CompuServe Thread

This is completely preliminary and I'll post a followup when I've had a chance to work with the equipment but I wanted to compliment Bill at Contempo Lapidary on his excellent service. We met a few weeks ago at the Am Opal Soc show where he had a booth displaying his lapidary units. He was more than willing then to hear all my "beginners" questions about using diamond wheels for cabbing opal. Later I got to looking at the catalogue and was again impressed. Not just a pictorial layout of what they sell, it also includes suggestions and comments on using the various saws, grinders etc. I ended up with more questions and when I called he took all the time necessary (probably a half hour or more) going over everything. I decided to get the system based on the power head he originally designed for carving. It has a variable speed motor and stepped pulleys for a range of about 100 to 9,000 RPM. The grinding arbor (4" diam wheels) has a solid 180 grit wheel, and 3 expanding rubber wheels with diamond belts (220, 600, 1800), plus an end disk. I opted to also get a 400 grit belt, a second end disk and the buffing wheel cone attachment. There are other attachments available for sawing and carving. It runs quiet and self-contained with a recirculating water pump on a slab of lucite (or?) that measures about 20 x 24 inches, and weighs around 30 pounds. Perhaps the fact that I'm here writing instead of getting going says I need to reconsider my priorities? (g) But I really appreciated all the time Bill took with me, including letting me work on a demo machine at their shop as much as I wanted before I put the VISA on the table. Plus, Jane's still asleep and even though it does run quiet, I don't think it's in my best overall interests to start up my combo Christmas/bday present on the kitchen table for another hour or so. -Russ (chomping at the bit with a few preforms dopped and waiting)