Equipment. Anybody assist me?

[somerset]

5 days ago I knew nothing about this subject at all and then found this equipment at the back of a stable.

Could anybody give me any info on it please?

Unsure if it is a homemade piece of equipment or a low volume production piece. It's beautifully made and holds its settings perfectly. There are no makers marks or serial numbers apparent anywhere.

There are machining marks on the base where it has been milled and the protractor is brass.

I have stripped it from its clearly home-made base to restore the motor/pulleys/belts etc. I am cleaning it up and removing some of the years of stable gunge.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks
David

 

[chrono]

I am sorry I have absolutely no idea and hope the lapidaries that frequent this forum will see your post.

 

[Michael_E]

It's an old gemstone faceting machine. It probably even still works if the joints are free and can be reconditioned to rotate without looseness or binding. That's a neat find, can you post pictures of the base?

 

[beaujolais]

Oh, how cool. Guess as to the date, Michael E., or anyone?

Somerset, now you need to learn to cut stones ! Dust that baby off and get it going.

 

[somerset]

Fortunately my experience with reconditioning old lathes etc has added me to free up all the movements and rotations without causing damage. There is no backlash in the height adjustment and the protractor is set absolutely square. I have been able to repeat settings to half a thou easily. Indexing is rock solid with no play at all.
There are about a dozen"tools" with it and I now know how to use them after reading some excellent articles.
Today I have looked at the local stone and I suspect that the single faceted stone I found in the water tray is local. I well post some pictures in the morning.

I do now feel the initial stirrings of a new interest but my first love is probably engineering and I think my first project may be to actually
Make another one but with digital readouts etc.

It was on a sewing machine table with an AC motor with "picador" pulleys driving the platen. A crude water system was in place but seemed too work fine.

All in all, it seems someone went to a lot of trouble to put what is a very solid and accurate machine onto a very stable and solid base.


Thanks for the info, I would like, if possible, to get some sort of date but realize that maybe impossible.
Will post update and pics tomorrow.

David.

 

[Richard M.]

Boy, that thing is built "hell for stout," to use one of my Granddad's phrases.

It could be a home-built rig. Does it have any manufacturer's marks or nameplates? If it's commercially made maybe some of the old-timers at the U.S. Faceting Guild dicussion group could help identify it. Just Google USFG for information.

Richard M

 

[somerset]

Hi
Can't find any manufacturers names or serial number or indeed any marks whatsoever.
Although it looks a bit "manky" everything moves beautifully and locks rock solid.
The table it was on was an old treadle sewing machine table and the motor, pulleys and bearings are way over-engineered for the work it is doing. Solid does not begin to describe it!

Have posted some more pictures which may give someone a clue to its age - hopefully.

I have ID'd the only thing I found (I think) which had been faceted and it seems to be a local stone, a type of Chert called locally "Bishopswood Chert", have found some references to it on google.

As I said, I plan to make another one using this as a pattern but I will also start to learn to use it. It would be a shame to have a piece of kit like this and not learn something about using it. It's also too beautifully engineered to just "sell on".

Thanks
David

 

[somerset]

and 3 more pics

 

[somerset]

I have been scraping around on the floor in the garage, in years of dust and leaves and rubbish in the hope I may find something that had been done with this facet machine. I FOUND ONE STONE!

I suspect it is the local stuff which seems to be known, as I said, as Bishopswood Chert.
I don't think this stone has been finished and they are only a couple of rough camera pics but perhaps someone may be able to confirm that it looks like a browny chert.

Thanks
David

 

[mastercutgems]

Very Neat indeed

As being a tool and die maker for over 12 years I would easily say it was not crudely made... Whoever made it had very good skills with the lathe and milling machine; they also knew index setting, and how to mill notches, etc... not a novice...

This was a very well built machine and I think could easily be one of the fore-runners of what we consider the modern day faceting machine...

Definitely worth restoring to it's glory day... The way the mast looks ; it should easily fit on a modern motorized base ???

Excellent find; I know I have restored a few of the foot operated jewelers lathes and this would rank right up there with one of the finest antique/modern faceting machines I have seen to date.

Most respectfully;

Dana Reynolds
ASG Certified Supreme Master Gem Cutter #96cge42

 

[somerset]

Wow.

Thank you. That has really made my day and made me even more determined to a) restore it and b) learn to use it.

If this is Bishopswood Chert and it is worth working (I don't mean financially), then we have about 16 acres of it so the is no danger of running out!

I will post updates of its progress.

Thanks again.
David