How To Get The MOST From Your Stonechat

When grinding, honing or polishing, the more downward pressure you can apply, the faster you can get your job done and with less effort. To create this downward pressure on the Stonechat you can use Centaur’s 40 lbs (18 kg) Horseshoe weights.

In most situations, you will typically need three (3) horseshoe weights stacked on top of each other (giving you 120 lbs or 54 kg of added weight), to reduce the number of times the machine needs to pass left-to-right over the work area. This will get you the desired results in less time, saving you time and money.

When you add weights to the machine, more friction is created between the diamonds/cleaning pad and floor. This makes the machine draw more electric current from the power supply. To ensure you don’t trip the circuit breakers, the Stonechat is equipped with an amperage monitor, which lets you know when it’s safe to add more weights.

The amperage monitor is located on the handle and shows you the electric current (in Amps) that the machine is operating on when in use.

To work with the Stonechat as efficiently as possible, maintain the amperage reading at or just below the 15 Amps (white indication zone).If the monitor shows 10 Amps, you can apply the 40 lbs weight (one at a time) until the indicator is just below 15 Amps.

Depending on the friction and hardness of the floor surface, the Stonechat can handle up to an additional ten (10) weights, for a combined total weight of 400 lbs (180Kgs).

If current drawn exceeds 15 Amps, the gauge will appear in the red zone. When this happens, you must stop the machine and remove one (1) weight. Keep removing weights one at a time until the indicator has returned below 15 Amps.

Operating above 15 Amps may damage the motor, and or trip the circuit breaker and on-board safety fuse.

If the monitor shows you’re in the red zone (over 15 Amps) and you have no weights on the Stonechat, it tells you that the grinding diamonds/pad you are using is too aggressive for the surface and you should change to a less aggressive diamonds/pad.

Dry Grinding

Pros:

• Fast and easy to perform the work, as the cleanup is quite minimal. Simply vacuum or sweep up the dust and it is done.
• Easy to dispose of residue as it can be placed into garbage bags or bins.
• Specific DRY only diamonds are available.

Cons:

• Respiratory problems can occur from breathing in the dust, some being carcinogenic.
• Diamond wear is much greater, as temperatures rise due to the friction. The diamonds also wear out faster.
• Requires ventilation, safety breathing mask and leaves dust on all surfaces which will require cleaning.

Wet Grinding

Pros:

• No dust created and risk of breathing it since as all the dust is encapsulated within the water.
• Diamonds last much longer, as the water provides cooling.
• Larger selection of diamonds are available. Since there are various types of surfaces, having the right diamond is critical to providing a superior finish.

Cons:

• Cleaning can be more labour intensive, as slurry is the by product from wet grinding. Often requires a wet/dry vacuum with squeegee tool as well as separating the water from the solids before disposing.
• The surface can be slippery, extra caution must be taken.

The Stonechat helps to do both Dry & Wet grinding easier and faster.

Dry Grinding:
The integrated SplashGuard features a 1.5″ diameter vacuum exhaust dust port. When the SplashGuard is lowered, it will trap the dust from being airborne and can be extracted by a vacuum, keeping the air cleaner and safer. This will also help minimize dust cleanup.

Wet Grinding:
Having the onboard water supply will ensure the diamonds last longer by maintaining the correct temperature during use. When you lower the integrated SplashGuard, it will encapsulate the drive block, keeping the mess and spray underneath the machine, preventing cleanup of the baseboards, walls and other surfaces.