2 years ago-
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Hey, Guys and Gals!
This past weekend I demo’d faceting at a local gem show. Actually got 3 pieces done start to finish, lots of kids and others watching, had GemCad and GemRay up on a monitor showing the design I was working on, even rendered in the right color… Gave out business cards with USFG purposes and site info on it, even met Carl Unruh’s nephew who is a faceter…
The most often asked questions, from folks interested:
1) “What new machines are currently available?” – I know Facetron and Ultratec – any others? Current prices?
2) for folks who already have a new machine collecting dust (mostly Facetron here) – “What are the bare minimum in laps I need to get started?” – money conscious folks – I was thinking a 260 topper, 600 and/or 1200 (topper adhered to a base?), then Batt/50K, lucite/CeOx. No flame wars here please, but what do you think? I have been doing this so long I have LOTS OF LAPS, so I am a little out of touch with basic beginning!!! These folks don’t need to be playing with multiple loose diamond grits yet…
I have another gig next week – could do a third show if I was a glutton, but a two show tour is fine for now… I just want to be able to put info on convenient business cards…
Hi,
I am new and started polishing cabs a year ago and picked up a lap machine from Inland, 8″ 180,360,600,1200,cut saw blade and polish felt pads and master acrylic lap for around $500. The quality of the laps are good and I was able to use them on my new Facetron from that I purchased from Jarvis Machine for just under $3000 delivered. I have also purchased sets of polishing films. I have found that Inland, Facetron and the Rock Peddler to be great places for the adventurist to get started. All I can say is I am having a great time learning and creating things of beauty from the earths rough and trade my work or give it away. It is my choice and the joy of it that I get from it is mind blowing. Right now I am working on the novice single stone, perfection is not as easy as one two three either.Just got done with the second week of faceting at local rock and gem shows. I think I survived!
Was able to cut around one gem per day (5 over 4 days) between questions from faceters, hoping to be faceters, and general public, along with lessons to two beginners that I helped with.
Finished up with a cut 13+ mm lemon quartz in Marco Voltolini’s Soccer Dome.
I made up several business card sized information cards to give out. I will see if there is a place for posting the files for you all to use if helpful.
Allen,
To my knowledge there are 6 companies currently producing faceting machines in the USA. They range in price from around $1200 to just under $5000.
They are as follows:
Graves Mark IV for around $1200
Graves Mark V their digital model for around $1700
Raytec Shaw for around $2000
Jersey Instruments Tom Thumb for around $1800
Jersey Instruments Patriot for around $2400
Facetron for around $2700
Polymetric for around $2000
Ultra Tec V5 which comes in analog for around $4800 and the digital for around $4950.Regarding laps for beginners, I teach faceting and my recommended laps for beginners are either a lucite master lap ($13.00), or an aluminum master lap ($23.00) from Graves Lapidary, a 260 plated topper ($25.00) from Kingsley North, 325, 600, 1200 and 3000 grit D’Lite toppers laps ($55.00 each). Fro the beginner I recommend that they start to learn polishing with Ultra Laps. An assorted pack contains Cerium, Aluminum Oxide, Chromium, Tim Oxide Ultralaps ($16.00) or you can purchase packages of 5 each of these polishing media (between $9.00 and 18.00 per package) from Graves.
The reason that I recommend a 325 D’Lite lap in addition to your 260 plated lap is that the D’Lite lap will quickly remove the subsurface damage done by the 260 and leaves a very smooth surface, similar to a worn 600 plated lap. In fact all of the D’Lite laps produce surfaces that are nearly as fine as the next higher grit. For example the 600 D’Lite lap produces a surface comparable to a 1200 plated lap and the 1200 D’Lite lap produces a surface comparable to a 3000 plate lap. A lot of people start polish at this stage.
The reason I recommend the 3000 D’Lite lap is that I like to use it as a prepolish.
If the student funds that they enjoy this craft they might want to look into eventually replacing their Ultralaps with the following: a CeOx topper ($30.00), an A1 aluminum oxide topper ($30.00) and a natural topper ($25.00) from Lightning Lap. Lightning lap also has the D’Lite laps in 8000, 14000 and 50000 ($55.00 each).
Tom Mitchell
Mitchell Jewelry Studio
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