Which wheel, in what order
Work left to right: 80, 220, 280, 600, 1200, 3000, then a final polish on leather or felt. Don't skip a step. The most common warning from experienced cutters is that a missed grit leaves scratches the next wheel can't remove.
Both Highland Park machines ship with the same six wheels, so one chart covers them. Sources are the CB6V manual, the CB8V product page, a Gem Society lesson and a forum thread, all read Nov 4, 2026.
The chart
- 80Plated diamond. Shaping. Takes the stone from the cut slab down to your outline. This is the rough work. Keep the stone wet and grind on the lower part of the wheel.
- 220Plated diamond. Shaping. Finishes the shape and removes the marks the 80 left.
- 280Resin. The last shaping wheel. The manual groups it with 80 and 220. It's also the first of the four soft resin wheels, so don't push a sharp stone edge into it.
- 600Resin. Start of polishing. The manual's polishing group runs 600, 1200, 3000. The Gem Society lesson calls this range smoothing. Scratches should be fine and even from here.
- 1200Resin. Pre-polish for agate. The Gem Society lesson uses 1,200 grit diamond as the pre-polish step for agate. The surface should show no scratches before you leave this wheel.
- 3000Resin. Pre-polish for softer stones. The same lesson gives 3,000 or 8,000 grit for softer gems. The manual says not to press hard on the high-grit resin wheels.
- FinalLeather with cerium oxide, or felt with diamond compound. This is the shine. Both Highland Park machines come with leather and felt buffing disks. Polish compound isn't listed as included.
First-use notes from the manual
- Diamond wheels need a break-in. Start with a hard stone, Mohs 7 or above, such as agate or jasper.
- Run for 5 to 10 minutes before you put softer material on them.
- Unplug the machine before changing wheels.
Source: CB6V manual (PDF). The product pages for both machines list the same wheels: two plated at 80 and 220, four resin at 280, 600, 1200 and 3000. CB8V page.
How it compares with other setups
| Setup | Grits | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Highland Park CB6V and CB8V | 80, 220, 280, 600, 1200, 3000 | Product pages and manual |
| Diamond Pacific Genie, as described by the Gem Society | Two diamond wheels at 100 and 260, then four wheels from 280 to 14,000 | Gem Society lesson |
| A forum poster's suggestion | 80, 220, 280, 600, 1200, 3000 | Forum thread |
So the Highland Park order isn't unusual. The same forum thread has two people swapping in 600 and 1,000 diamond wheels for the middle steps, which tells you the middle of the sequence is where people experiment, and the ends are where they agree.
Mistakes people warn about
- Skipping a grit. One poster went from 180 straight to 400, had trouble, and added a 280 wheel to fix it.
- Leaving scratches behind. The Gem Society lesson says to remove coarse scratches fully before moving on.
- Grinding too far while learning. One forum poster says a slower 180 wheel helps avoid overgrinding. Your machine's 80 wheel is faster than that, so go easier on it.
No cabochon has been cut on these machines for this site, so there's no time per step here. None of the sources give a reliable time either, because it depends on the stone.
Next: compare the two machines or price the full setup.
Page updated 2026-11-04. Prices on this site were read Nov 4, 2026.