Looking for carborundum compound in Australia

[Justin Chan]

I'm looking to make my own 4x5 ground glass for a Toyo 4x5 camera. I'm having a hard time finding the abrasive grit that everyone mentions, in any quantities less than about 1 kg. Would anyone on the forum have any excess grit that they'd be willing to sell to me, or does anyone know of a place to purchase a smaller amount in Australia?

I've also tried looking for valve grinding compound without much success.

Thanks, Justin

[lee\c]

Justin, Check with auto parts stores. Ask for valve grind compound. I have used this with great success. I mix it on the glass and use a little water with it. Then I use another glass on top of it and slide the two pieces of glass around in a rotation.

leec

[John Quinn]

Justin, Valve grinding paste is readily available in Auto spare shops in Adelaide. If you can't get it in your locality contact me "off forum" and I will buy some more and post it t you.

[Ken Lee]

Lapidary supply stores sell these things all the time, on the cheap - in every imagineable grade of strength. "Lapidary" means jewelry making.

[Ed Balko]

Try a mill supply or machine shop supply house(engineering works supply in Australia?) and look for "lapping compound". It usually comes in a number of grits as a paste in oil.

[jantman]

If you want to contact me off-forum and pay for shipping, I can mail you some from the US. Look at my previous post ("making a ruled groundglass") as to the specifics. I have 3- and 5-micron.

As to cost, I bought a pound of each, and each pound cost me about $12.50 USD, so you might as well go for the 1 Kg size.

[MIke Sherck]

Try one of those "eyeglasses in an hour" places, or any eyeglass shop which grinds its own lenses.

[Leonard Metcalf]

Justin,

My father will have some (in Sydney), though I wouldn't be able to send you some for over a week. Will happily send you some. If you are interested please contact me off line.

Regards,

Len

[Justin Chan]

Thanks to everyone to offered to help. On Lee's advice I phoned around some auto parts places here and managed to find some 2 in 1 valve grinding compound (http://www.honeywell.com.au/business/holts/powerplus/vgp.html), $7 for a 60g tube. I'll get the cut glass from the glazier on Wednesday and will do some experimentation.

Thanks again!

[Nick_3536]

"Lapidary supply stores sell these things all the time, on the cheap - in every imagineable grade of strength."

Can anybody suggest what grade I need? Is rouge the right stuff? If so which one?

[Ernest Purdum]

Nick, riyge is wrong, that's for polishing. I've used the valve grinding compound that comes in two grades in the same can. That worked well for me.

[Nick_3536]

There is at least one posting claiming to use rouge [they don't mention which one] for final polishing. I'm leaning towards valve compound but I'm ordering some other things from the place selling jewellery compounds so I figured I would add it to the order if it's the right stuff.