Problem with 1200 grit diamond lap leaving scratches.

[Greybeard]

I am using a 1200 diamond lap for the final cut prior to a 3000 pre polish on copper.

The 1200 seemed to be leaving scratches but I wasn't sure if these were left over from the 600 diamond lap. Anyway, I made sure and noticed that new scratches are definitely appearing with the 1200 lap.

I am considering trying a different type of lap, maybe a copper with diamond grit.

Just wondering if anybody has suggestions for a replacement lap to the 1200 diamond prior to the 3000 prepolish?

 

[shivan]

Iam am just starting out in faceting, so am by no means an expert. I have a magnetic master lap and use 100,300,600 and 1200 metal topper laps on it. The 100-300 i use for preforming, the 600 i use to start cutting in main facets then the 1200 i cut in the finer facets and take out the scratches from the 600 on the mains.
From there i go 3000 batt lap and 60,000 or oxide on darkside.

 

[Lefty]

Is the 1200 a plated lap? New plated laps and new resin-bonded cabbing wheels both seem to need a "breaking in" period in my experience and can often leave a few outsized scratches at first. They will usually disappear as the lap wears in and little projections get smoothed out. You might be able to speed the process up by working a sacrificial stone - an old bomby sapphire or bit of quartz - across it for short while. Seems to have worked for me anyhow.

 

[Wishful Thinkin']

Is the 1200 a plated lap? New plated laps and new resin-bonded cabbing wheels both seem to need a "breaking in" period in my experience and can often leave a few outsized scratches at first. They will usually disappear as the lap wears in and little projections get smoothed out. You might be able to speed the process up by working a sacrificial stone - an old bomby sapphire or bit of quartz - across it for short while. Seems to have worked for me anyhow.

that has always worked well for me too...

 

[Kingsolomon]

Give it a good scrub with Ajax and a nail brush then under the tap .

 

[Greybeard]

The running in may be the problem. It seems to have eased off a bit now, but I am confused as the CZ I cut previously I didn't have the problem. It's on the smokey quartz I am cutting that the problem arose.