Thank you. Whether I build a 6 "or 8" machine, I am sure this will save me money and give me a sense of accomplishment. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thank you for watching the video and I'm sure you will build a great machine. The difference between the 6" and the 8" wheels is 8" will last longer and it's also faster because of the bigger circumference. good luck and yes keep me posted.
Since you have an output on each end of that motor, why not do away with the drive belt and fit your shafts directly to the motor like some commercial cabbing machines? Just curious.
Two reasons, one I had to cut the shaft in two and modify the ends to fit the motor. Two having the motor in the middle it would increase the length of the machine taking more space. Thank you for the question and for watching my videos!
Nice build. One suggestion though. You might consider an adjustable v-belt for it. Saves having to disassemble the machine for change out/adjustments. I've used em for a long time, and they're pretty handy.
Thanks for the suggestian, the only time I take the belt off is when I have to change the wheels and that doesn't happens often, maybe every 2 or 3 years so it's not a problem, it did happen in the video because I forgot to fit it in while I was talking. Thank you for watching my videos!
That was an impressive build. Thank you for sharing your ideas with us. I’ve been watching a lot of Opal cutting videos over the last year and a half and I really want to give it a go. It really looks like something I could sink a lot of interest and creativity into. I’ve been pricing cabbing machines and boy are they expensive. But everything is expensive nowadays.
Thanks Michael for watching and I hope you can build your own machine. The Opel cutting is very interesting and satisfying at the same time especially when you see the end product. Good luck!
Thank you for the detailed set up. I have built my own flat lap from parts from garage sale items . I am starting to piece this together, this is the only way i will be able to afford a 8 inch machine. Im having problems locating the 2 bearings for the shaft that mount on the block. Can you guide me where to find them ? Thank you and AWESOME video !
Hi Brandon and thank you for watching my videos. The bearings are called Bearing Blocks and you can order them from Amazon, they are about $15-$20 per set. Good luck and I'm sure you'll love your machine once it's done!
Do you think a split phase motor is best ? I'm wondering if I can use a air conditioner motor that is 1/2 hp , 1725/1140 rpm. Start it on low, and switch to 1725. Just trying to save money. Thanks again
Thank you. I have a cab king motor but nothing else. I am almost finished building the housing and water system. I will post a video on my channel soon.
Covington Engineering will sell you a nice stainless shaft already threaded for only a little more than buying the bare shaft, with no welding that could warp the shaft and threads on both ends so you don't have to take the shaft off to change wheels. Distance between the pillow blocks needs to be 1/3 shaft length or you will most likely be imbalanced when running. If you have access to a lathe buy schedule 80 PVC and a 1" drill bit, bore the pvc to 1" and use a little sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel to sand out big enough for a tight fit. The lathe also will get you nice square ends, for the wheel spacers.
Thanks Lee for the info, for welding I used my Mig welder it’s quick and will never warp the shaft, the shaft I used is a DME return pin used for die casting machine that I had available at work. However, anyone buying a shaft it won’t be the same with a head on one end so you have to weld a bolt on both ends or drill and tap as I mentioned in the video, either way you can change the wheels without taking everything apart, with my shaft I had to take everything out because of the shoulder had on one end, but since it was free I’ll do anything to work around it. Thanks again for the info and thanks for watching.
Thank so much for the time you took to explain everything. With me being so new to lapidary I can’t afford a lot of the equipment. Now I can make my own and save money. Thank you again.
The most expensive parts will be your wheels and I recommend the 8" wheels, next will be the motor, I got a used one and it's still working good. Have fun building it and thanks for watching my videos!
Hello, great job!! I looked for how to make a homemade cabbing machine, I found some video on the subject but it was mostly people proud to show what he had done but without detailing the manufacture. You detail everything from a to z, it's great to have the time to do it, your explanations will be very useful to me, thank you very much for that!
Thanks Mark, I'm a retired Engineer and I used to run a company that design and build Die cast Dies for the automotive industry like transmission cases and engine blocks. Thanks again for watching my videos!
Yes the wheels are the most expensive items but I suggest to stick with the 8" wheels they're better and last longer. Thank you for watching my videos!
Liked and subscribed. I'm getting ready to do a lapidary setup for freeform work and flake-over-grinding projects. I'll be very interested in watching your videos on the water manifold. I appreciate the video.
Thanks Don, I do appreciated. I'm not sure if you already watched the water manifold videos or not but I do have them you can check them out and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
This is a very informative video. Do you have any recommendations on where to get the motor, pully's, and shaft? I think the rest should be fairly straightforward to find.
The pulleys you can get them from any hardware store, the motor I had a used that I used but you can check at Amazon also for the shaft. Thanks for watching my videos!
Hi Lora, the blocks are bolted from the bottom with 2 screws each, they don't have to be accurate because the bearing block on the top will align everything later on the assembly. Thank you for watching my videos and I hope this will help you!
Ok I am a little confused , how do you stop the grinding wheels Spinning independently to the shaft as there is nothing to lock the wheels on it or are these wheels just a tight fit and stay where they are as surely when you put pressure on them would they not slip?
Hi Neil, The grinding wheels are slide-fit on the shaft and yes they spin freely. They are held tight in place once you tighten the nut on the end of the shaft, mine is on the righthand side. Also when you're grinding you don't need to apply pressure, let the wheels do the work. I hope that will explain it for you and thank you for watching my videos.
@@ElieGhanimeEG ok thanks for that yes it explains it a lot more I guess if you were to fix them to the shaft itself then there is a high risk of personal injury as it would them be like a normal grinding wheel , the fact that the wheel slips means it can never grab your hand or the material your working with. It’s a good point thanks for that and the videos are very good and now you have explained it more I feel equipped enough to have a go making it. Many thanks Neil.
Can you please tell me if you’re using the 2” grinding wheels and what width are the spacers? Also where is the best place to get the sheet metal? Thanks Tommy
Hello Tommy, the diamond grinding wheels are 1.5" and the last two on the right are 2" soft wheels, the spacers are about 1.0" but that's based on the length of the rod you'll be using, for the sheet metal you can get it any hardware store. Thank you for watching my videos.
No I don't, for the sheet metal you can get them from any hardware store, the shaft from a steel supplier and if you don't have the machines to finish the shaft, you can go to any machine shop and they can do it for you. I hope that will help!
Thank you for watching but I'm sorry I don't think I have the time to make a material list, if I do I have to take the machine apart, just watch the video again and write down the item as I explain.
Hello from Sweden. Thanks for your great video and now I want build my own cabmachine. I have a question, where do you buy the grinding tools and wheels, we have very few such stores in the Nordics😊
If you watched the video you'll see that I turned the machine on!! However, If you want to see me working on it I have more videos showing that, go check them out.
This is the first time I have watched you. You are not only a jeweler you are also an engineer too! I am an ex-fitter/turner and I would love to learn the jewelry trade. I like the way you have your triplet positioned sticking out from the bench I have never seen this before but I shall continue watching your channel
Thank you Dermot for the kind words and for watching my videos, if you’re an ex-fitter/turner you won’t have any problem learning the jewelry trade, you also can join a lapidary club near you if there’s one, they will be of a great help. Also if you have any questions please feel free to ask I’ll be glad to help. Thanks again!
@@EgJewels Well I live in Thailand now so if there are any clubs they probably will be in Bangkok but we are miles away in the countryside. I want to get a small lathe and maybe a mill from China I don't like Chinese lathes but they will be perfect for small things and especially the jewelry trade. I had a Myford Super 7 lathe in the u.k and it was very well made but any lathe has its limits. Thanks for your prompt reply
@@dermotkelly2971 I also don’t like anything made in China but right now we don’t have much of a choice, I have a milling machine, a lathe for steel and a wooden lathe all from China and they’re good enough for what I need, so go for it my friend you should be okay.
@@EgJewels A small bench lathe from China should be fine just for small things like men's band rings and things and small engineering like steam models etc
Love your videos! Always very informative and this one is awesome. Unfortunately I have already bought a cabbing machine but definitely would have built my own had I had a video like this one to guide me through the process. It's amazing how little inventory for cabbing machines is available. This setup you've created makes the project seem attainable and your video definitely makes the project seem do-able.
Thanks G for watching my videos and I’m sorry that you already bought one. However, you can always build a new one with different grit wheels or instead of the diamond wheels you can use expando wheels, one on each side and they will complement the machine you already have. Also very soon I will have another video on how to build a flat top polishing machine, so keep an eye on that. Thanks again for watching. my videos.
Really excellent video & machine! I'm a bit surprised that there weren't more such videos -- but the few I saw were not in the same league as yours'. Your machine is very thoughtfully engineered -- and not just a cobbled together grinder with water trays. In one of the other videos I saw, the creator used acrylic slabs to create the housing for his power supply & motor -- I'm wondering if I can adapt that idea to fabricate the cover to eliminate corrosion problems? It may also serve well to make custom trays. Are those 8" wheels? Also, is the 1/2 hp motor powerful enough? It seemed to take longer than I expected to come up to speed. I guess those would be the largest part of the investment.
Thank you and yes you can use acrylic to build the covers. The wheels are 8" and they are better than the 6" because you have more grinding surface, the motor I used is ½ hp because it was available to me at the time and it does work good without any problems, also when you're working don't put any pressure on wheels, let the wheels do the work for you, they will last longer. Thanks again for watching my videos. Elie Ghanime
Very nice, I have a similar build in mind. Is you sheet metal stainless? Is your shaft also stainless? I like your water system too. I also have a Craftsmen motor that was a bench grinder that I am going to repurpose for my build. The issue with my motor, it is rated at 3450 RPM which is too high for this application so I will have to use a controller, not a big deal. Only issue I have with your build that I also have with the machines that are available for purchase is that the ends of the shafts have no support! I will use a pillow block on each end to properly support that long shaft. Having that shaft cantilever out with no support is hard on bearing life, plus any imbalance is magnified out the end of a shaft with no support. Also, I'm not going to use the open grease type bearing that comes with those pillow blocks, but purchase sealed pre-lubricated bearings. I know its an additional cost but one I'm ok with. I'm no engineer but I worked with engineers for 36 years in aerospace manufacturing. Yours is an excellent build and an inspiration for others, thanks. I have subscribed.
Thanks Daniel for watching the video and subscribing, I have this machine for few years now without any problems, for the RPM you can install a speed controller as you mentioned but you could also control the speed by changing the size of pulley, the housing is a regular sheet metal but since it’s painted with rust proof paint I didn’t have to worry. Good luck with your project I’m sure you’ll end up with a great machine. Happy Holidays.
Very informative. I have an old one I am refurbishing. I'm interested in how you set up the water manifold. You mentioned that you have a video on that, but I can't seem to find it on RUclips. Could you post the link?
Hi thank you for taking time to make such an informative video! I have bought a 5/8 rod x 36 I wanted to run 6 wheels 8” ! was told this won’t work? I would appreciate your opinion if you receive this! Thanks again!!
Hi and thank you for watching my videos. If you buy a 1” diameter rod, they are not that expensive and you will have a better and stronger machine to work with. Good luck with your project and if you have any questions please feel free to ask!
Thanks for watching my videos, I know that the 8” wheels are more expensive but they will last longer and are easy to work with. Check with other people just to be sure. Good luck with the project I’m sure you’ll love it.
Ok I went and bought a 1” outside dimension stainless steel rod and had a welding shop weld a cap on one end and drill and tap the other end for 3/8ths bolt. I also bought a 1” inside dimension pulley as well as the 1” inside dimension pillow blocks. When I went to put the rod thru the pulley and pillow blocks the rod wouldn’t fit thru either. I thought the set screws were the problem so I loosened them but still rod wouldn’t fit. I ended up having the 1” stainless steel rod made a 1/16 smaller in diameter at a machine shop now everything fits fine.
@@swifteagledennis1480 As long as it worked for you then it's okay, I think the pillow blocks are not exactly 1" and it could be a metric dimension. However, since the rod diameter it's smaller, make sure the diamond wheels will fit, they usually send them with plastic bushings.
What if you wanted to build a machine that only uses one wheel at a time....I mean I don't mind changing the wheel after each grit rather than having all that weight on such a long shaft...I'm worried about vibration as I'm no engineer but rather a hobbyist lapidarist.... just curious if that would be less difficult to build....seems like it would be a little cheaper. Would love to hear what you think
Hello Anthony, here’s another video for building one lap machine, this one I built for polishing but you can also adopted for grinding. ruclips.net/video/Pt8SoU8n0lM/видео.html
@@EgJewels thanks so much for taking the time to send me the link and for sharing your ingenuity and know-how with the rest of us who would otherwise be stuck forever using a Dremel and sandpaper to polish gemstones with...I'm an opalholic so I really look forward to trying to build my own setup for cutting and polishing gems... thanks again
@@anthonymcclain6475 no problem, if you like to work with Opal you need to subscribe to my RUclips channel, I have 3 part videos on how to work with Ethiopian opal.
Thanks, I didn’t keep track of the cost. However, the most expensive part was the 8” diamond wheels, next was the motor and I had a used one laying around, so like I said the wheels are the most expensive but everything else runs around that. Thanks again for watching my videos.
I copied everything and made my own, only problem I found is that the 1” shaft won’t go through a 1” pillow block or a 1” grinding wheel !! I took the shaft to a machine shop, and had them reduce the 1” down by 1/32”. They also drilled and tapped one end for a 9/16 bolt and welded a round piece of 1/8 metal onto the opposite end, for $50. Altogether I have around $300 (without wheels) works great !!
That sounds great, I believe that the shaft wasn't exactly 1" in diameter because the pillow blocks and the grinding wheels are exactly 1" and what you did should work perfectly. I'm sure you will love working with it. Thank you for watching my videos!!
I built this machine a long time ago, most of the parts I had lying around, the only cost for me was the grinding wheels and of course my time. Thanks for watching!
Hello Sir, Thank you for making and posting this video. You are a wonderful teacher. May I ask you, (as a novice to building machines ) The steel pillar blocks, are they drilled through? How are they connected securely into the wood piece? Thank you again so much for all that you do. I’m still using my hummingbirds you made, they’re wonderfully helpful.
Thank you for watching my videos I’m glad to help. The steel blocks are bolted from the bottom, drill and tap two ½” threaded holes on each of the steel blocks, drill clearance holes through the base, bolt the steel blocks in place (it doesn’t have to be accurate just as straight as possible) the holes in the pillow blocks have enough clearance to align everything, don’t tighten the pillow blocks in place until you fit the shaft first. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask me.
I always tell people to go for the 8” wheels, more surface to work with and better control. I’m sure you’ll have fun building your own machine and you will enjoy it for a long time. Thanks for watching my videos.
I got my wheels from Kingsley North, the most expensive one are the sintered diamond wheels on sale for $231.25 ea and $206.25 for +2 ea. these are 8” wheels. Prices go down from there, for the 1200, 3000 and 14,000 grit I paid $155.35 each So go to their website and check them out. Good luck 👍
First time looking at your Eg much respect sir. Very good build and video. Your a good teacher I can tell. This is a huge help for me. Thank you. You earn my thumbs up and subscription.
I really enjoyed watching your video. Can you give a breakdown of the cost involved in your build and maybe include links to where you purchased your parts. Thanks again and great job!!👍
The machine was built long time ago and I don't have the cost breakdown, actually I didn't keep track of the cost because most of the parts I had available, the only parts I bought was the grinding wheels from Kingsley North and I'm sure the prices has change since then. Thank you for watching my videos!
"أستطيع التحدث باللغة العربية، ومع ذلك، نظرًا لأنني أعيش في شمال أمريكا، فإن معظم متابعي أو جميعهم يتحدثون اللغة الإنجليزية، وأعتقد أن يوتيوب يمكن أن يوفر ترجمة للغات المختلفة، وسأتحقق من ذلك وربما سيساعد ذلك. شكرًا لمشاهدة فيديوهاتي."
Nice walk through. Very easy to follow and understand. Now to gather the parts!
Sounds great Craig, let me know if you have any questions and thanks for watching my videos!
Thank you. Whether I build a 6 "or 8" machine, I am sure this will save me money and give me a sense of accomplishment. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thank you for watching the video and I'm sure you will build a great machine. The difference between the 6" and the 8" wheels is 8" will last longer and it's also faster because of the bigger circumference. good luck and yes keep me posted.
I think that your cabbing machine is just as good as any store bought machine. Thank you for this video.
Thank you for watching, Merry Christmas 🎄 and Happy New Year!
Since you have an output on each end of that motor, why not do away with the drive belt and fit your shafts directly to the motor like some commercial cabbing machines? Just curious.
Two reasons, one I had to cut the shaft in two and modify the ends to fit the motor. Two having the motor in the middle it would increase the length of the machine taking more space. Thank you for the question and for watching my videos!
Cool man, thanks for shareing!
Thanks for watching!!
very good video, always wanted to get into lapidary, this just entices me even more :)
Nice build. One suggestion though. You might consider an adjustable v-belt for it. Saves having to disassemble the machine for change out/adjustments. I've used em for a long time, and they're pretty handy.
Thanks for the suggestian, the only time I take the belt off is when I have to change the wheels and that doesn't happens often, maybe every 2 or 3 years so it's not a problem, it did happen in the video because I forgot to fit it in while I was talking. Thank you for watching my videos!
Easy, just mount an adjustable motor mount…😊
That was an impressive build. Thank you for sharing your ideas with us.
I’ve been watching a lot of Opal cutting videos over the last year and a half and I really want to give it a go. It really looks like something I could sink a lot of interest and creativity into. I’ve been pricing cabbing machines and boy are they expensive. But everything is expensive nowadays.
Thanks Michael for watching and I hope you can build your own machine. The Opel cutting is very interesting and satisfying at the same time especially when you see the end product. Good luck!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. It is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for the detailed set up. I have built my own flat lap from parts from garage sale items . I am starting to piece this together, this is the only way i will be able to afford a 8 inch machine. Im having problems locating the 2 bearings for the shaft that mount on the block. Can you guide me where to find them ? Thank you and AWESOME video !
Hi Brandon and thank you for watching my videos. The bearings are called Bearing Blocks and you can order them from Amazon, they are about $15-$20 per set. Good luck and I'm sure you'll love your machine once it's done!
Awesome , found them ! Thank you !
You are a great teacher. I appreciate you taking the time to share. I can't afford equipment but I think I can following your ideas!
I'm glad to be of help and thank you for watching my videos.
Excellent video. I learned a lot from it, Thank you, this was exactly what I needed to build my own. You are a very good teacher.
Thank you Bob, I’m glad to be of help and thank you for watching my videos.
Do you think a split phase motor is best ? I'm wondering if I can use a air conditioner motor that is 1/2 hp , 1725/1140 rpm. Start it on low, and switch to 1725. Just trying to save money. Thanks again
Yes you can use it.
Beautiful!!
Thank you!
Very well done video
Thank you Matthew, very much appreciated!!
I have definitely thought about building one of these machines….. nice video 👍🏻
Thank you!!
Thank you. I have a cab king motor but nothing else. I am almost finished building the housing and water system. I will post a video on my channel soon.
That sounds great, I'm sure you'll be happy with the results and I'm looking forward to see the video. Thanks for watching!
Covington Engineering will sell you a nice stainless shaft already threaded for only a little more than buying the bare shaft, with no welding that could warp the shaft and threads on both ends so you don't have to take the shaft off to change wheels. Distance between the pillow blocks needs to be 1/3 shaft length or you will most likely be imbalanced when running. If you have access to a lathe buy schedule 80 PVC and a 1" drill bit, bore the pvc to 1" and use a little sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel to sand out big enough for a tight fit. The lathe also will get you nice square ends, for the wheel spacers.
Thanks Lee for the info, for welding I used my Mig welder it’s quick and will never warp the shaft, the shaft I used is a DME return pin used for die casting machine that I had available at work. However, anyone buying a shaft it won’t be the same with a head on one end so you have to weld a bolt on both ends or drill and tap as I mentioned in the video, either way you can change the wheels without taking everything apart, with my shaft I had to take everything out because of the shoulder had on one end, but since it was free I’ll do anything to work around it.
Thanks again for the info and thanks for watching.
Thank so much for the time you took to explain everything. With me being so new to lapidary I can’t afford a lot of the equipment. Now I can make my own and save money. Thank you again.
Very nice work very brilliant work it is very good to learn this from you thank you very much sir❤❤❤❤❤❤😂
Thank you for watching my videos.
This amounts to how much if I would like to make the same machine as yours, thank you very much for your beautiful video
The most expensive parts will be your wheels and I recommend the 8" wheels, next will be the motor, I got a used one and it's still working good. Have fun building it and thanks for watching my videos!
MERCI !!! 🌟🌟🌟
You are welcome. 😊
Good job
Thanks David.
Nice Machine! Thank you! Cheers!
Thanks J.R.
great build tutorial
Thank you!
This is fantastic, thank you sincerely for your time!
Thank you Matthew for watching my videos, I'm glad to be of help!
wow! great video and explanation. I'm sure a vfd would be a nice touch.
Yes it would but I had to use what I had at the time plus the motor speed was the right one required anyway. Thanks for watching my videos.
Thank you so much very well done xx
Thank you Liane and Thanks for watching my videos. ❤
Thank you for sharing! Good Luck!
Thank you!
Hello, great job!! I looked for how to make a homemade cabbing machine, I found some video on the subject but it was mostly people proud to show what he had done but without detailing the manufacture. You detail everything from a to z, it's great to have the time to do it, your explanations will be very useful to me, thank you very much for that!
Hello Rafael, I’m glad to be of help and thank you for watching my videos, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Where do you get the wheels?
Muchas gracias
Pure Ingenuity
Thanks.
Thank You Very much, very smart man!! What kind of work, or what was, or is your profession?
Thanks Mark, I'm a retired Engineer and I used to run a company that design and build Die cast Dies for the automotive industry like transmission cases and engine blocks. Thanks again for watching my videos!
this is on my too do list, as ive noticed the wheels are the bulk of the cost on one of these. thank you
Yes the wheels are the most expensive items but I suggest to stick with the 8" wheels they're better and last longer. Thank you for watching my videos!
Great PRESENTATION...THANKS.
Thanks for watching my videos!
really good video. many thanks. are you from Scotland? i detect a Scottish accent 🤓
Thank you Raven, no I'm not from Scotland, maybe it's my Canadian accent
Great video. Thank you. I bought Lawn machine drive shaft from Huskvarna. Threaded & Tapped so I could add a cut blade or buff wheel arbor.
That sounds great Robert, I’m sure it will work, thanks for watching my videos and Happy New Year!
@@EgJewels Happy new year to you too. I'm subd so keep up great Vids. I just started rubbing opals.😊
Liked and subscribed. I'm getting ready to do a lapidary setup for freeform work and flake-over-grinding projects. I'll be very interested in watching your videos on the water manifold. I appreciate the video.
Thanks Don, I do appreciated. I'm not sure if you already watched the water manifold videos or not but I do have them you can check them out and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
This is a very informative video. Do you have any recommendations on where to get the motor, pully's, and shaft? I think the rest should be fairly straightforward to find.
The pulleys you can get them from any hardware store, the motor I had a used that I used but you can check at Amazon also for the shaft. Thanks for watching my videos!
How are the steel blocks secured to the table?
Hi Lora, the blocks are bolted from the bottom with 2 screws each, they don't have to be accurate because the bearing block on the top will align everything later on the assembly. Thank you for watching my videos and I hope this will help you!
Ok I am a little confused , how do you stop the grinding wheels Spinning independently to the shaft as there is nothing to lock the wheels on it or are these wheels just a tight fit and stay where they are as surely when you put pressure on them would they not slip?
Hi Neil, The grinding wheels are slide-fit on the shaft and yes they spin freely. They are held tight in place once you tighten the nut on the end of the shaft, mine is on the righthand side. Also when you're grinding you don't need to apply pressure, let the wheels do the work. I hope that will explain it for you and thank you for watching my videos.
@@ElieGhanimeEG ok thanks for that yes it explains it a lot more I guess if you were to fix them to the shaft itself then there is a high risk of personal injury as it would them be like a normal grinding wheel , the fact that the wheel slips means it can never grab your hand or the material your working with. It’s a good point thanks for that and the videos are very good and now you have explained it more I feel equipped enough to have a go making it. Many thanks Neil.
@@spiritburners No problem any time, I'm sure you will enjoy building your own machine. Good Luck! Elie
@@ElieGhanimeEG thanks
I liked the way you made that, it was very informative
Thanks Johnny and Thank you for watching my videos.
Can you please tell me if you’re using the 2” grinding wheels and what width are the spacers? Also where is the best place to get the sheet metal?
Thanks Tommy
Hello Tommy, the diamond grinding wheels are 1.5" and the last two on the right are 2" soft wheels, the spacers are about 1.0" but that's based on the length of the rod you'll be using, for the sheet metal you can get it any hardware store. Thank you for watching my videos.
Do you have links as to where you went for your specialized parts?
No I don't, for the sheet metal you can get them from any hardware store, the shaft from a steel supplier and if you don't have the machines to finish the shaft, you can go to any machine shop and they can do it for you. I hope that will help!
Very instructive video! And also, thanks for using inches, not metric!👍👍
Thanks Michael
Thank you for sharing your passion. Would it be possible to put a parts list in the description or pin it in the comments?
Thank you again.
Thank you for watching but I'm sorry I don't think I have the time to make a material list, if I do I have to take the machine apart, just watch the video again and write down the item as I explain.
Hello from Sweden. Thanks for your great video and now I want build my own cabmachine. I have a question, where do you buy the grinding tools and wheels, we have very few such stores in the Nordics😊
🤗🙏♥️😊😃
Thank you!!
Let's see it in action!
great job i to make my self all my cutting wheels and polisher
Turn it on!
If you watched the video you'll see that I turned the machine on!! However, If you want to see me working on it I have more videos showing that, go check them out.
What is the total cost ,to build
Hi Dan, I don't have a number on cost , the most expensive items will be the grinding wheels and the motor.
where do you buy your wheels
Hello Robert, I get my wheels from Kingsley North.
This is the first time I have watched you. You are not only a jeweler you are also an engineer too! I am an ex-fitter/turner and I would love to learn the jewelry trade. I like the way you have your triplet positioned sticking out from the bench I have never seen this before but I shall continue watching your channel
Thank you Dermot for the kind words and for watching my videos, if you’re an ex-fitter/turner you won’t have any problem learning the jewelry trade, you also can join a lapidary club near you if there’s one, they will be of a great help. Also if you have any questions please feel free to ask I’ll be glad to help. Thanks again!
@@EgJewels Well I live in Thailand now so if there are any clubs they probably will be in Bangkok but we are miles away in the countryside. I want to get a small lathe and maybe a mill from China I don't like Chinese lathes but they will be perfect for small things and especially the jewelry trade. I had a Myford Super 7 lathe in the u.k and it was very well made but any lathe has its limits. Thanks for your prompt reply
@@dermotkelly2971 I also don’t like anything made in China but right now we don’t have much of a choice, I have a milling machine, a lathe for steel and a wooden lathe all from China and they’re good enough for what I need, so go for it my friend you should be okay.
@@EgJewels A small bench lathe from China should be fine just for small things like men's band rings and things and small engineering like steam models etc
Love your videos! Always very informative and this one is awesome. Unfortunately I have already bought a cabbing machine but definitely would have built my own had I had a video like this one to guide me through the process. It's amazing how little inventory for cabbing machines is available. This setup you've created makes the project seem attainable and your video definitely makes the project seem do-able.
Thanks G for watching my videos and I’m sorry that you already bought one. However, you can always build a new one with different grit wheels or instead of the diamond wheels you can use expando wheels, one on each side and they will complement the machine you already have. Also very soon I will have another video on how to build a flat top polishing machine, so keep an eye on that. Thanks again for watching. my videos.
Really excellent video & machine! I'm a bit surprised that there weren't more such videos -- but the few I saw were not in the same league as yours'. Your machine is very thoughtfully engineered -- and not just a cobbled together grinder with water trays. In one of the other videos I saw, the creator used acrylic slabs to create the housing for his power supply & motor -- I'm wondering if I can adapt that idea to fabricate the cover to eliminate corrosion problems? It may also serve well to make custom trays. Are those 8" wheels? Also, is the 1/2 hp motor powerful enough? It seemed to take longer than I expected to come up to speed. I guess those would be the largest part of the investment.
Thank you and yes you can use acrylic to build the covers. The wheels are 8" and they are better than the 6" because you have more grinding surface, the motor I used is ½ hp because it was available to me at the time and it does work good without any problems, also when you're working don't put any pressure on wheels, let the wheels do the work for you, they will last longer. Thanks again for watching my videos. Elie Ghanime
@@ElieGhanimeEG Here's my machine -- many thanks for the inspiration! ruclips.net/video/5CczUG-y2w8/видео.html
Nice job!!! Been thinking of doing my own and you verified my idea!! Major thanks!! PS: I do opals. Tried of using craft shop.
I'm glad to be of help and thanks for watching my videos, I also cut Opal and I made 3-Parts videos about Wello Opal, have a look at it.
Sorry I mean the Steel blocks that sit directly on the wood base. How are they secured down?
😊
Very nice, I have a similar build in mind. Is you sheet metal stainless? Is your shaft also stainless? I like your water system too. I also have a Craftsmen motor that was a bench grinder that I am going to repurpose for my build. The issue with my motor, it is rated at 3450 RPM which is too high for this application so I will have to use a controller, not a big deal. Only issue I have with your build that I also have with the machines that are available for purchase is that the ends of the shafts have no support! I will use a pillow block on each end to properly support that long shaft. Having that shaft cantilever out with no support is hard on bearing life, plus any imbalance is magnified out the end of a shaft with no support. Also, I'm not going to use the open grease type bearing that comes with those pillow blocks, but purchase sealed pre-lubricated bearings. I know its an additional cost but one I'm ok with. I'm no engineer but I worked with engineers for 36 years in aerospace manufacturing. Yours is an excellent build and an inspiration for others, thanks. I have subscribed.
Thanks Daniel for watching the video and subscribing, I have this machine for few years now without any problems, for the RPM you can install a speed controller as you mentioned but you could also control the speed by changing the size of pulley, the housing is a regular sheet metal but since it’s painted with rust proof paint I didn’t have to worry. Good luck with your project I’m sure you’ll end up with a great machine. Happy Holidays.
@@EgJewels Thank you Sir, Merry Christmas to you as well
Very informative. I have an old one I am refurbishing. I'm interested in how you set up the water manifold. You mentioned that you have a video on that, but I can't seem to find it on RUclips. Could you post the link?
Hi Andy, thanks for watching my videos, here’s the link for the water manifold.
ruclips.net/video/Yyekgj8fhX8/видео.html
Hi thank you for taking time to make such an informative video! I have bought a 5/8 rod x 36 I wanted to run 6 wheels 8” ! was told this won’t work? I would appreciate your opinion if you receive this! Thanks again!!
Hi and thank you for watching my videos.
If you buy a 1” diameter rod, they are not that expensive and you will have a better and stronger machine to work with. Good luck with your project and if you have any questions please feel free to ask!
8” wheels ? I’m going to make one useing 6” wheels, probably have to change the dimensions on the blocks gray video. Thanks.
Great video not gray;)
Thanks for watching my videos, I know that the 8” wheels are more expensive but they will last longer and are easy to work with. Check with other people just to be sure. Good luck with the project I’m sure you’ll love it.
Ok I went and bought a 1” outside dimension stainless steel rod and had a welding shop weld a cap on one end and drill and tap the other end for 3/8ths bolt. I also bought a 1” inside dimension pulley as well as the 1” inside dimension pillow blocks. When I went to put the rod thru the pulley and pillow blocks the rod wouldn’t fit thru either. I thought the set screws were the problem so I loosened them but still rod wouldn’t fit. I ended up having the 1” stainless steel rod made a 1/16 smaller in diameter at a machine shop now everything fits fine.
@@swifteagledennis1480 As long as it worked for you then it's okay, I think the pillow blocks are not exactly 1" and it could be a metric dimension. However, since the rod diameter it's smaller, make sure the diamond wheels will fit, they usually send them with plastic bushings.
What if you wanted to build a machine that only uses one wheel at a time....I mean I don't mind changing the wheel after each grit rather than having all that weight on such a long shaft...I'm worried about vibration as I'm no engineer but rather a hobbyist lapidarist.... just curious if that would be less difficult to build....seems like it would be a little cheaper. Would love to hear what you think
Hello Anthony, here’s another video for building one lap machine, this one I built for polishing but you can also adopted for grinding.
ruclips.net/video/Pt8SoU8n0lM/видео.html
@@EgJewels thanks so much for taking the time to send me the link and for sharing your ingenuity and know-how with the rest of us who would otherwise be stuck forever using a Dremel and sandpaper to polish gemstones with...I'm an opalholic so I really look forward to trying to build my own setup for cutting and polishing gems... thanks again
@@anthonymcclain6475 no problem, if you like to work with Opal you need to subscribe to my RUclips channel, I have 3 part videos on how to work with Ethiopian opal.
@@EgJewels I'm subscribed thanks again and Merry Christmas
Hello Eg! Did you do a video on the water supply/drain yet?
Thank you very much for your great videos!
Hi Red, thanks and here’s the video for the water manifold.
ruclips.net/video/Yyekgj8fhX8/видео.html
Real nice, How much you got invested in the build if I might ask?
Thanks, I didn’t keep track of the cost. However, the most expensive part was the 8” diamond wheels, next was the motor and I had a used one laying around, so like I said the wheels are the most expensive but everything else runs around that. Thanks again for watching my videos.
I copied everything and made my own, only problem I found is that the 1” shaft won’t go through a 1” pillow block or a 1” grinding wheel !! I took the shaft to a machine shop, and had them reduce the 1” down by 1/32”. They also drilled and tapped one end for a 9/16 bolt and welded a round piece of 1/8 metal onto the opposite end, for $50. Altogether I have around $300 (without wheels) works great !!
That sounds great, I believe that the shaft wasn't exactly 1" in diameter because the pillow blocks and the grinding wheels are exactly 1" and what you did should work perfectly. I'm sure you will love working with it. Thank you for watching my videos!!
I can do this... now to search for the parts.
Good for you and if you have any question just let me know!
Nice work! What’s the total cost?
I built this machine a long time ago, most of the parts I had lying around, the only cost for me was the grinding wheels and of course my time. Thanks for watching!
Hello Sir, Thank you for making and posting this video. You are a wonderful teacher. May I ask you, (as a novice to building machines ) The steel pillar blocks, are they drilled through? How are they connected securely into the wood piece? Thank you again so much for all that you do. I’m still using my hummingbirds you made, they’re wonderfully helpful.
Thank you for watching my videos I’m glad to help.
The steel blocks are bolted from the bottom, drill and tap two ½” threaded holes on each of the steel blocks, drill clearance holes through the base, bolt the steel blocks in place (it doesn’t have to be accurate just as straight as possible) the holes in the pillow blocks have enough clearance to align everything, don’t tighten the pillow blocks in place until you fit the shaft first. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask me.
I want to build one. Do you like 6 inch or 8 inch wheels?
I always tell people to go for the 8” wheels, more surface to work with and better control. I’m sure you’ll have fun building your own machine and you will enjoy it for a long time. Thanks for watching my videos.
What brand should I buy? I’m on a tight budget
@@Algoldprospecting check with Kingsley North.
Thanks for the info.
We found the video informative, but found the wheels cost $400.00 each making this project pricey. Where did you get your wheels and other parts?
I got my wheels from Kingsley North, the most expensive one are the sintered diamond wheels on sale for $231.25 ea and $206.25 for +2 ea. these are 8” wheels. Prices go down from there, for the 1200, 3000 and 14,000 grit I paid $155.35 each
So go to their website and check them out. Good luck 👍
First time looking at your Eg much respect sir. Very good build and video. Your a good teacher I can tell. This is a huge help for me. Thank you. You earn my thumbs up and subscription.
👍
Thanks Eddie!
I really enjoyed watching your video. Can you give a breakdown of the cost involved in your build and maybe include links to where you purchased your parts. Thanks again and great job!!👍
The machine was built long time ago and I don't have the cost breakdown, actually I didn't keep track of the cost because most of the parts I had available, the only parts I bought was the grinding wheels from Kingsley North and I'm sure the prices has change since then. Thank you for watching my videos!
Where do you live I want order
I live in the US what do you want to order?
اخي لمه لم تتكلم عربي اليس انته عربي
"أستطيع التحدث باللغة العربية، ومع ذلك، نظرًا لأنني أعيش في شمال أمريكا، فإن معظم متابعي أو جميعهم يتحدثون اللغة الإنجليزية، وأعتقد أن يوتيوب يمكن أن يوفر ترجمة للغات المختلفة، وسأتحقق من ذلك وربما سيساعد ذلك. شكرًا لمشاهدة فيديوهاتي."
You totally didn't have to take those wheels off to put that belt on tho 🙄
The only other way is to take the pillow blocks off and I didn’t want to do that 😊
@@EgJewels i understand friend. This was a very educational and detailed presentation. Much appreciated
@@UnmaskingTheMachine, thank you and thanks for watching my videos!
¿ES USTED? (LIBURNI)...YO LO SIGO MUCHO USTED ES UN BUEN PROFESOR BUENO
muchas gracias y gracias por ver mis videos.
Thanks for this upload mate do you have a Facebook page or any means to contact you I'd love to be able to talk if I need help if you wouldn't mind
Hello Damiens, you can contact me on messenger, here’s my Facebook link
facebook.com/eg.jewels?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Thanks for watching my videos. Cheers
@@EgJewels thanks again much appreciated I've mailed you
You could have put the belt without removing anything. Unless of course if the bases were welded. Thanks for the video anyways.
The bases are bolted down not welded but I didn't want to remove them. Thanks for watching!