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Matrix Lap
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Author:  Gearloose [ Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

The BATT lap is a "sponge", also. They slowly accumulate a higher and deeper charge over time. The biggest difference is the BATT, being a metal, makes "Black Stuff", which people dislike, but it serves as a clue as to when to clean the lap.
Take a BATT, clean it well, and leave it pressed between two thin pieces of white paper. In a day or so, hold the paper up to the light, and see the tiny oil spots. This is the only real clue as to its porosity.

Like the BATT, the MATRIX has a high capacity for polishes and diamond. Unlike the BATT, there are levels of porosity that are below the micron sizes of diamond or polish. The lap has a great capacity for Snake Oil, and seems to flush it well. I have been pushing mine really hard on larger stones at speeds that would horrify Adamas, because destructive testing is part of my job. So far there has been no glogging or overcharging that has not flushed instantly in routine cleaning.
Ultrasonic cleaning will do the same thing with a BATT.

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_(material)
The Matrix lap is NOT a sponge, but rather it possess a rigid microporous structure.
I have never observed scratching on the Matrix. No evidence exists that the scenario you speculated about occurs.
I suggest a maintenance cleaning after use with a little mild detergent mixed with warm water and the lap performs very reliably.
I cleaned it once in an ultrasonic just to see what would occur and reported on it as an inventor testing his invention.
lorne144man wrote:
So this Matrix lap sounds like a rigid structured sponge??? Particles of a certain size and smaller can be trapped in pockets in the surface?? If this is true, what prevents them from releasing from the lap, balling up and causing scratches?
Clearly the lap is working well for people. I'm not challenging its effectiveness. I'm just wondering about the maintenance. Does every one need an ultrasonic to keep this new lap clean?

Author:  fatmax [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Someone please tell me why the Matrix is markedly superior to the Darkside for 60k diamond polishing.

Author:  Gearloose [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

About surface loading:
First, the BATT or Darkside, or any lap designed to retain polish will show that effect in an ultrasonic cleaner. A BATT is a network of branched needle-like crystals, and the voids in the network are filled with other eutectics and phases of differing hardness and size. the result is porosity. This is why a cleaned and dried BATT, when placed between sheets of white paper with weight will, a day or a few days leter, show speckles of old oil, etc on the paper.

The Darkside is a complex three order composite that also has porosity and different polarity domains.

In both cases, overloading or swarf loading will produce undesirable effects, including scratching. And in both cases the efects can be remedied, usually by simple cleaning or by depletion methods such as an eraser.

On a BATT, after some use, diamond particles can be found as deep as 0.1mm. This is why resurfacing usually starts below .004".

The Matrix is the same, but differs in that it is a syntactic ceramic foam lattice vacuum-impregnated with a polymer. Much of the void volume is not air. I torture-tested mine (The one I stole from Inventory for Playtime) and deliberately overloaded it with diamond powder over the existing Diastik 60K charge. No ill effects at all. Now, maybe if I kept doing it, there would be. Time will tell. To give an idea of the lowest magnitude porosity, and light blue stain from the 60K Diastik can be seen. This is Pthalocyanine Blue. Properly dispersed, the particle sizes are as low as 0.1ยต. (Diastiks are made in high-shear mixers, whose lives are miserable and short.)
Depth of penetration into the MATRIX is about .002", very simply determined by resurfacing the lap with a diamond tool in .0005" increments, an effort of only a few minutes.

As with the Darkside, a simple wash with detergent clears much of the "stuff". Because the surface does allow liquid ingress, wiping the spinning lap can create high clearing pressures within the lattice.

In short, the same rules for using the BATT and the Darkside apply. For that matter, he same rules for using ANY lap apply; Do not overload it and do not allow it to remain filthy. Perfectly reasonable.

Author:  Gearloose [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Quote:
Someone please tell me why the Matrix is markedly superior to the Darkside for 60k diamond polishing.


The Darkside was originally created to be a low cost, easy to charge lap. It started its product life by being embraced by faceting schools because the students did not have to waste their time and the instructor's learning the secrets of charging metal laps..and they were made to be affordable. The Darkside is a low friction lap with high thermal diffusivity, designed to minimize stone heating.

The MATRIX is a harder lap, that can cause some heating if abused, but some heating means that power is being put into the polishing process. Metal buffers use the heating as a clue as to when things are going "just right", for example. We do not want to crack stones or melt dop adhesive, of course, so Adamas reccomends slower speeds.
The reason for the MATRIX's succes with sapphire is partly due to sapphire's low coefficient of friction...You can get away with more speed and pressure. The user does have to pay attention to heating more with the MATRIX than with the Darkside, and this heating varies with stone species. I noticed the CZ was getting warm, with those large facets.
The Sunstone with oxide has water present, of course, so it was not any issue.

Author:  upcyclist [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

lorne144man wrote:
Does every one need an ultrasonic to keep this new lap clean?


Especially since an ultrasonic cleaner big enough to handle an 8" lap sounds like a specialty item ;)

Author:  Gearloose [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

I have heard of people running laps through their dishwashers, though.
I do not think my laps would appreciate the temperatures of the sanitizing cycle.
_______________________________________________________
MATRIX Update. On Day 3 of the Tucson Kino Show, the Matrixes have sold out. Shipping more.

I guess more people read this thread than post on it, huh?

Author:  Faceting 101 by Arya [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Gearloose wrote:
MATRIX Update. On Day 3 of the Tucson Kino Show, the Matrixes have sold out.

Somehow, I'm not surprised at all. I promised myself that this year at Tucson, I wouldn't get any equipment other than a saw I can put on my faceting machine. Looks like the market has already taken care of my only other temptation!

Author:  Gearloose [ Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

They will have more Thursday :smt077

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

upcyclist wrote:
Especially since an ultrasonic cleaner big enough to handle an 8" lap sounds like a specialty item ;)

You only need to have a tank at least 8" long by diagonal and 4" deep to ultrasonically clean a 8" lap.
But, speaking as the inventor, I have not found ultrasonic cleaning necessary.

Author:  tww369 [ Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

I'm trying to decide between getting the MATRIX or other BATT for 100k and finer polishing. I already have a BATT set for 50k polish work but want something for my "show off" stones. What are your recommendations?

Author:  Gearloose [ Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

You really have to ask the current users this question.

I have been using the Matrix exclusively for the last stones I have cut. But I am the manufacturer, and have to learn all about the lap's use because it's my job.
Tom at Adamas has been using it exclusively for his commercial cutting, but he's the originator of the lap.
Of course we think it's good, or we would not have made the investments or committments to produce it.
So prospective users would probably be more interested is hearing about their peers' results with the lap. As a consumer, I would.

Author:  tombodc [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

.

Author:  Gearloose [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Interesting! Thanks. I think this is the first post where someone was using oxides and quartzes. Shoulda tried the Zirconium oxide stik.

Quote:
. Don't be afraid to try it! It works but I'm not sure along the same lines as a solid cermaic lap.


...And that's the whole idea. My experiencs with those parallels yours with Darkside/Oxides.
I finally did get a solid ceramic to work, sometimes, on some materials, I think.
Some people swear by them and win championships with them, some swear at them.

Author:  thomas.adamas [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Matrix Lap

Gearloose wrote:
Some people swear by them and win championships with them, some swear at them.


Which do you do? :D

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