QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on May 11, 2019 18:04:56 GMT -5
Yes, Lortone has stopped making slab saws. I don't think Lortone sold the rights to the new HP makers. I think Lortone just never filed any patents on their machines so they have no patents to protect. So the makers of the new HP saws can copy them just like they did the old HP designs without fear of legal repercussions.
I don't know for sure what the reasons are that Lortone stopped producing their line of slab saws. But I do know that it has gotten very difficult to get quality bearings in the type of insert bearings that their 10", 12" and 14" saws use. And I think remember hearing that Dayton Motors have stopped producing the gear motors used as powerfeed motors on those same sized saws. And I've been reading lots of complaints from multiple fields (not just Lortone)about quality problems with the new fractional motors (motors with less than 1hp) that are being manufactured these days. So producing reliable saws in Lortone's price range with the poor quality outsourced parts that are currently on the market may have just become too much of a challenge to be profitable.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on May 7, 2019 0:46:10 GMT -5
The concentration of plumes in agates can be such that if the slab is a normal cabbing thickness it has more of a moss agate appearance than it does a plume agate. A thinner slab can show-off the plumes better. And some folks do use clear quartz over thin plume slabs to make cabs. Larry C. Thank you for that. So, it is more common to make a doublet rather than back them? I have some very thin ones that someone had been using to back. Very, very thin, like less than 2mm. Almost seems like a triplet would be best. Just depends on the look you're going for. Some folks like the colored backings. And I agree that with some of the white plumes a colored or black backing can help give some contrast to show the plumes better. But for most non-white plumes IMHO they usually look better without a colored backing. As for those 2mm thick plume agate slabs, if your gut tells you that they may require some back support too, then there is no reason a triplet couldn't be made with both a clear quartz cap and a clear quartz backing but the clear quartz is going to have to be really thin slices too unless you're going for really high domed cabs. Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on May 5, 2019 23:34:20 GMT -5
At this moment I'm glad I live on the opposite side of the country! Otherwise I might just go and do something stupid. That saw is just WAY to cool!
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on May 5, 2019 23:27:31 GMT -5
The concentration of plumes in agates can be such that if the slab is a normal cabbing thickness it has more of a moss agate appearance than it does a plume agate. A thinner slab can show-off the plumes better.
And some folks do use clear quartz over thin plume slabs to make cabs.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on May 3, 2019 23:40:19 GMT -5
Crystalite used to, and maybe still does, make some pre-polishing and polishing pads that if I remember correctly had pressure sensitive adhesive on the backs. They were called Crystalpads and Polypads. One of which was blue, one tan, and one black. And maybe one white but I can't remember for sure. These were to be used with Crystalites diamond paste (bort) and Crystalube. But I do not recall them ever making a red one.
If your pads are pre-charged pads, generally speaking of all lapidary products, red is usually used for 600gt diamond and blue for 1200 grit diamond. Its possible in your items' case that someone may have mounted Ameritool diamond discs(or some similar product) to one or both of your Crystalite rubber backing discs.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on May 3, 2019 18:40:47 GMT -5
Congratulations Tommy! Keep 'em coming!
A landmark number like that is a good point to assess wheel "mileage" costs. If you don't mind sharing that info - How many wheels (type, brand and grit) has it taken to produce 2k salable cabs?
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 29, 2019 22:19:23 GMT -5
The mast design appears to be based on the old LEE machine mast. Several years back Daniel Lopacki attempted to have a line of machines based on the LEE design manufactured overseas and from what I remember they never could get the accuracy machined quite right. That said a skilled faceter can adapt and cut a good stone on most any machine. However, it can take that same faceter MUCH longer to cut a quality stone on a machine with poor repeatability than on a good machine. And also it could be frustrating for a beginner trying to learn to facet on a machine with poor accuracy. Another consideration is that most of the Asian made machines use 6mm diameter shaft dops, so finding dops to fit this machine here in the U.S. might be a challenge.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 22, 2019 0:22:14 GMT -5
I believe what you have there is either Palomino or Disaster Peak picture jasper. Most African Queen I've seen tends to be more uniform in color tones and I've never seen any African Queen with blue/gray as in your third photo. Here are pictures of a couple of slabs of African Queen I have in my files.  I'll check and see if I have any scans of Palomino Picture Jasper Slabs and post them if I do. Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 20, 2019 14:22:06 GMT -5
Perhaps you could list it as "Agatized "Moby" Marrow"?  Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 20, 2019 14:12:54 GMT -5
Yes it's really getting frustrating dealing with the nit-witery of the Technocrats. The term "technocrat" is quickly being proved to be an oxymoron for sure.
I've been having similar problems selling on FB recently. Had a listing for an American Optical Co. brand microscope rejected because it contained the word "optical" and the root word "scope". And had a post for a Diamond-Laser 3000 Bandsaw rejected for the word "laser" . I had to rewrite the posts eliminating such highly nefarious and offensive words. And added a foreword to the listings explaining why they now contain odd wording and sentence structuring.
I guess all so the members of FB's corporate idiocracy can pat each other on the back and virtue signal to each other about how they are not going to allow ANYONE to sell assault-microscopes or assault-bandsaws on their platform - NO, not on their watch! [sarc]
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 17, 2019 14:39:20 GMT -5
That looks like a Star Diamond product IMO.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 15, 2019 15:41:48 GMT -5
IMO that is chrysocolla only. My understanding is that chrysoclla and turquoise are formed under different conditions and are never found intermingled in the same rock. A lot of sellers on eBay and FB try to pass off chrysocolla as turquoise. And I'm sure that many of them believe that their pretty bright blue chrysocolla is actually turquoise, but only because they want to believe it.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 2, 2019 14:17:20 GMT -5
I've always had good experiences with The Rock Shed too. Also one that I don't see mentioned often but I have always had good experiences with is MLS (Minnesota Lapidary Supply). Nice folks, very helpful and carry a good assortment of supplies.
Kingsley North is usually pretty good too but they did give me a little bit of resistance once when they shipped me a couple of defected MK/Barranca diamond blades. The blades were defective from the factory so it wasn't their fault but they didn't seem to believe me and didn't want to authorize a return but after a lengthy phone conversation finally did. Other than that one time I've had pretty good service from them.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 24, 2019 7:23:24 GMT -5
Love the Starry Night Jasper the most! Others are great too! What's the origins of the Starry Night? Is it from the same area as Palomino and Disaster Peak jaspers?
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 20, 2019 8:33:03 GMT -5
there are still good bearings out there but they are a bit costly Please tell where? I've done extensive searching the last few years and haven't been able to find any U.S. or Japanese brand of small, deep groove, insert type bearings that are not being outsourced to China or Mexico now with one exception, an expensive French made brand which I tried and they were junk too. Those only lasted about three months of daily use on a 14" slab saw. So if you know of source please let us know who? Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2019 16:41:39 GMT -5
Very happy Larry The only thing that might be a problem is that it can't save in the .gem format. It can open Gemcad .gem files but it only saves as .gcs files. Really the only time this could be a problem is if you wanted to share a faceting diagram with someone who didn't have the program, no different to sharing a .gem file with someone who didn't have gemcad I suppose, just print it out and hand them a paper copy. Have you had a play with the trial version, it's fully functional, just expires in a month? Thank you for the quick response! I haven't used the free-trial yet but wanted to check in with your progress before I did to see if you were still happy with it. I didn't want to invest any time into the program if it had too many bugs but it sounds like it's a good program. I don't think that it not saving files in .gem will be an issue for my purposes. Thank you again for your input! Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2019 13:32:26 GMT -5
I recently downloaded Gem Cut Studio trial version. For 30 days you get everything working and can have a play. gemcutstudio.com/It is well worth a look at, I have been playing around with it and it seems a lot more intuitive than Gem Cad. Lots of great features. It has a render engine built in so you can see how changes you make look on the finished stone and how they affect the light transmission. File thumbnails, so you get a small thumbnail of the design plus information about the design. Change RI on the fly. Change index wheel (if it's possible) on the fly Easily edit individual rows of facets. Change angles and depth of cut with a slider control. I am very impressed. After having had more time to work with Gem Cut Studio are you still happy with it? Any new obstacles discovered? Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2019 11:41:01 GMT -5
Speaking Of Riviera Plume, I had forgotten I had this piece and ran across it yesterday and thought you might get a kick out of seeing it. It's a 33lb chunk or Riviera Agate - part plume and part moss. It was too big/heavy for my saws so I had squirreled it back and had forgotten about it. While it would fit in the vise of a Covington 20" saw and technically the blade is large enough to cut it, the last time I tried to slab a rock this heavy in one of my Covington 20" saws the weight caused the bronze split-pliers on the powerfeed to strip out. OH dai-aam haha. Now I got to go wipe the drool off my face.  Find a way to cut that sucker and show us pictures please! Unless I find a screaming deal on a 24"(or bigger) saw I don't know if it will ever happen. We don't have much in the way of good native cabbing rough in this part of the country so the big saws are hard to find. And I don't often have the opportunity to acquire slabbing rough big enough to justify putting a lot of $$$ into a 24" or bigger saw and don't know anyone local who has. I've considered elevating the front legs of my 20" saw an inch or two so gravity can relieve some of stress off of the bronze screw pliers but am a little concerned that if I do there may be an unintended consequence of the lead screw rod pushing the bronze gear bearing into the worm gear and screwing one or both of those up. Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2019 11:24:35 GMT -5
If you're interested in trying to revive them (Poly Arbors) Lyman Products may still own the rights to produce them or they may have sold those rights to Rick Scott of Scott manufacturing when they sold him the rights to produce some of the old Raytech lapidary equipment. One of the biggest hurdles for reproducing them these days would be finding quality bearings to use in the housings.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2019 11:19:06 GMT -5
Raytech bought the rights to produce the Poly-Arbor line around 1980. But I think that it was soon after Lyman Products bought out Raytech they discontinued them. And it was a &@$% shame that they did too. IMO the Poly Arbors were the best lapidary arbors ever made.  Larry C. |
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