can't tell you how many times ive wiped a facet and about to put it on my inner band which Isn't there , good addition I think , for sapphire cutting anyway.


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 8:55 pm 
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I'd love to try that out, Jon! I have two Diamatrix laps, a Matrix and a Dominatrix that get constant use; I think I could put together a fair comparison. Coincidentally, I love the Zinque I got from you with 8K as a prepolish. I can move corundum facets if necessary with it and it gives me a great pre-polish. I used to use 8K on it, now I use WaterCut.

Just before I recently ordered that Dominatrix I was lusting after.....a Zinc outer and a Diamatrix center, but didn't have thre cojones to make that request! Hey, I KNOW it's a winner, send me an invoice...

Wayne


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 9:20 pm 
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You got it. On all these test calls, the tester keeps it, to compensate them for shop time. Always. The only thing I ask is feedback, good or bad. Even then, some of the testers don't bother..it's free, you know.
In this way, I do not release many products that are turkeys, so it is well worth handing a few out.
Anyone who originates a product naturally thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread, and cannot be objective. This is how we got Edsels and Corvairs and one notable disaster, an instant coffee that was acid-neutralized with NaOH, and served as a Thermonuclear-grade laxative, promptly disappearing from the Market.
If they only had ASKED people how they liked it, first!

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 4:43 am 
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If you are still looking for testers Jon I'll happily apply, I have a lot of cutting I need to get done before Tucson this year and the Dominatrix I have has been my go to for damn near everything. I absolutely love it. Although if you send me one of these I'm gonna have to buy a 13k prepolish to test it out ;)

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 2:18 pm 
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Jon, I'm Tom from Tucson. (I've been lurking on these forums for a little while now but have not yet introduced myself formally.) We spoke on the phone about a week ago regarding the sintered laps and Firewater I purchased from you. Or maybe it was two weeks now - who knows..? Anyways, I would absolutely love to test one of your new combo laps if the offer is still on the table.


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:50 pm 
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Oh, Poop. All the batch of samples are gone now. There were fewer than usual because the two materials are already proven, and we just needed a Dominatrix comparison. You know how these things go-People jump on them "Like a duck on a June Bug."

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:54 pm 
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No worries, thought I might be too late, oh well I'll just wait for the next one ;)

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 9:05 pm 
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If I can swing it I can make a few more, but I am ramping up for Tucson. As people may know we added a second location more than a year ago where the bulk production is done. These must be scheduled with a Diamatrix run, so logistics are involved. I machine out the Zinc+ here. The manufacturing facility with the Diamatrix mill is 12 miles away. More expansion is planned for 2016, end of Q2.

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 9:25 pm 
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I might be getting old and forgetful. I seem to recall this whole lap business was a retirement/hobby deal.


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 9:56 pm 
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*shrug* That's what happens when people like your stuff.
For example, consider some people who were beginners on here a few years ago. Now they win Masters' level awards, and some are in business. We have people here who win AGTA Cutting Edge awards...at some point people liked their stuff enough so they got really, really serious about it. It happens all the time. It's nothing unusual. Now, there are younger people involved in Gearloose who are assuming more responsibilities every year. Maybe some year I really will sit in the park, feeding the ducks, but I doubt it. I am having a lot of fun. I used to love my work and hate my job. I love both now. I may still work for an asshole, but at least it is not an entire hierarchy of them.

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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2015 11:47 am 
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Gearloose wrote:
I may still work for an asshole, but at least it is not an entire hierarchy of them.

Jon....I always thought you worked under yourself! :D


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 Post subject: Re: A new little test series: Banded Zinc+/Diamatrix
PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:05 pm 
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The lap arrived today, but I am in the middle of rearranging rooms and can not get to the faceting machine right now. My daughters husband is coming home from his sting on the slope, and I was set up in his space. So I have to rearrange things.

It may be a few days before I get back to cutting.

I have a synthetic Carborundum on the dop and I am working on the pavilion. I have a few more girdle faces to finish, and then I have to adjust one or two facets. I w ill try the zinc+ on these. I am having to move the meets on the girdle, so it should be a good chance to compare the ability to move faces.

I will do the test when I transfer it and do the crown. But it will give me a chance to compare cutting small facets on the zinc. I will have to do a little swapping to get a good comparison. I have a dominatrix of the older softer magerial, but I have my twstor/diamatrix lap as well.

So I will prepolish a few faces on a batt with 13k. The switch to the matrix and polish with 100k.

I will then do a few faces on the zinc+ matrix.

I am still camera challenged, but I will try to get some decent shots of the faces for comparison. I just ordered an inexpensive usb bore scope camera, that may work for taking the shots, but it will not be here for a week or so.

Sorry about a long post just to day.... no news yet but working on it soon.


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