Hi-Tech Diamond 8" Slant Cabber Cabbing Machine Lapidary Equipment – Stone Polisher, Rock Grinder, Shaper with Variable Speed Motor, Includes Polishing Accessory Kit for Stones, Rocks, and Minerals

Another great product from Hi-Tech. I like the ease of set-up and the functionality. Yes, it is an entry level machine, in my opinion, but for me, it does everything I need it to do. I am a hobbyist jeweler so starting to make my own cabochons was something I really wanted to do. This gave me the opportunity to make them at a reasonable cost. I don't have any complaint about the noise level when running, but I think it is perfectly fine for what it is. Maybe more professional machines are quieter, but I'm not spending that much money for a slight reduction in noise. Wear ear plugs if it bothers you, but I think that is nit picking. So far, I am very happy with this purchase.

Let me start by saying- I have a friend who gave me the funds to purchase this amazing machine. I am a diehard Rockhound and have been polishing them by hand for months, which is nice from time to time. But WOW does this speed up the process.It was delivered to me in 2 days. When I unboxed it.. I was in absolute heaven. I read the instruction manual first since I couldn't find many videos on this machine but it's pretty simple. Only thing I struggled with was peeling off the protective plastic from the discs. I have been waiting for months to be able to make cabachons so I could make my wire wrapped rock jewelry quicker. I used it for about a month and something seemed a little off with the balance of it so I called the company and they answered right away. We talked over the phone and I explained what I was concerned about and didn't use it in fear of seizing up the motor. They sent me replacement parts free of charge and shipped them to me rush delivery and I received them in two days. Gosh those 2 days were long.. I put the new parts on and I am back in business! I absolutely love this machine and the customer service even more. I will continue to buy from this company. This thing is very well built.Make sure to clean it after each use and spin dry the discs before storing away.Oil the inside of the arbor every 2 monthsMake sure the set screw is on the flat part of the arbor and do not over tighten!Make sure the disc is laying flush on the arbor before running it.Always use machine at HIGHEST SPEED.If you are left handed, you are going to get splashed in the face quite a bit .. I'd recommend safety glasses and a mask for sure.I highly recommend purchasing the extended warranty. If you're going to spend a lot on a machine, protect it as well.Enjoy!!

I have only polished about twenty pieces of Turquoise so far, with a soft rock you can grind the Turquoise right off of the nugget, I try to grind just enough to bring out the highlights. If you have lots of time on your hands you will enjoy this machine, it takes time to grind with the 180 grit wheel to your desired shape, stop and change to the next grit. I am a newbie at this but I think that one grinding grit to four polishing grits is out of sequence. I will have to buy more grinding wheels of various grits plus polishing grits. Before I remove a wheel after grinding/polishing I use a toothbrush to clean the wheel while the water is dripping. There is a lot of hours involved, if you think you are going to sit down and have a beautiful polished cab in fifteen minutes don’t buy but if you are retired with lots of time on your hands buy it. I hope I have helped someone make a decision. The water drip system is great, I use a five gallon bucket to catch the dirty water, I recommend at least two grinding wheels and some really fine polishing grits to bring the shine out. It is an expensive hobby.

I have only worked on this unit for one week, and, so far, its been great!.I need more time to test all the disks and their performance. Pictures will come once I have a good sample of varying hardness stones polished for reference.

This is a wonderful product! I have been using the polisher for two weeks since purchase, and in that time I have logged about 35 hours on it. I am no lapidary genus so simplicity is important, and this works well for someone of my skill level and above. I had one brief scare - the water system required(s) greater than a 45 degree angle of the drip hose to operate properly and it took a couple of days to figure that out - but once done, it just works great. One suggestion based on some Youtube videos I watched. if you want to but one, consider purchasing a couple more 8in disks with greater and lesser grit ratings. I bought discs with 80 and 240 grit, along with some additional polishing paste (gt 14,000). These additional purchases helped achieve really nice finished agates. Anyway, this is a great product!

Pros:-The 8” model has a lot of working room.-Easy to assemble.-Capable of achieving a great polish.*-Compact.-Lower cost relative to some other machines.Cons:-In order to achieve a fine polish and throughly remove imperfections within a reasonable amount of time, prepare to purchase at least a 100 grit diamond electroplated lap, a 220 grit smoothing disk, and a backplate.-The water drip system is very hit-and-miss, even when closely following the instructions provided in the manual. Once it gets going, it works well.-Feels and looks cheaply made. The spray guard is only attached by adhesive that quickly loses its grip. The hose for water output merely sits in the drain opening and easily comes loose.Overall, it isn’t a bad machine despite its flaws. I enjoy using it, especially since I can take it out of my shop on warmer days. At the same time, if you’re only interested in making cabs, a 6” CabKing is only a bit more expensive by the time you purchase all the accessories you’ll need. I