Re: Machine for apartment use - Welcome to the Etsy Community

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Hey all,

I was looking at machines that can be used in apartments (small, quiet, not messy) and saw that the diamond pacific bigfoot might fit the bill. not sure about the amount of noise it makes though.

Anyone used it before? Is it noisy? any other suggestions?

Cheers!

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Hi Hong
I've never used one or seen it in action.
Those are pretty small wheels, I'm sure they would work ok but I like the 8" dia. ones.
Another unit you might look into is the All You Need
http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/product.php?id=96842 , again, never used one but I do like flat laps, which make getting the backs flat much easier. Also about half the price.

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Thanks for the reply Mark!

I have seen flat laps online but it seems to be that most people prefer the wheels. I have never seen a flat lap in action though.. are they quieter?

Are flat laps easy to use?

thanks!

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I do all my shaping on a flat lap, but then use wheels to sand.
Any machine can be quiet if it is set on a foam or rubber pad to isolate the vibration.
Any steel wheel or disc will produce a bit of noise, the coarser the grit the louder. I used to use a 600 grit metal wheel which was fairly quiet.

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thats a good idea. ok when I get my machine I'll be sure to put it on a foam or rubber pad. or maybe towels. is it possible to cab using a flat lap though?

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You can cab with a flat lap, but the advantage to a wheel set up is having multiple wheels available without having to stop and change your grit.
Another advantage is being able to cut a concave surface if that interests you. And if it does, the bigfoot would be excellent as the wheel diameter is so small.
**Also, one thing I failed to mention is the Nova wheels last a long time.
I've been using Novas for at least 15 years, don't remember exactly when I switched to diamond, but I have replaced my 280 4 or 5 times, my 600 3 times and my 1200 once. And I didn't replace the 1200 because it wore out though it was a little chewed up, but because of age the resin was cracked, splintering and loosing diamond, thus cutting slowly.

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woah thats pretty awesome especially considering how expensive wheels are nowadays. should try to see if I can do some soundproofing then. thanks!

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I think Mark covered it well..my input is since you are in Australia and opal is found there.. the big foot is a great machine for opal..as opal gets hot and easy to grind and the small wheels on the big foot are about correct...I have a friend in Japan that is cutting turquoise and other stones for his jewelry with a bigfoot..and works well for cutting for your own jewelry..and easy to move when moving since light weight..Big foot also has a saw attachment you can get for cutting small pieces...Good luck with this setup..keep us posted.

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Thanks Jim! Sorry just saw your reply. yeah opals are more common here. Still expensive though haha. I do have access to some rough that I'm waiting to cut when I have more experience.

Will probably get the bigfoot with the trim saw attachment when I have the cash.

Thanks!!

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I think round wheels are much easier to cut and shape cabs on than flat laps. I've used a Diamond Pacific Genie for decades. If you have a really small space and don't think you'll be doing a lot of work, and you're just getting into lapidary. The Big Foot is probably a fine machine, but if you go up in size to a Pixie, you'll find that the 4" wheels will give you faster results than the smaller wheels. I really love my Genie. I imagine that all the machines are similar in noise. Everything will be pretty quiet except for the grinding wheels. The sanding on the Nova wheels is very quiet. Good luck!

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I've got an 8" Ameritool flatlap. I've had it for about 10 years & have literally done 1000's of cabs on it. I've used both the wheels & this (the Genie is a wonderful machine). However, for ease of use & ease of changing the grits, I prefer my flatlap hands down. I generally take my stones from a rough shaping grit of 80 to a finishing grit of 100,000 with a finishing polish of Zam. It's so easy to switch out the laps that it's ridiculous. While the shaping laps are not exactly quiet, it's still quieter than most of the wheeled machines I've used. At the end of the day, it's all up to personal preference.

It's a rough choice. Good luck.

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Hi there. I use the Genie from Diamond Pacific, and it doesn't really matter what you are using, when you are grinding on the diamond bonded wheels like an 80, IT IS LOUD. I have to use my earplugs when I am roughing a stone out. Especially if it is a jasper or an agate. 10 years ago when I started, they advertised that you could use the Genie in your kitchen...and I did. But everything ended up in the basement, due to that fact that you really need good ventilation when grinding stuff like silica. You should use a respirator too. Protect your lungs! Best regards.

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Thanks for the replies guys really appreciate it! Looks like I will have to settle down and then be able to check my options.

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If you are still in the market for an apartment size machine, I have a Big Foot. I used to use the big machines at a lapidary club but wanted something small and portable to take traveling. I am not overly fussy about what machine I work on so it suits me fine. I can do everything on it as on a big machine that I need to do It is actually an advantage for working in small areas/curves and corners. I also could not find anyone who had used one before so I took the leap and am glad I did. The one drawback I found was the instructions were not very good. However, the place that I bought it from (Kingsley) were very good with support.

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p.s. I don't find it loud, certainly not the noise of the bigger machines that others have suggested. But it does sound like a machine, if your walls are thin. The nice thing about it being so small is that you could build a styrofoam board to mount near the back of the machine to create a bit of a noise cushion.

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I have a Pixie and love it! It probably takes up a bit more room than the Bigfoot, but it's still nice and compact. And like the bigfoot you can get a trim saw attachment and use the right side as a flat lap.

I haven't had access to a good flat lap until now, but since I joined my local gem and mineral society I'll have access to a wider variety of tools. Some people swear by the flat lap.

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Does anyone have thoughts on the JoolTool (Ninja)? I'm in the market for a beginner setup to cut and polish (would like to be able to work corundum) and came across a video on it. It's more expensive than the All-You-Need, which seems like a more legit machine. Anyone have experience or opinions?

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Hi, Emrys - I can't comment on the JoolTool, but you might find these links helpful:

http://gemstone.smfforfree4.com/index.php?topic=12485.0

http://gemstone.smfforfree4.com/index.php?topic=8380.0

http://gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20010

http://gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20543

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Thanks, Gary! From what I can gather the JoolTool is better for polishing than for cutting and preforming. Apparently the motor is not that strong, and the lack of a water systems means more dust. It does have a dust vacuum, but a water drip seems way more effective for a small space. I like the idea of being able to see your piece as you work, but I don't think that warrants the price tag.

I'm leaning toward the All-You-Need. The price is reasonable and it looks like a real piece of kit, unlike the JoolToy. Can anyone give me a basic rundown of what I will need besides the All-You-Need. I figure there is no way they give you everything in one kit. Final polish for example? Is 14,000 grit going to do it or do I need a 50,000 wheel? Any pointers would be most helpful :)

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14,000 is a perfectly acceptable polish for cabs. In the opal world, a 14,000 grit is the typical final polish for commercially produced stones. You wouldn't need to go to 50,000 grit.

I must admit that I polish to 50,000 grit, and there are some people who go
up to 100,000 grit. At those grits, the stone surface is so smooth that it
would require a high quality, optical microscope at maximum
magnification to *try* to see any *polishing* marks. But that would probably be true of 14,000 polish, too. You might ask, "If you can't see it, why do it?" Because I can. It takes very little time and it can be a selling point.

Depending on the size and type of rough you plan on working, at some point you'll want to get a trim saw. In terms of the cost of the diamond cutting and polishing tools, the general relationship is: sawblades < disks < wheels. A saw makes quick work of removing unwanted material.

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Agreed. A trim saw is a must. You might look at the Cabmate:

http://www.gravescompany.com/CabMate.html

Looks like it's a vertical flat-lap, which means it can saw too and about the same price as the All-You-Need.

Haven't used it myself.

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You might also check and see if there's a gem/mineral society close to you.

Ours has a studio with a bunch of different machines and it's super-cheap to come in and use them. I wish I had joined before I spent $$$$$ on a class and $$ on a tool. (Although I probably would've bought the Pixie anyway.)

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I love Genies but have used the Pixie too. Don't go any smaller than the Pixie. The Pixie is great if you cut lots of opal. But get the biggest machine you have space and budget for. Join a local lapidary society if there is one near you. That way you can try different machines and wheels. Rock people are super-friendly and always willing to help a "newbie".

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Nice. The CabMate looks promising. Not a lot of space here so a small machine that can do a lot would be nice. Looking into finding a lapidary group here in Austin. Got the basic concepts down, just need to practice. Definitely want to learn more before I spend money.

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