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Homemade cabbing machine from scrap.

J

justin1

Ultra Member
After Seeing the rock tumbler thread I felt like a few may enjoy looking a lopsided and not very thought out cabbing machine

Made from the finest of random stuff I had laying around only thing that was purchased was the cabbing wheels.
IMG_20250202_183726833~2.jpg


Stuff on bottom shelf is some stuff I need to process I pulled from some equipment that was getting scrapped and figured some of the parts could be handy
 
Nice: I plan on making one of these later this year. I bought a used set of wheels that were about 1/3 of life used. Do you know what the metal is that you used for the main shaft? I was planning on putting a bearing on each outboard end also so 4 in total. After that I need to make a trim saw.
 
Upnorth said:
Nice: I plan on making one of these later this year. I bought a used set of wheels that were about 1/3 of life used. Do you know what the metal is that you used for the main shaft? I was planning on putting a bearing on each outboard end also so 4 in total. After that I need to make a trim saw.
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I would recommend stainless if you can I just used piece of 1" shaft stock I scavenged off something so I'm hoping it doesn't come back and bit me if it rusts everything into shaft.

Ye the wife wants slabbing saw eventually and flat lap so those are on the menu to build sometime aswell.

The parts under the cart will probably end up used in slabbing saw

I didn't know how expensive some of the lapidary stuff was untill the wife got interested in it seems like huge mark ups on everything
 
How are you going to feed the water ? At the club shop we use a siphon with a shelf on the wall above the machines. At home, a couple of machine use a pond pump. On the third try, I got one powerful enough . The trays should slope to the drain. The slash guards can use a piece of carpet and your wife a vynil apron.

I've found used equipment in need of a millwright's magic touch quite reasonable. Nevr-Sneeze is your friend for shafts. All manufactures just use plain steel. Her rock and gem club shop has 6 double wheel polisher/grinders. All old equipment. I have worked on every one of them at least once. The club has a 6" trim saw, 10"trim/slabbing saw, a 14" drop slabbing saw and a 18" feed slabbing saw. The same can be said of the saws . I was just informed the 14" is making a noise.
 
justin1 said:
I would recommend stainless if you can I just used piece of 1" shaft stock I scavenged off something so I'm hoping it doesn't come back and bit me if it rusts everything into shaft.

Ye the wife wants slabbing saw eventually and flat lap so those are on the menu to build sometime aswell.

The parts under the cart will probably end up used in slabbing saw

I didn't know how expensive some of the lapidary stuff was untill the wife got interested in it seems like huge mark ups on everything
Click to expand...
I have the shaft and it's a piece of 1" 304. It does seem to have about .002 of runout. Hopefully it will be ok. I has hoping to find a 1/2 HP motor but ended up with a 1 HP 3 phase one that I'm going to use.

I do have a 16" slabbing saw. If you get one I highly recommend putting it on a stand with wheels so you can roll it outside to use it. Mine is oil cooled and generates a huge amount of oil fog.

Lapidary stuff is expensive but there is some good deals out there. I picked up a pretty good faceting machine for $500. Needs a motor though.
 
When we bought the arbor that was set up, the previous owner used a bubbler to splash water on the bottom of the wheel. I converted over to a more conventional water drip coolant feed. We used two pails, one clean (and warmed) and one muddy.
 
Upnorth said:
I have the shaft and it's a piece of 1" 304. It does seem to have about .002 of runout. Hopefully it will be okI
Click to expand...
Upnorth said:
do have a 16" slabbing saw. If you get one I highly recommend putting it on a stand with wheels so you can roll it outside to use it.
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The motor I have came off furnace blower and I think think .002 run out won't effect anything as the cabbing wheels I don't think are very precise.

Nice that would be fine I have a large diamond blade I found at dump in metal pile that still has lots of life I'll probly make a arbor for and then build a sled out of some of the parts I scavenged that were laying on bottom shelf of cabbing machine cart.

Faceting machines needs pretty small motor I imagine you can order a DC motor and controller from AliExpress to power it.

Downwindtracker2 said:
When we bought the arbor that was set up, the previous owner used a bubbler to splash water on the bottom of the wheel. I converted over to a more conventional water drip coolant feed. We used two pails, one clean (and warmed) and one muddy.
Click to expand...
Ye basically same thing we will end up doing once the parts arrive
 
Mercury. Made in Edmonton, I was told. One of the double wheel grinder/polisher at the rock and gem club shop is Mercury. They were considered very good units. The grinder/polisher unit reminds me of the Frantom unit I redid. The Frantom is an interesting name, Tom was the owner and his wife was Fran.

The club's 10" is ( if memory serves me right) is an original Highland Park as is my wife's. They use a pulley, weight, and wire for feed. I wonder how that Mercury does the feed.

The club's 10" gets a lot of use and abuse. Members pay by the square inch and the 10" is is the least expensive. They member try to speed things up by pushing. Thin lapidary diamond blades get quickly warped.You can't push !!! Even thin construction blades die. This time I put a HD "turbo" construction blade on. It cuts for a diamond blade a wide kerf .

We use food grade mineral oil,. It's also used as laxative for cows. Dairy equipment suppliers are one source. It doesn't mist much. and is safe. The Langley club uses hydraulic oil , it's cheaper. From working with hydraulic oil, it can cause rashes and stuff. It's the additives.
 
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Downwindtracker2 said:
Mercury. Made in Edmonton, I was told. One of the double wheel grinder/polisher at the rock and gem club shop is Mercury. They were considered very good units. The grinder/polisher unit reminds me of the Frantom unit I redid. The Frantom is an interesting name, Tom was the owner and his wife was Fran.

The club's 10" is ( if memory serves me right) is an original Highland Park as is my wife's. They use a pulley, weight, and wire for feed. I wonder how that Mercury does the feed.

The club's 10" gets a lot of use and abuse. Members pay by the square inch and the 10" is is the least expensive. They member try to speed things up by pushing. Thin lapidary diamond blades get quickly warped.You can't push !!! Even thin construction blades die. This time I put a HD "turbo" construction blade on. It cuts for a diamond blade a wide kerf .
Click to expand...
We cut some glass tube at work with it, but I doubt it had seen use in the last twenty years before that, at least.
I think the feed's meant to be the same. We rigged up a weight with some cord to run the tube through.
 
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