The grit number tells you how fine the diamond is: the lower the number, the coarser the grit and the faster it removes stone; the higher the number, the finer the scratch it leaves. On a cabbing machine the coarse grits, around 80 to 220, shape the stone. The middle grits, 280 to 1,200, smooth it. 3,000 is where the stock machine sets hand off to polishing, and 8,000 and above, with the oxide polishes, bring up the shine.
What we sell, grit by grit
What each range does
The bands below follow how the Genie, Titan, CabKing and Barranca GP6-6 divide their stock sets, and Diamond Pacific's own suggested Nova sequence.
| Grits | Stage | On a cabbing machine | Our products in this range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 to 220 | Shaping | The hard wheels: outline and dome. Stock sets use 80, and 180 or 220 | Hard nickel bond wheels, sintered wheels, SuperNova 60, 140, 220 |
| 280 to 1,200 | Smoothing | The first soft wheels. Stock sets use 280, 600 and 1,200 | SuperNova, resin bond belts |
| 3,000 | Pre-polish | The last wheel in every stock set | SuperNova, resin bond belts, resin lapping discs |
| 8,000 to 200,000 | Polish | The end disc: Diamond Pacific suggests a 14,000 disc after 3,000 | SuperNova to 200,000, SuperNova disc to 50,000, diamond paste, spray |
The oxide polishes
Cerium, chrome and tin are not diamond grits. They are polishing oxides, and they come as SuperNova wheels, as resin belts, and as loose polishing powder.
| Oxide | What it is for, per our polishing powder listing |
|---|---|
| Cerium oxide | The standard polish for glass and quartz stones such as agate and jasper |
| Tin oxide | A bright finish on many cabochon stones |
| Chrome oxide | Jade and other hard-to-polish stones |
| Red rouge (iron oxide) | Gold, silver and softer materials |
Cerium is also available when you resurface a wheel. Chrome and tin come only on new SuperNova wheels and belts.
Loose and charged diamond
For laps, points and felt, diamond comes loose or in a carrier:
- Diamond powder, 270/280 to 200,000. Mix it with extender or a light oil to make paste. The coarser grits shape and lap, the middle grits pre-polish, the finest bring up a mirror finish. It polishes sapphire, ruby and other hard gems that oxide polishes struggle with.
- Diamond paste, 270 to 100,000, in syringes. Keep one syringe per grit and per tool, so coarse diamond never reaches a polishing surface.
- Diamond spray, 270 to 200,000, for charging a lap evenly.
Diamond powder, by the carat.
Two rules that save the most trouble
Keep grits apart. A single coarse particle carried onto a fine wheel or lap leaves a scratch you will chase for the rest of the job. One tool per grit, one syringe per grit, and rinse the stone between wheels.
Do not skip a grit. Each grit has to remove the scratches the previous one left. Skip one and the next grit has to work much harder, which wears that wheel out faster. For the order, see Grit progression for cabbing.
Questions we get
What grit polishes stone?
On a cabbing machine, the polish comes after 3,000: a 14,000 disc or wheel, or finer, or an oxide such as cerium or tin, depending on the stone.
Is a higher grit number finer?
Yes. 14,000 is much finer than 600.
What grit is cerium?
Cerium oxide is not a diamond grit. It is a polishing oxide, and it is the standard polish for glass and quartz stones.
Can I get a resurfaced wheel in a different grit?
Yes, any of 14, from 60 to 200,000 plus cerium. See Changing grit when you resurface.
Related: Bond types, Grit progression for cabbing, Changing grit when you resurface.