Shaping Cabs on a Flatlap

[xcvator]

A wheeled cabber is just too many $$$ for me  so I've got an idea   

Atm I've got a 200mm diam flat lap machine, how would it go if I took the 200mm master off and used 150mm instead at times. This would give me a 25mm clearance under the disc and 65mm clearance on the side from the bowl/splash guard .
Do you think it would be a viable exercise to use the edges of the 150mm disc to shape cabs on, similar to using a wheeled machine ?
cheers Keith

[MakkyBrown]

Are you thinking of using a 150mmx32mm wide hard wheel on it or just a 150mm flat plated lap ?It should work if you can keep some water sprayed on it. On a budget, I have is the past used washing machine motors, a couple of cheap pillow blocks and steel shaft to make flat laps. Though it is now hard to get scrap motors from tip sites. So much for reuse /recycle, so much stuff is wasted.
Cheers
MB

[xcvator]

Hi MB, I was thinking along the lines of a cheap 150mm master/backing plate with a flat plated lap.
I was also thinking of getting a small amount of this stuff
https://www.eparency.com.au/collections/featured-product/products/flexible-epoxy-resin-eparency-cure-soft-clear-resin
mixing some diamond grit into it and brushing it onto a canvas backing for flexible laps

[MakkyBrown]

Resin looks interesting, would need some experimentation on how well it holds the diamond. Just reading your first post again about using the edge. If you were wanting to use the edge for aggressive cutting I'd get a cheap(ebay) sintered continuous rim saw blade instead of a 150mm lap. Maybe a 7inch blade on the 150mm master so it sticks out a bit, the thicker the better(not a lapidary blade). 
MB

[Buch Metter]

Cabbing is really quite easy on a flat lap using all the normal processes of a faceted stone, as in prepolish and polish, but there is a twist in the method of procedure.  I begin my crown by polishing the table first and then I process the polishing down to the girdle.

[xcvator]

Well I've given up on the idea of either building a wheeled cabber or trying to make my own flexible flat lap disks 
just too many $$ for me, so today, after discussion with the minister of finance  I bit the bullet and purchased these

https://www.gemcuts.com.au/flexible-magnetic-diamond-disks-200mm-set-of-4

and these

https://www.gemcuts.com.au/magnetic-diamond-disks-150mm-6-set-of-4-280a-600a-1200a-3000

The girl I spoke to assured me they were a flat lap version of a "nova" wheel. If they are any good I'll be able to do most things on my flat lap that can be done on a wheeled cabber.
If not I'm going to be looking for a new paddle to get back down the creek