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What is the correct way to hold the stone/quill?
Hello Members
I was taught faceting by an instructor one on one situation. We got on really well as we are both mechanical / /electrical tradesmen. i had tuition 8 hrs a day one day a week for 8 weeks.
What In liked about Joe He let you get into trouble and then he would make you work it out how to get out of trouble. If needed he would correct you if you were way off track.
So what I learned from the exercise.
1. Become familiar with the machine. No different for any piece of machinery or machine tool. I ws already very familiar with the machine as I had practised for hours on marbles.
2. How to get into trouble and get yourself out of it.
3. In amongst getting in and out of trouble, was using the Index Micro Adjustment, Height adjustment., minute aglular adjustment etc.
4. Besides general information on cutting a good stone, he used to emphasise What do the GILS like?
Sparkle & polish, & sparkle and sparkle. The first thing that the Judge sees. And the girls.
He taugh me to have my left hand on the stone & my right hand on the height adjustment. When you take the stone up to look at it, you roll your left hand inwards and the stone ends up in the palm of your hand with no chance of dropping the stone & quill assembly.
I am just wondering what is the correct way to apply pressure and movement to the stone.?
I hold the stone, I notice most people are holding the quill.Thank you
Kind Regards
Ian ORRELL
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4 Replies
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Always hold the stone with your fingers. It doesn’t matter which hand. Apply only slight pressure with your fingers when cutting. Let the diamond do the cutting with minimal pressure.
Ernie Hawes
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Thank you, Ernie. I’ve been preaching that (and arguing about it) for years. I suspect that many people hold the quill because they assume that a right-handed faceter should use a “right-handed” (actually right-masted) machine, and find it awkward to hold the stone.
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Thank you to both Ernie and Alan for your replies. It seems a though I was on the rigt track.
Kind Regards
Ian ORRELL
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I use either hand as one gets tired, but I ALWAYS hold the stone. The quill is just part of the device that provides the correct angle, so the stone is what I keep in hand and protect.
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