Highly effective resin wheels, REZ Diamond Soft Lapidary Wheels, are specially designed for cabbing, contour grinding, pre-polishing, and forming stone, glass, synthetic materials, and certain metals. These REZ Diamond Soft Lapidary Wheels excel in high-volume commercial cabbing thanks to their efficiency and effectiveness. We choose our REZ Diamond Soft Lapidary Wheels for commercial cabbing because we manufacture them using a proprietary technique that securely locks commercial-grade diamonds into a specially formulated resin-bonded belt. We then mount this belt on a medium-density foam backing with a plastic center core, providing a cushion that allows the wheel to conform to your stone and absorb pressure.
These wheels possess an aggressive resin bond that results in a rough texture with sharp points, rendering them perfect for heavy-duty use. However, due to their napped nature, these wheels necessitate a break-in period before you can use them on jewelry pieces. You can also employ these wheels on other cabbing machine brands since they feature 1" arbor holes and come with bushings to accommodate 1/2", 5/8", and 3/4" arbors.

Features:

1. Resin Coating: These lapidary wheels have a resin-coated design. The resin serves as a bonding agent for the abrasive material, which in this case is commercial-grade diamonds. This resin bond ensures that the diamonds remain firmly attached to the wheel during the grinding and shaping process.

2. Commercial Grade Diamonds: High-quality commercial grade diamonds are embedded within the resin coating. Diamonds are renowned for their exceptional hardness and abrasive properties, making them ideal for cutting and grinding hard materials like stones, glass, and metals.

3. Medium Density Foam Backing: The wheels are mounted on a medium-density foam backing with a plastic center core. This backing is designed to absorb pressure and provide cushioning. It allows the wheel to conform to the contours of the stone or material being worked on, enhancing precision and reducing the risk of damage.

4. Aggressive Resin bond: The wheels are manufactured with an aggressive resin bond, resulting in a rough texture with sharp points. This abrasive surface is well-suited for efficient grinding and shaping tasks.

5. Arbor Hole Options: All wheels come with 1" arbor holes and include bushings to accommodate 1/2", 5/8", and 3/4" arbors. This versatility ensures compatibility with various cabbing machines.

6. Color-Coded for Easy Grit Identification: The wheels are color-coded, making it easy to identify the grit size at a glance. This feature enhances efficiency and accuracy when selecting the appropriate wheel for a particular task.

Applications:

1. Cabbing: These wheels are designed for cabbing, which involves shaping and polishing gemstone cabochons. They are efficient tools for the initial shaping and grinding stages of the cabbing process.

2. Forming: The wheels can be used for forming or shaping gemstones and other materials into desired shapes and sizes.

3. Contour Grinding: They are suitable for precision contour grinding, allowing lapidary artists to create intricate designs and shapes on their workpieces.

4. Pre-Polishing: Before the final polishing stage, pre-polishing is crucial to remove scratches and imperfections from the surface of the stone. These resin-coated wheels are effective for pre-polishing tasks.

5. Materials: In addition to gemstones, these wheels can be used on glass, synthetic materials, and some metals, expanding their versatility for various crafting and jewelry-making applications.

6. High Volume Commercial Cabbing: Notably, these wheels are well-suited for high-volume commercial cabbing operations. They are designed to withstand heavy use and provide consistent results, making them a reliable choice for commercial lapidary work.

Usage Notes:

1. Break-In Period: These wheels, due to their aggressive resin bond and rough texture, require a break-in period before achieving optimal performance. During this period, the sharp points will wear down, resulting in a smoother grinding surface.

2. Compatibility: They are compatible with various cabbing machine brands, offering flexibility in equipment choices.

3. The provided instructions are for breaking in premium REZ diamond wheels, which are commonly used in lapidary work for sanding and polishing gemstones. Breaking in the wheels is an essential step to ensure they perform effectively and provide a smooth finish. Here's a summary of the instructions:

4. Use Plenty of Water: When using premium REZ diamond wheels, always use them with an ample supply of water. Dry use can cause damage to the wheel.

5. Resin Bond Characteristics: These wheels are manufactured with an aggressive resin bond, resulting in a rough texture with sharp diamond points. This rough texture needs to be smoothed down before achieving a fine finish.

6. Break-In Period: Premium REZdiamond wheels require a break-in period before working on valuable jewelry pieces. The break-in process involves sanding and polishing a large piece of agate or a similar material, ideally with a hardness between 8 and 9 on the Mohs scale.

7. Purpose of Break-In: The break-in process removes excess resin bond that contains protruding diamonds and smooths down sharp points on the wheel. Failing to break in the wheel can result in a scratchy finish on your gemstones.

8. Use a Sacrificial Material: Choose a piece of agate or another suitable material for the break-in process, but make sure it holds no value to you. It should have a smooth face and a square or rough straight edge on one side.

9. Break-In Technique: When breaking in the wheel, use the agate with plenty of water to run the wheel. Use the rough edge of the agate to knock off the very tops of the peaks on the wheel. Avoid trying to smooth the wheel entirely during the break-in, as this can excessively wear down the wheel.

10. Avoid Sharp-Edged Stones: Avoid placing sharp-edged stones onto the wheels, as this can strip the resin bond from the wheel.

11. By following these break-in instructions, you ensure that your premium REZ diamond wheels are properly prepared for lapidary work, resulting in a smoother and more effective polishing process.