I have been trying to get back into the art of faceting now for over a year, but still having problems in polishing. I use a Faceton, cutting sequence beginning with 350 plated lap, progressing to 600 plated, then to 3000 plated lap. All is well through this progression. Trouble arises when I use 50K “ITALDO” diamond on my 8″ ceramic lap. SCRATCHES all over the place.
I scrub the stone and lap with dish soap, then wipe the machine down. Last, I remove the bowl and scrub it with a “greenie” and hot water until all visible impurities are removed. Then I reassemble the machine. By this time I’m pretty well disgusted with the whole event and drink a beer to relax.
I have read the preceding posts suggesting I have been turning the lap too fast. Also, I do not read about pressure. How much hand pressure is used (if any)? I have tried using very light pressure (just a touch) but it takes forever. I find myself pressing harder to speed up the process. Is this my mistake?
HELP!