A six-wheel cabbing machine runs coarse to fine: two hard wheels at 80 and 220 grit to shape the stone, then four soft wheels at 280, 600, 1,200 and 3,000 to smooth it, then a disc at 14,000 or finer to polish. The Diamond Pacific Genie and Titan, the CabKing and the Barranca GP6-6 all ship with this sequence, with only one difference: the Barranca's second wheel is 180 instead of 220. Each step is there to remove the scratches the step before it left.
Four machines, one sequence
Each step, and its job
| Step | Grit | Bond | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | Hard | Shape the outline and dome. Removes stone fastest |
| 2 | 220 (180 on the Barranca) | Hard | Refine the shape, remove the 80's deep scratches |
| 3 | 280 | Soft | First soft wheel. Starts smoothing the dome |
| 4 | 600 | Soft | Removes the 280 scratches |
| 5 | 1,200 | Soft | Removes the 600 scratches |
| 6 | 3,000 | Soft | Pre-polish. The last wheel in every stock set |
| End | 14,000 or finer | Soft disc, or oxide | Polish. Diamond Pacific suggests a 14,000 disc after 3,000 |
Why soft after hard. The hard wheels are rigid, which is what you want for shaping. The soft wheels have a flexible face over a soft backing, so they follow the curve of the dome instead of grinding flats into it. See Bond types.
When to move to the next grit
Move on when the scratches left by the previous grit are gone, and the surface shows only the finer, even scratch of the grit you are on. Rinse the stone and check it dry under good light before you change wheels. Moving on while deeper scratches remain carries them all the way to the polish.
Rinse between wheels for the same reason. A coarse particle carried to a fine wheel leaves a scratch the fine wheel cannot remove.
Changing the sequence
Going finer. Diamond Pacific notes that some hard-to-polish material needs more steps, meaning additional grit wheels or discs. After 3,000 that means 8,000, 14,000 or 50,000. SuperNova runs to 200,000.
Finishing with an oxide. Our polishing powder listing puts it this way: cerium oxide is the standard polish for glass and quartz stones such as agate and jasper, tin oxide gives a bright finish on many cabochon stones, and chrome oxide suits jade and other hard-to-polish stones. SuperNova wheels also come in cerium, chrome and tin.
Do not skip a grit. Follow the progression. If you skip a grit, the next one has to work much harder to remove the deeper scratches, and that wheel wears out faster.
Setting up the soft set
Our SuperNova wheels are made in our Orange, CA warehouse, and 280, 600, 1,200 and 3,000 are our most popular grits. Order the four for a full soft set:
| Size | One wheel | Four-wheel set |
|---|---|---|
| 4" x 1 1/4" | $69.95 | $279.80 |
| 6" x 1 1/2" | $79.95 | $319.80 |
| 8" x 2" | $99.95 | $399.80 |
Order SuperNova wheels. Store prices, 2026-09-30.
New wheels need breaking in. Run agate or a similar material across the face for 2 to 4 minutes to remove excess resin, longer on the finer grits. See Breaking in a new soft wheel.
Worn wheels can come back in a different grit. If you want to extend the set, a worn wheel can be resurfaced into 8,000, 14,000 or finer. See Changing grit when you resurface.
Run it wet. Our soft wheels must be used with water.
Questions we get
What is the standard cabbing grit sequence?
80 and 220 on hard wheels, then 280, 600, 1,200 and 3,000 on soft wheels, then a 14,000 disc or finer.
Why do the soft wheels start at 280?
It is where every stock set we researched switches from hard to soft. The 220 hard wheel leaves a scratch the 280 soft wheel can remove.
Do I need all six?
Yes. Each wheel removes the scratches the one before it left. Skip one and the next wheel works much harder and wears out faster.
What comes after 3,000?
A polish: a 14,000 disc or wheel, finer grits, or an oxide suited to the stone.