metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Oct 23, 2016 16:47:05 GMT -5
After deciding on the direction I would like to go, facetting, over a year ago, I have scoured the various boards for a (secondhand) facetter without success or at least without my decisive commitment. At least that is I found a basic facetter a while back but it was only up to amateur and not pro-standard cutting. I decided to hold onto my cash and continue to look. After failing in an online auction earlier, I've been given a second chance offer. Whilst this is at the level of my max bid, it is a really fair price considering how little use the kit has and the number of laps that come with it. To cut a long story short, I've saved the cash and done the deal: a facetron.
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Post by Pat on Oct 23, 2016 18:40:34 GMT -5
Good for you! : ) Now show us your stuff!
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Oct 24, 2016 12:29:40 GMT -5
Good for you! : ) Now show us your stuff! It is in the post and should be here by Thursday / Friday. I was outbid, but the winner didn't have the stomach for it, luckily for me! Given the extras inc around 1/2 dozen laps some synth, rough and the seller's good will, I thought it was worth the price. The learning curve starts here, I feel!
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 28, 2016 10:16:41 GMT -5
That is great news!!
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geodes4u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2009
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Post by geodes4u on Oct 31, 2016 11:36:40 GMT -5
Congratulations on the Facetron. A very good machine! I have used a Graves for many years. I cut by ear, and it is a solid machine. The stones look good, and it is all I will ever need. The Facetron will give you bells and whistles, which really helps with accuracy. Faceting is my favorite part of the lapidary arts; you will have fun! The only negative part is finding quality rough, that is also affordable. Start with an SRB, then you can do anything!
TW
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
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Post by ChicagoDave on Oct 31, 2016 12:53:30 GMT -5
I will be interested in future posts about your adventures in faceting. Good luck!
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Nov 3, 2016 1:55:23 GMT -5
It is in the post and should be here by Thursday / Friday... Just which Thursday / Friday wasn't made clear! It arrived yesterday. My wife was in all morning but got called in to work - so the mail service (strictly speaking 'Royal Mail' but there was nothing royal about this service) left it outside Luckily its a good neighbourhood. Now to get to grips with it all. Pics later.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Nov 5, 2016 12:34:04 GMT -5
Ok, so lets just imagine there's the chance to play with some ace kit or sit down and read the books. Well I've done a little of the latter, but wouldn't you just have to have some 'hands-on'? For my first meet-point facet, I dug out one of my first ever tumblestones. It always had ambition above it's station, so I helped it out...sard: 90, 75, 60, 45 and zero degree angles; the overall shape was inspired by the piece - it just wanted to be that way:
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Post by Pat on Nov 5, 2016 12:39:03 GMT -5
Wow!
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Nov 5, 2016 12:54:52 GMT -5
Congratulations on both acquiring the machine and your first stone. When I got my first faceting machine I was told that you're not really a faceter(or) until you throw away the diagrams and start cutting your own designs. Looks like you accomplished that with your very first stone. Keep us up to date on your faceting adventures.
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Nov 6, 2016 23:05:55 GMT -5
One word-WOW!!!
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Nov 7, 2016 1:28:54 GMT -5
Congratulations on both acquiring the machine and your first stone. When I got my first faceting machine I was told that you're not really a faceter(or) until you throw away the diagrams and start cutting your own designs. Looks like you accomplished that with your very first stone. Keep us up to date on your faceting adventures. Haha well it was a steep learning curve cutting my first. I think I need to work through a design and be able to successfully put a design shape to a rock before I'd call myself a facetter. I'm working though Herbst at the moment and I don't envisage any stoppers. I've always believed in working with a stone rather than against it. You can see from the start it had a lozenge shape, but in the 5th image down, that it wasn't quite true. It makes sense to preserve as much of the stone as possible and I only had to trim around 1mm from one side. Yes, from a humble tumblestone it is quite transformed. Thanks for commenting.
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Nov 12, 2016 10:53:14 GMT -5
The next installment... I bought a rock on the bay; the seller thought it would be nice to include a free-bee Carnelian tumblestone: 'like'! It looked good and compact i.e. no flaws that would crack up, but some pretty nice interior colour variations, so thought it might make a good stone to facet. Again, I didn't follow a published pattern, but 'followed the stone' and created my own. Can you spot the error (my cutting)? It's pretty obvious when you see it.
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 12, 2016 11:11:03 GMT -5
The right side cut looks a little thicker, but you're learning. Enjoying the thread. Faceting is something I never thought of doing. Is it a slow process?
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Nov 12, 2016 13:56:49 GMT -5
The right side cut looks a little thicker, but you're learning. Enjoying the thread. Faceting is something I never thought of doing. Is it a slow process? Started slow ... getting faster, but something you can't rush.
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 8, 2016 16:23:21 GMT -5
A flat facetted-style Bolivian Chevron Amethyst cabochon
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 31, 2016 13:02:19 GMT -5
Hmm, fingerprints seem to be a bit of problem with the chevron-amethyst. At least one of the videos I recorded seems to have come through relatively unscathed ... at least I finally noted the prints and polished them from the stone!
For your delectation
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Post by Pat on Dec 31, 2016 14:48:40 GMT -5
metalsmith Herbst arrived recently, and I've revised my starting rocks now that I know more about selecting them. Next is the examination and preforming. Your stones look marvelous!
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 31, 2016 15:11:21 GMT -5
Two thumbs up on your work and material!!
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metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 17:13:51 GMT -5
metalsmith Herbst arrived recently, and I've revised my starting rocks now that I know more about selecting them. Next is the examination and preforming. Your stones look marvelous! Thanks Pat. I thought Herbst(I) was great, if a little simplistic. Vol II looks quite technical ... I haven't gotten into that just yet! Vol I is written in an entertaining style, I'm sure you'll like it and you can make good progress and don't even have to read half of it!
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