lapnoob
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2014
Posts: 1
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Post by lapnoob on Jan 15, 2014 0:50:42 GMT -5
I am wanting to get into lapidary and was wondering how can I build my own very simple faceting machine. Could you guys please assist? All I need is something to fit the grinders onto, and a catch pan as far as I can tell. The control arm I would rather buy myself and a drip tank is easy to make. Any help is appreciated.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,622
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 15, 2014 2:58:41 GMT -5
A faceting machine is the one piece of lapidary equipment that in my opinion is not a practical do-it-yourself project. The accuracy required to do meet point faceting is usually expected to be around .005". If you keep an eye out on craigslist and eBay you will sometimes see used Graves machines sell for reasonably low prices. I don't know what area of the country you're in but there's a used Graves faceting machine with accessories listed now near Asheville, NC now for $300. You can see it at this link: asheville.craigslist.org/art/4250917358.html .
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Post by 1dave on Jan 15, 2014 12:56:23 GMT -5
All you need is a flat lap. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/62590/build-flat-lapConsider this: Observations: Are the bearings in your motor suitable for a direct drive application? I don't know a lot about all the options available in single phase AC motors, but none that I have seen have thrust bearings, only light axial bearings intended for a pully and belt or coupler to isolate it from excessive forces. Where will your water drain to? Lee
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Post by pauls on Jan 15, 2014 15:07:18 GMT -5
Unless you have an extremely well equipped workshop and a high degree of metal working skill making a faceting machine is not really something you can do. Those fairly cheap faceting heads on various auction sites are not solid enough to do a good job. Having a low quality machine will be very frustrating and you will probably never complete a stone you are really satisfied with. The machine needs to be very accurate as every facet on the stone has to be ground, then go through various finer grades until polishing, so on an average stone with say 80 facets you need to accurately go back to those 80 facets maybe 5 or 6 times. I am sorry to rain on your parade, faceting is another part of this hobby I enjoy and I would hate to see you go to a lot of trouble making something that never gets used because its frustratingly innacurate. Please consider a good second hand machine, contact a local club, team up with local facetors and get a feel for the hobby, good second hand machines often move within the faceting community rather than being advertised. The important thing though is that whatever you spend will not go away, if its a good machine you will be able to resell it for the same money after you have used it for many years. It may seem like a lot of money but consider that a second hand machine from a retiring facetor usually comes with a stack of expensive laps and dops and transfer jig, probably a stack of faceting diagrams and gem rough and an expert who you can call on for help. You will need to buy all this stuff and it will not be cheap if you go your homemade option.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 17:43:00 GMT -5
I would recommend getting a second job and make the machine by saving the second paycheck until you have enough to buy a machine. The precision required is very high.
Plus all the advice offerred by others - +1!
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 15, 2014 22:52:05 GMT -5
A faceting machine is the one piece of lapidary equipment that in my opinion is not a practical do-it-yourself project. The accuracy required to do meet point faceting is usually expected to be around .005". If you keep an eye out on craigslist and eBay you will sometimes see used Graves machines sell for reasonably low prices. I don't know what area of the country you're in but there's a used Graves faceting machine with accessories listed now near Asheville, NC now for $300. You can see it at this link: asheville.craigslist.org/art/4250917358.html . That is a smoking deal for that faceter, I paid a little more for my Graves Mk1. Here's one on ebay... www.ebay.com/itm/Lapidary-Facetor-Faceting-Rocks-Fossils-Minerals-/360833201952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item540355b720Now I need to find the best deal on dops for it. It is absolutely true, faceting is super high precision. Lee #2
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,622
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 15, 2014 23:05:07 GMT -5
Rockoonz, If you are looking for new dops for your Graves machine American lapidary Wholesalers has good prices on sets. I think the folks that run AMLAP have other day time jobs, so sometimes communication is a little slow. And in years past they have been hard to reach during the Quartzite and Tuscon show times. But their prices are very competitive. I've orderd various supplies from them several times over the years and have always been happy with my orders. Larry C.
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juzwuz
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 526
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Post by juzwuz on Jan 15, 2014 23:25:19 GMT -5
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 23:27:59 GMT -5
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Post by DirtCleaner on Jan 16, 2014 8:55:32 GMT -5
Looks like a simple 312 step process. Gotta agree that purchasing one is a good way to go. For Christmas my sis-in-law presented me with a couple little bags of gems to facet. Except I don't have a faceting machine (or any of the requisite knowledge that one needs.) So now I may need to step up to the plate. I am sitting on 150 carats of Mexican Yellow Labrodorite and 25 carats of Brazilian Emerald.
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rockncajun
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2009
Posts: 344
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Post by rockncajun on Jan 16, 2014 10:02:54 GMT -5
Those are similar to the Graves machine.
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rockncajun
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2009
Posts: 344
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Post by rockncajun on Jan 16, 2014 10:04:34 GMT -5
cool
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Post by 1dave on Jan 16, 2014 13:09:50 GMT -5
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,622
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 16, 2014 14:28:40 GMT -5
Dave, I know you are a big proponent of DYI equipment and I respect that. But let's not steer anyone down the wrong path here. Jam Peg Faceting is a very slow process and is not accurate enough for modern Meet Point faceting patterns. Jam Pegs produce poor quality stones and their limitations reduce the cutter's pattern options to a small number of the simplest of old style patterns. While some foreign cutters have achieved amazing results with such primitive equipment, they still produce inferior stones by today's industry standards. Most jewelers in the modernized world consider Jam Peg cut stones to be nothing more than pre-trimmed cutting rough and will buy them only to recut into a proper stone. If someone wants to make a jam peg faceting machine just for the novelty of it then great! But if that person has any inclination of ever selling their cut stones for a prophet then they shouldn't waste their time and money on a jam peg unit.
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Post by 1dave on Jan 16, 2014 17:53:39 GMT -5
QuailRiver, it depends on your market. If you are competing in the top jewelry market, fine. Most of us are not. Toss a few facets on an obsidian cab and you have something unique that teens can afford and will buy. What does it matter if an agate has "imperfect angles" when the internal refraction angles make no difference? Perfection is a matter of opinion. What is junk to one is perfect for another and verse visa.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,622
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 16, 2014 18:42:19 GMT -5
1Dave, I guess I just didn't consider that putting imperfect facets around the edges of cabochons was what lapnoob had in mind when he posted his question. My bad.
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Post by 1dave on Jan 17, 2014 21:32:17 GMT -5
1Dave, I guess I just didn't consider that putting imperfect facets around the edges of cabochons was what lapnoob had in mind when he posted his question. My bad. NOT! I have no idea what his intentions are. I just know others who have done it and they turned out quite attractive. There was an article in the Lapidary Journal in the '60's on it called "Facetchons." Please pardon my rant on "Perfection." We "little guys" are at a considerable disadvantage in the faceting field that is dominated by families that have been doing it for 400 years, have all the contacts to get the best material at the best prices and have name recognition so their worst stuff, churned out by hundreds of slave faceting units, is snapped up while our possibly better goods are ignored. Think about it. A "perfect" stone is cut, purchased and admired until the wedding day and is ignored from then on until someone tries to sell it again for ten cents on the dollar. Personally I'd hate faceting 40 hours a week for forty years. It sounds as bad as being in prison.
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