Lap Disc & Cabbing Wheel Grit Guide
Lapidary work goes from coarse to fine. Coarse grits remove material fast; each finer grit removes the scratches left by the one before. This guide shows what each Drilax grit is for.
Grits and stages
| Grit | Stage | 6" lap disc | 8" lap disc | 6" cabbing wheel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Rough grinding (cabbing: rough shaping) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 80 | Rough grinding (cabbing: rough shaping) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 100 | Shaping (cabbing: shaping and contouring) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 150 | Shaping | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 240 | Smoothing (cabbing: pre-polishing) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 320 | Smoothing | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 500 | Pre-polishing | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 600 | Pre-polishing | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 800 | Pre-polishing | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 1200 | Pre-polishing | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 1500 | Fine polishing | ✓ | ✓ | – |
- Rough grinding (60–80): fast material removal – flatten rough stone, take off sharp edges, rough out a shape.
- Shaping (100–150): refine the shape and remove the deep scratches from rough grinding.
- Smoothing (240–320): even out the surface before pre-polishing.
- Pre-polishing (500–1200): fine grits that prepare the surface for polishing.
- Fine polishing (1500): our finest grit, for fine polishing.
What you get
- 6" and 8" flat lap discs: single-sided electroplated diamond, over 97% diamond coverage, solid steel base, 1.3 mm thick, 1/2" arbor hole. 6" discs · 8" discs.
- 6" x 1" cabbing wheels: electroplated diamond on an ABS core, 1" arbor with 3/4", 5/8" and 1/2" reducer rings. Cabbing wheels.
Tips
- Always use water – a steady drip keeps the diamond cool and washes away the slurry.
- Work through the grits in order. Skipping too far ahead leaves scratches the finer grit cannot remove.
- Rinse the stone and your hands between grits so coarse grit does not carry over to the finer disc.
- Keep the stone moving across the disc so it wears evenly.